LEED-Green-Associate Exam Dumps - USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Questions and Answers

Regional Priority credits are awarded to encourage projects to address local environmental issues that are of particular importance or concern for the region where the project is located. These issues may include water scarcity, air quality, habitat protection, or human health. Regional Priority credits are not new LEED credits, but rather existing credits that have been identified by regional councils or chapters of USGBC as having higher priority or relevance for their areas. Projects can earn up to four bonus points by achieving Regional Priority credits. References: LEED v4 BD+C Reference Guide, Introduction, page 13; LEED v4 Impact Category and Point Allocation Process Overview1

Increasing the amount of ventilation in an occupied space affects the Indoor Environmental Quality credit category. Ventilation is the process of supplying fresh outdoor air and removing stale indoor air from a building. Ventilation can improve the indoor environmental quality by diluting or removing indoor pollutants, such as carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, or particulate matter, and enhancing the thermal comfort and well-being of the occupants. The LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook states that one of the strategies for achieving indoor environmental quality is to “increase ventilation rates” [1, p. 16]. References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, [Ventilation | U.S. Department of Energy]

Graywater refers to relatively clean wastewater from domestic activities such as washing dishes, laundry, and bathing. Water from lavatory faucets falls into this category. Graywater can be treated and reused for non-potable purposes such as toilet flushing or irrigation, which can help conserve water. References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, U.S. Green Building Council resources

A waste reduction, reuse and recycling program must collect and measure the waste diverted through recycling and reuse, which is the amount of waste that is prevented from going to landfills or incinerators by being recovered, reused, or recycled. This is one of the key indicators of the environmental performance and benefits of a waste management program, as it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve natural resources, save energy and water, and create jobs. LEED v4.1 recognizes and rewards this strategy in the Construction and Demolition WasteManagement credit1, which aims to reduce construction and demolition waste disposed of in landfills and incineration facilities2. The other options are not directly related to the waste reduction, reuse and recycling program, as they involve different types of materials or metrics that are not relevant for measuring waste diversion. References: LEED Link: Construction and Demolition Waste Management, section “LEED v4.1 BD+C: Construction and Demolition Waste Management”; LEED v4 Waste Management Credits - Zero Waste, section “LEED v4 Waste Management Credits”

A brownfield is a property that has been previously used for industrial or commercial purposes and may be contaminated by hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants12. Brownfields can pose environmental and health risks and require remediation before redevelopment3. Examples of brownfields include abandoned factories, gas stations, dry cleaners, etc

LEED Operations & Maintenance focuses on:

“Green Cleaning – the use of environmentally preferred cleaning practices and materials after occupancy…”

It’s a post-occupancy strategy to maintain indoor environmental quality.

Installing operable windows is the best answer because it gives occupants some control over ventilation and comfort conditions. Thermal comfort is influenced by air temperature, radiant temperature, humidity, air movement, clothing, and activity level. Because occupants have different preferences, LEED Indoor Environmental Quality supports strategies that improve comfort and, where possible, provide individual or group controls. Operable windows can help occupants adjust air movement and fresh air when outdoor conditions are appropriate. Task lighting improves visual comfort and may slightly reduce overhead lighting loads, but it is not primarily a thermal comfort strategy. A building-wide strategy based only on average benchmarks may leave many occupants dissatisfied. Removing occupant control is incorrect because control is often associated with improved comfort, satisfaction, and productivity.

The Location and Transportation category rewards projects that select sites in ways that reduce environmental damage caused by development patterns. Building on a previously disturbed or previously developed site helps protect undeveloped land, farmland, habitat, and sensitive ecosystems. It also supports compact development and use of existing infrastructure. Option A is related mainly to Sustainable Sites, especially Heat Island Reduction. Option C belongs to Indoor Environmental Quality because exterior views support occupant comfort and well-being. Option D belongs to Water Efficiency because landscape water reduction focuses on irrigation demand and potable water conservation. Therefore, building on a previously disturbed site is the strategy most closely aligned with the LT category.

LEED certification is awarded based on the number of points a project earns across several categories of green building performance. The range of points required to maintain Gold level of LEED certification is 60-79, out of a possible 110 points. The other levels of LEED certification are: Certified (40-49 points), Silver (50-59points), and Platinum (80 or more points)13. References: LEED v4 Green Associate Candidate Handbook1, LEED v4 BD+C Reference Guide3