LEED Green Associate

To help study for the LEED Green Associate Exam with emphasis on BD+C. Credit to the following Quizlet, I also added and edited cards. Credit: https://quizlet.com/517678756/leed-green-associate-flash-cards/

Cradle to Grave

An open system where materials are extracted, manufactured, purchased, consumed, and disposed of with a clear beginning and finite end. A linear consumption to waste process.

Cradle to Cradle

A closed system where materials are reused at the end of their useful life. A continuous loop of reuse that eliminates waste.

Upstream Activities

Related to the extraction of the raw materials used in a product.

Downstream Activities

Related to the processing of materials all the way through to the delivery of the final product to the end use.

Embodied Energy

The total amount of energy used to extract materials and manufacture, transport, install, and use a product across its life cycle.

Triple Bottom Line

People, Planet, and Profit. Social Responsibility, Environmental Stewardship, and Economic Prosperity. A long-term view for assessing potential effects and best practices for ALL stakeholders.

Do green buildings cost more than non-green buildings?

No! Any additional costs are recovered in long-term savings.

Regenerative Building

Closed systems that use only as much water and energy as they can produce.

Integrative Process

A design process in which multidisciplinary teams collaborate to meet sustainable design objectives from the inception of a project to its completion.

Phases of the Integrative Process

1. Discovery

2. Implementation (Design & Construction)

3. Occupancy, Operations, & Performance Feedback

Discovery Phase

The most important phase of the integrative process, conventionally called predesign. Team members compile and analyze the results of research relating to system interactions between disciplines. The discovery phase should take place before schematic design (SD) begins.

Implementation (Design & Construction) Phase

A phase in the integrative process, conventionally called schematic design (SD). Integrates all the work and collective understanding of system interactions reached during the discovery phase.

Occupancy, Operations, and Performance Feedback Phase

A phase in the integrative process that focuses on measuring performance and creating feedback mechanisms. Performance assessments are done to measure actual building performance against expectations/targets.

Steps in the Iterative Process

1. Conduct research and collect data within the scope of the work.

2. Analyze the data.

3. Share data analyses with team members at group workshops.

4. Receive feedback to identify synergies, wastes, and other opportunities for savings and efficiency across all disciplines.

5. Create/refine the design.

Negative Feedback Loop

A feedback loop that causes a system to change in the opposite direction from which it is moving and self-correcting.

Positive Feedback Loop

A feedback loop that causes a system to change further in the same direction (ex: climate change).

The Prius Effect

Delivering real-time energy information in a convenient way by installing meters where operators can act on the information and make changes to use energy more efficiently.

The theory that people who can see their energy consumption in a convenient way will be more likely to act more energy efficiently.

Leverage Point

A point in a system in which a small change can yield large results.

Rating Systems for LEED Building Design and Construction (BD+C)

1. New construction and major renovations

2. Core and shell development

3. Schools

4. Retail

5. Data centers

6. Warehouses and distribution centers

7. Hospitality

8. Heathcare

Rating Systems for LEED Interior Design and Construction

1. Commercial interiors

2. Retail

3. Hospitality

Rating Systems for LEED Building Operations and Maintenance (O+M)

1. Existing buildings

2. Retail

3. Schools

4. Hospitality

5. Data centers

6. Warehouses and distribution centers

Rating Systems for LEED for Homes

1. Homes and multifamily lowrise

2. Multifamily midrise

Rating Systems for LEED Neighborhood Development

1. Plan

2. Built project

LEED Credit Categories

1. Location and transportation (LT)

2. Sustainable sites (SS)

3. Water efficiency (WE)

4. Energy and atmosphere (EA)

5. Materials and resources (MR)

6. Indoor environmental quality (EQ)

7. Innovation (IN)

8. Regional priority (RP)

How many points are possible in the location and transportation (LT) category?

16

How many points are possible in the sustainable sites (SS) category?

10

How many points are possible in the water efficiency (WE) category?

11

How many points are possible in the energy and atmosphere (EA) category?

33

How many points are possible in the materials and resources (MR) category?

13

How many points are possible in the indoor environmental (EQ) quality category?

16

How many points are possible in the innovation (IN) category?

