USGBC LEED-Green-Associate - LEED Green Associate GAFRE Exam (LEED GA)

The Location and Transportation (LT) category addresses the location and accessibility of a project site, as well as its impacts on transportation, land use, and community connectivity. One of the credits in this category is LT Credit: Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses, which rewards projects that are located in areas with high density and a variety of land uses, such as retail, residential, and civic facilities. This can reduce vehicle miles traveled, greenhouse gas emissions, and infrastructure costs, as well as promote walkability, livability, and social interaction. A new project that is built adjacent to a park with a trail leading to an urban business district qualifies for this credit by providing pedestrian access to diverse uses within a 1/2 mi. (0.80 km) walking distance1 . References: LEED v4 Green Associate Candidate Handbook1, LEED v4 BD+C Reference Guide

Conducting an occupant comfort survey with all building occupants is an effective way to identify occupant comfort issues in a space based on LEED best practices. An occupantcomfort survey is a tool that collects feedback from building occupants about their satisfaction with various aspects of their indoor environment, such as thermal comfort, lighting quality, acoustic quality, air quality, ergonomics, and aesthetics. An occupant comfort survey can help identify areas of improvement and potential solutions for enhancing occupant comfort and well-being. The other options are not effective ways to identify occupant comfort issues in a space based on LEED best practices. Installing energy meters in the building is a strategy that measures energy performance, but does not directly address occupant comfort. Discussing potential issues with building owner is a subjective and limited way of gathering information, as the building owner may not represent the views and experiences of all building occupants. Waiting for occupants to alert facilities management team of issues is a passive and reactive way of addressing occupant comfort, as some occupants may not voice their concerns or may have already suffered from discomfort. References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, page 25; USGBC, [Guide to LEED Certification: Commercial], page 13.

Water closets, also known as toilets, are fixtures that use water to flush human waste into a sewer or septic system. The unit of measure for water closets is gallons (liters) per flush, which indicates the amount of water used for each flushing cycle. The water efficiency of water closets can vary depending on the design, technology, and regulation of the fixture. The LEED rating system encourages the use of water-efficient fixtures that reduce water consumption and wastewater generation12. References: LEED v4 Green Associate Candidate Handbook1, EPA’s WaterSense Toilets2

An existing LEED certified building located on a college campus is eligible for LEED for Building Operations and Maintenance; Existing Buildings (LEED O+M: EB). This rating system applies to existing buildings that are undergoing improvement work or little to no construction. It focuses on measuring and improving the performance of building operations and maintenance practices in areas such as energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management, indoor environmental quality, transportation, and occupant satisfaction. To be eligible for LEED O+M: EB, a project must meet certain minimum program requirements (MPRs), such as having a reasonable site boundary, being in a permanent location on existing land, being fully operational and occupied for at least one year prior to certification application, and complying with environmental laws and regulations. References: LEED certificationfor existing buildings and spaces6; Maintaining certification7; LEED v4: Building Operations + Maintenance Guide4

The LEED credit weightings are based on the impact categories defined and established by the USGBC, which is the organization that developed and administers the LEED rating system. The impact categories are aligned with the USGBC’s mission and vision of transforming the built environment to enhance environmental and human health. The impact categories are also informed by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Tools for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts (TRACI) methodology, which provides a framework for assessing environmental impacts across different categories. References: LEED Link: Impact categories, section “LEED v4 impact categories”; LEED v4 Impact Category and Point Allocation Process Overview, page 1; LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, page 14

Daylighting is a strategy that uses natural light to illuminate the interior spaces of a building, reducing the need for artificial lighting and improving the visual comfort and well-being of the occupants. One of the strategies that can help improve daylighting in an office building is tolocate private offices toward the building core and organize cubicles at the perimeter, so that more people can benefit from the access to windows and views. This can also increase the daylight penetration depth and reduce glare and contrast12. References: LEED v4 Green Associate Candidate Handbook1, LEED v4 BD+C Reference Guide2

A Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is a tradable commodity that represents proof that one unit of electricity was generated from a renewable energy source. RECs are used to track and trade renewable energy in the open market, providing an economic incentive for renewable energy generation. References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, U.S. Green Building Council resources

EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager is a no-cost, interactive energy management tool that allows you to securely track and assess energy and water consumption across your building portfolio12. You can use Portfolio Manager to benchmark your building’s performance, set investment priorities, verify savings, and apply for ENERGY STAR certification23. Portfolio Manager does not measure embodied energy, which is the total amount of energy required to produce, transport, and install building materials.

Native species are plants that are adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, and therefore require less water and maintenance than non-native species. By maximizing the use of native species in the landscaping design, the project can reduce the need for potable water for irrigation and achieve the Outdoor Water Use Reduction credit under LEED v4 Water Efficiency category1.

LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide1, page 35

Using graywater for hand washing is a strategy for reducing indoor water use, as it can save potable water that would otherwise be used for this purpose. Graywater is the wastewater that is generated from activities such as bathing, laundry, and dishwashing, which can be treated and reused for non-potable applications, such as toilet flushing, irrigation, and hand washing. Using graywater for hand washing can reduce the indoor water use by up to 40%, according to a study by the Pacific Institute1. LEED v4 recognizes and rewards this strategy in the Indoor Water Use Reduction credit2, which aims to reduce the potable water consumption of a building by at least 25% compared to a baseline3. The other options are not directly related to reducing indoor water use, as they involve different types of measures or systems that are not relevant for saving potable water.