USGBC Updated LEED-AP-BD+C Exam Questions and Answers by zackary

According to the LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, the Location and Transportation Credit, Access to Quality Transit has two options: Option 1. Transit-Served Location and Option 2. Transit Service Quality. Option 1 can earn 1 to 4 points depending on the percentage of functional entries within walking distance of transit stops or stations. Option 2 can earn 1 point if the project meets the minimum weekday and weekend headways for bus, streetcar, or informal transit stops, or rail stations or ferry terminals.The maximum number of points a project can achieve under this credit is 4 points by meeting both options1.References: LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, Location and Transportation Credit, Access to Quality Transit, Requirements1

To achieve the maximum number of Energy and Atmosphere points, the project team must include an energy modeler and a commissioning agent.The energy modeler is responsible for performing the whole-building energy simulation that demonstrates the energy performance improvement over the baseline building, which is required for Energy and Atmosphere Prerequisite 2 and Credit 11.The commissioning agent is responsible for verifying that the building’s energy systems are installed, calibrated, and perform according to the owner’s project requirements, basis of design, and construction documents, which is required for Energy and Atmosphere Prerequisite 1 and Credit 31.The commissioning agent also ensures that the renewable energy systems are properly integrated and functioning2. The contractor and the construction manager are not directly involved in the energy modeling or commissioning process, although they must follow the design specifications and coordinate with the commissioning agent. The facilities manager is not required for achieving the Energy and Atmosphere points, although they may benefit from the training and documentation provided by the commissioning agent.References:

• LEED v4 for Building Design and Construction, p.361
• Understanding Integrative Design in LEED v4, p.92

Makeup water meters, conductivity controllers and overflow alarms

According to the Water Efficiency Prerequisite for Indoor Water Use Reduction, cooling towers and evaporative condensers must be equipped with makeup water meters, conductivity controllers and overflow alarms to reduce water consumption and prevent water waste. These devices help monitor and control the water quality, flow rate and level of the cooling system, and alert the operators of any malfunctions or leaks.

References: As per the LEED AP Building Design + Construction (LEED AP BD+C) V4 resources, the installation of makeup water meters, conductivity controllers and overflow alarms is a requirement for cooling towers and evaporative condensers under the Water Efficiency Prerequisite for Indoor Water Use Reduction. This prerequisite aims to reduce indoor water consumption by setting baseline and efficiency standards for fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment and processes. For cooling towers and evaporative condensers, the prerequisite also requires efficient drift eliminators that reduce drift to a maximum of 0.002% of recirculated water volume for counterflow towers and 0.005% of recirculated water flow for cross-flow towers. For more detailed information, you can refer to the web-based reference guide in the credit library atUSGBC’s official website.

The Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) is a measure of the roof’s ability to reject solar heat, as shown by a small temperature rise. It is defined so that a standard black (reflectance 0.05, emittance 0.90) is 0 and a standard white (reflectance 0.80, emittance 0.90) is 100. SRI is calculated using the roof surface’s Solar Reflectance (SR) and Thermal Emittance (TE). SR is the fraction of solar energy that is reflected by the roof, and TE is the relative ability of the roof surface to radiate heat. Therefore, SRI includes the measure of a material’s ability to reflect solar radiation, but not its ability to absorb or emit thermal radiation.

References:

• What is the Solar Reflectance Index? - Cool Roof Rating Council
• Definitions and Terms | HEATISLAND