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

Maximizing daylighting opportunities with properly sized and oriented windows can significantly reduce a building’s energy use. By allowing more natural light into the building, the need for artificial lighting can be reduced, which in turn reduces electricity consumption. Additionally, if windows are properly oriented, they can also help with passive heating and cooling, further reducing energy use. References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, U.S. Green Building Council resources

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

As of 1996, the Montreal Protocol banned the production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), a chemical compound known to have ozone-depleting potential. CFCs are synthetic substances that were widely used as refrigerants, propellants, solvents, and foam-blowing agents. CFCs have high ozone depletion potential (ODP), which means they can destroy the ozone layer that protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty that aims to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances. The Montreal Protocol banned the production of CFCs in 1996 fordeveloped countries and in 2010 for developing countries1 . References: LEED v4 Green Associate Candidate Handbook1, UNEP’s Montreal Protocol

Reused materials are materials that have been used before and are incorporated into a new building without significant alteration1. They are different from recycled materials, which are materials that have been reprocessed into new products or materials2. Reused materials reduce the demand for new resources and the amount of waste sent to landfills1. LEED v4 encourages the use of reused materials by awarding points for Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Sourcing of Raw Materials3.

Construction Waste Management | WBDG - Whole Building Design Guide1

Why plastic waste is an ideal building material - BBC Future2

LEED v4 | HPAC Engineering3

Developing a construction purchasing policy is a strategy that promotes sustainable purchasing during construction. A construction purchasing policy is a document that outlines the criteria and requirements for selecting materials, products, and services that have lower environmental impacts and support human health during construction. A construction purchasing policy can address issues such as recycled content, regional materials, certified wood, low-emitting materials, rapidly renewable materials, durability, life cycle assessment, waste reduction, and indoor air quality. The other options are not strategies that promote sustainable purchasing during construction. Specifying green electronic equipment is relevant for operations purchasing, not construction purchasing. Reducing regional materials expense by 10% does not necessarily imply sustainable purchasing, as regional materials may have higher or lower environmental impacts depending on their source and transportation methods. Implementing an erosion and sedimentation plan is a strategy that protects water quality during construction, but does not address sustainable purchasing. References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, page 24; USGBC, [Guide to LEED Certification: Commercial], page 12.

Sustainable forestry is the practice of managing forest resources in a way that meets the current and future needs of humans forforest products, while also conserving and enhancing the ecological, social, and economic values of the forest and its surrounding landscape1. One of the key aspects of sustainable forestry is to maintain the biodiversity of the forest, which refers to the variety and abundance of living organisms, such as plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms, and their interactions within the forest ecosystem2. Biodiversity is important for the health and resilience of the forest, as it provides essential ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, water purification, soil formation, nutrient cycling, pollination, pest control, and climate regulation23. Biodiversity also supports the livelihoods, cultures, and well-being of forest-dependent communities and indigenous peoples23.

What is sustainable forestry?

Why is biodiversity important for forests?

LEED v4 - FSC United States

The Facilities Manager is typically responsible for ensuring the comfort and safety of a building’s occupants. They would be best equipped to evaluate responses to a survey about comfort levels in the building and develop a corrective action plan to address any problems identified. References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, U.S. Green Building Council resources

Recycling is the term for collecting, reprocessing, marketing and using materials that are diverted or recovered from the solid waste stream. Recycling is a process that transforms waste materials into new products that can be used for different purposes. Recycling reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills or incinerators, conserves natural resources, saves energy, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook states that one of the intents of the Materials and Resources category is to “reduce waste through recycling during construction and occupancy” [1, p. 15]. References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, [Recycling Basics | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]

LEED AP credentials can contribute a point under the Innovation category, which rewardsprojects for achieving exceptional or innovative performance above the requirements set by the LEED rating system12. Having a LEED AP with specialty on the projectteam is one of the possible strategies to earn this point, as it demonstrates expertise and commitment to the green building process34. The specialty credential must match the rating system of the project4.

References :=

Innovation | U.S. Green Building Council

LEED v4.1 BD+C | U.S. Green Building Council

Get a LEED AP with specialty on your team | LEEDuser

LEED professional credentials | U.S. Green Building Council