USGBC Updated LEED-Green-Associate Exam Questions and Answers by sage

Rainwater is considered an alternative water source because it is a sustainable source of water that is not supplied from fresh surface water or groundwater. Rainwater can be harvested from roofs or other surfaces and stored for later use. Rainwater can offset the demand for freshwater and reduce the pressure on water resources. Rainwater can be used for various purposes, such as irrigation, toilet flushing, cooling, and cleaning. LEED projects can earn credits for using alternative water sources under the Water Efficiency category. References: Best Management Practice #14: Alternative Water Sources1; LEED v4 BD+C Reference Guide, Water Efficiency, page 51

Building orientation is the element of design that can be used to take advantage of natural ventilation, solar energy and daylight. Building orientation refers to the position and direction of a building in relation to the sun, wind, and other environmental factors. By orienting a building properly, it can maximize the benefits of passive design strategies such as daylighting, natural ventilation, and solar energy. For example, a building can be oriented to face the south or north in temperate climates to capture more sunlight for heating and lighting, or to face the east or west in hot climates to avoid excessive solar heat gain and glare. A building can also be oriented to align with the prevailing wind direction to enhance natural ventilation and cooling. Building orientation can also affect the shape, size, and placement of windows, doors, roofs, and other architectural elements that influence the performance and comfort of a building. References: Passive Design Strategies | Sustainability Workshop, section “Building Massing & Orientation”; Back to Basics: Natural Ventilation and its Use in Different Contexts | ArchDaily, section “Orientation”; Courtyard configuration to optimize shading, daylight and ventilation …, section “Introduction”

According to the LEED credit library, the Energy and Atmosphere category for Building Design and Construction: New Construction and Major Renovation has 6 prerequisites and 11 credits, with a total of 33 possible points. The prerequisites are:

Fundamental Commissioning and Verification (required)

Minimum Energy Performance (required)

Building-Level Energy Metering (required)

Fundamental Refrigerant Management (required)

Construction Activity Pollution Prevention (required)

Advanced Energy Metering (required)

The credits are:

Enhanced Commissioning (2-6 points)

Optimize Energy Performance (1-18 points)

Advanced Energy Metering (1 point)

Demand Response (1-2 points)

Renewable Energy Production (1-3 points)

Enhanced Refrigerant Management (1 point)

Green Power and Carbon Offsets (1-2 points)

ASHRAE stands for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, a professional organization that develops standards and guidelines for the design, operation, and maintenance of buildings. ASHRAE standards are applicable to two LEED categories: Energy and Atmosphere (EA) and Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). The EA category addresses the energy performance, efficiency, and renewable sources of buildings. The IEQ category addresses the indoor air quality, thermal comfort, lighting quality, and acoustic performance of buildings. Some of the ASHRAE standards that are relevant for these categories are: ASHRAE Standard 90.1 for energy efficiency;ASHRAE Standard 62.1 for ventilation; ASHRAE Standard 55 for thermal comfort; ASHRAE Standard 189.1 for high-performance green buildings1 . References: LEED v4 Green Associate Candidate Handbook1, ASHRAE’s Standards & Guidelines