6

How many points are possible in the regional priority (RP) category?

4

Define the location and transportation (LT) credit category.

This category focuses on selecting sites in high-density areas that have existing infrastructure, are on brownfields or other high-priority designations, avoid sensitive habitats, promote alternative transportation, and are connected with amenities such as restaurants and parks.

Define the sustainable sites (SS) credit category.

This category focuses on reducing environmental impacts through site assessment, site design, and site management.

Define the water efficiency (WE) credit category.

This category focuses on reducing indoor and outdoor water use.

Define the energy and atmosphere (EA) credit category.

This category focuses on optimizing the energy performance of a building and using renewable energy resources.

Define the materials and resources (MR) credit category.

This category focuses on reducing resource depletion by diverting waste form landfills and using sustainable building materials.

Define the indoor environment quality (EQ) credit category.

This category focuses on air quality, temperature, lighting quality, and acoustic design to improve health and occupant comfort.

Define the innovation (IN) credit category.

This category focuses on recognizing innovative building features and sustainable practices not otherwise covered.

Define the regional priority (RP) credit category.

This category focuses on the most important environmental issues in a particular locale.

The possible credits for location and transportation (LT)

1. LEED for ND location

2. Sensitive land protection

3. High priority site

4. Surrounding density and diverse uses

5. Access to quality transit

6. Bicycle facilities

7. Reduced parking footprint

8. Green vehicles

The prerequisites and possible credits for sustainable sites (SS)

1. Construction activity pollution prevention (prereq)

……….

1. Site assessment

2. Site development - protect or restore habitat

3. Open space

4. Rainwater management

5. Heat island reduction

6. Light pollution reduction

The prerequisites and possible credits for water efficiency (WE)

1. Outdoor water use reduction (prereq)

2. Indoor water use reduction (prereq)

3. Building level water metering (prereq)

……….

1. Outdoor water use reduction

2. Indoor water use reduction

3. Cooling tower water use

4. Water metering

The prerequisites and possible credits for energy and atmosphere (EA)

1. Fundamental commissioning and verification (prereq)

2. Minimum energy performance (prereq)

3. Building level energy metering (prereq)

4. Fundamental refrigerant management (prereq)

……….

1. Enhanced commissioning

2. Optimize energy performance

3. Advanced energy metering

4. Demand response

5. Renewable energy production

6. Enhanced refrigerant management

7. Green power and carbon offsets

The prerequisites and possible credits for materials and resources (MR)

1. Storage and collection of recyclables (prereq)

2. Construction and demolition waste management planning (prereq)

……….

1. Building life cycle impact reduction

2. Building product disclosure and optimization - environmental product declarations

3. Building product disclosure and optimization - sourcing of raw materials

4. Building product disclosure and optimization - material ingredients

5. Construction and demolition waste management

The prerequisites and possible credits for indoor environmental quality (EQ)

1. Minimum indoor air quality performance (prereq)

2. Environmental tobacco smoke control (prereq)

……….

1. Enhanced indoor air quality strategies

2. Low emitting materials

3. Construction indoor air quality management plan

4. Indoor air quality assessment

5. Thermal comfort

6. Interior lighting

7. Daylight

8. Quality views

9. Acoustic performance

The possible credits for innovation (IN)

1. Innovation

2. LEED accredited professional

The possible credits for regional priority (RP)

4 specific credits

Minimum Program Requirements (MPR)

1. Must be in a permanent location on existing land

2. Must use reasonable LEED boundaries

3. Must comply with project size requirements

The minimum size requirement for LEED BD+C and O+M projects

1000 square feet

The minimum size requirement for LEED Interior Design and Construction (ID+C) projects

250 square feet

The project size requirements for LEED Neighborhood Development (ND)

At least 2 habitable buildings but no larger than 1500 acres.

LEED Certified point range

40-49

LEED Silver point range

50-59

LEED Gold point range

60-79

LEED Platinum point range

80+

LEED’s Goals

1. Reverse contribution to global climate change

2. Enhance individual human health and well-being

3. Protect and restore water resources

4. Protect, enhance, and restore biodiversity and ecosystem services

5. Promote sustainable and regenerative material resource cycles

6. Build a greener economy

7. Enhance social equity, environmental justice, community health, and quality of life

The impacts in the Reverse Contribution to Global Climate Change category

1. GHG emissions reduction from building operations

2. GHG emissions reduction from transportation energy use

3. GHG emissions reduction from materials and water-embodied energy use

4. GHG emissions reduction by embodied energy of water reduction

5. GHG emission reduction from a cleaner energy supply

6. Global warming potential reduction from non-energy-related drivers

The impacts in the Enhance Individual Human Health and Wellbeing category

1. Support occupant comfort and wellbeing

2. Protect human health form direct exposure to negative health impacts

3. Protect human health globally and across the entire build environment life cycle

The impacts in the Protect and Restore Water Resources category

1. Water conservation

2. Water quality protection

3. Protection and restoration of water regimes and natural hydrological cycles

The 3 impacts in the Protect, Enhance, and Restore Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services category?

1. Local biodiversity, habitat protection, and open spaces

2. Global diversity, habitat protection, and land preservation

3. Sustainable use and management of ecosystem services

The 3 impacts in the Promote Sustainable and Regenerative Material Resources Cycles category

1. Reduce raw material resources extraction

2. Move to cyclical, nondepleting material cycles

3. Reduce negative environmental impacts throughout the materials life cycle

The impacts in the Build a Greener Economy category

1. Enhance the value proposition of green building

2. Strengthen the green building industry and supply chain

3. Promote innovation and integration of green building products and services

4. Incentivize long-term growth and investment opportunities

5. Support local economies

The 4 impacts in the Enhance Social, Environmental Justice, and Community Quality of Life category

1. Create a strong sense of place

2. Provide affordable, equitable, and resilient communities

3. Promote access to neighborhood completeness resources

4. Promote human right and environmental justice

The steps in the LEED certification process

1. Rating system selection

2. Project registration

3. Credit submittals

4. Project review

5. Project Certification

The 40/60 Rule

A method used to choose the appropriate rating system for the project if the project seems to fit under multiple rating systems. if a rating system is appropriate for less than 40% of the gross floor area, it should not be selected. If it’s appropriate for more than 60%, it should be selected. If it’s in between, project teams must decide.

You must recertify under LEED O+M existing buildings every ______.

5 years (max once a year)

The main alternate rating systems

1. Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM)

2. Green Globes

Credit Interpretation Request (CIR)

A fee-based inquiry to the USGBC as to how to implement a strategy for a certain prerequisite or credit.

Agent

A person (or entity) who is granted actual authority by the owner to register the project and accept the certification agreement.

Owner

A person (or entity) who has the authority to hold and control the real and personal property associated with the project and accept the certification agreement.

Project Administrator

A person who plays a key quality role by checking that the LEED submission is complete and accurate before submitting the project to GBCI for review and by accepting the review results once the review is complete.

The main location strategies to meet the LT credit requirements

1. Locate the project within a LEED certified neighborhood development

2. Locate the building within proximity of surrounding density and diverse uses

The options (with numbers) to meet the surrounding density and diverse uses LT credit

1. Locate the project in or near high-density locations - within ¼ mile of the project, 22k sqft per acre or 0.5 FAR is the minimum.

2. Locate the building entrance within ½ mile walking distance of 7 or more diverse uses (3/5 categories must be represented, no more than 2 per category count).

The main transportation strategies to meet the LT credit requirements

1. Limit available parking

2. develop in areas that have multimodal transportation access

3. Designate 5% of all parking spaces used b y the project as preferred parking for green vehicles

4. Provide preferred parking for carpools for 5% of the total parking spaces

5. Install electrical vehicle supply equipment in 2% of all parking spaces

6. Install liquid or gas alternative fueling facilities or a battery switching station in at least 2% of all parking spaces

To meet the access to quality transit LT credit, the project should be located within __ mile walking distance of bus, streetcar or rideshare stops, or within __ mile walking distance of bus rapid transit stops, light or heavy rail stations, commuter rail stations, or commuter ferry terminals.

1/4, 1/2

To meet LT credits, _% of all parking spaces should be used as preferred parking for green vehicles, _% preferred parking for carpools, _% installed electrical vehicle supply equipment, _% installed liquid or gas alternative fueling facilities or battery switching station.

5, 5, 2 ,2

The intents/strategies of the location and transportation (LT) credits

1. Location

2. Transporation

3. Site development

4. Health and livability

The main site development strategies to meet the LT credit requirements

1. Avoid developing on environmentally sensitive lands

2. Locate the project on a site that has been previously developed

3. Locate the project on a high-priority site such as a brownfield

4. Develop in areas with existing infrastructure

Why is it good to build on a site that has been previously developed or has existing infrastructure?

Existing infrastructure reduced the cost and effort of installing new roads/power lines/etc. installing new infrastructure is highly invasive and destroys wildlife habitats and should be avoided as much as possible.

The main Health and Livability Strategies to meet the LT credit requirements

1. Develop in areas that promote walkability

2. Provide bicycle storage facilities/shower rooms/bicycle networks in close proximity to diverse uses

3. Provide a bicycle maintenance program for employees or bicycle route assistance for employees and customers

4. Provide pedestrian amenities

5. Promote connectivity

6. Create a diverse community

7. Promote access to sustainable food

8. Provide access to grocery stores

LT credit - surrounding density and diverse uses requires a building’s main entrance to be within a ½ mile walking distance of _ to _ (1 point) or _+ (2 points) diverse uses.

4, 7, 8

Examples of pedestrian amenities

Street trees, shade, benches, water fountains, bike racks, garbage and recycling cans.

Strategies to promote connectivity

Limiting cul de sacs, prohibiting gated communities, using street grid patterns.

Diverse Use

A distinct, officially recognized business, nonprofit, civic, religious, or governmental organization, or dwelling units (residential use) or offices (commercial office use). It has a stationary postal address and is publicly available.

Pooled Parking

Parking spaces that are shared among 2 or more buildings.

Total Parking Capacity

The total amount of parking spaces fora a site that includes new and existing surface parking spaces, new and existing garage or multilevel parking spaces, and any off-street parking spaces outside the project boundary that are available to the building’s users. not included are on-street (parallel or pull-in) parking spaces for fleet and inventory vehicles and motorbike or bicycle spaces.

Infill Development

Building and developing in vacant areas of high-density urban center. Infill development can reduce traffic congestion, save open space, and create more livable communities.

Shortest Path Analysis

A measurement of how far a pedestrian and bicyclist would travel form a point of origin to a destination, reflecting access to amenities, safety, convenience, and obstructions to movement.

The main Site Design and Management Strategies to meet the SS credit requirements

1. Prevent construction pollution

2. Protect and restore habitat

3. Reduce size of building footprint

4. Increase site density

5. Maximize open space

6. Plant native and adapted species

7. Develop a sustainable site management plan

What is necessary to do to meet the construction activity pollution prevention SS prerequisite?

Create and implement an erosion and sedimentation control plan for all construction activities to control soil erosion, waterway sedimentation, and the generation of airborne dust.

The open space SS credit requires project teams to provide outdoor space at least __% of the total site area.

30

Things that a project’s Sustainable Site Management Policy should address.

1. All chemicals used on the site

2. The cleaning of hardscape and the building’s exterior

3. Pesticide management

The main Rainwater Management Strategies to meet the SS credit requirements

1. Reduce impervious hardscape

2. Implement rainwater management

3. Use passive rainwater management

4. Use active rainwater management

The main Heat Island Strategies to meet the SS credit requirements

1. Reduce exposed hardscapes

2. Use high-reflectance materials

Solar Reflectance Index (SRI)

A metric from 0 to 100 that measures how well a material reflects solar hat, with higher numbers signifying better reflectance.

The Heat Island Effect

Urban landscapes are significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas due to infrastructure absorbing and retaining the sun’s heat. Infrastructure such as streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and buildings.

The main Light Pollution Strategies to meet the SS credit requirements

1. Install motion sensors and timers

2. Eliminate unnecessary lighting

BUG Rating Method

A luminaire classification system that classifies a luminaire according to backlight, upplight, and glare.

One option to meet the light pollution reduction SS credit is to select luminaires with __ BUG ratings.

low