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

The Promote Sustainable and Regenerative Material Resource Cycles impact category in LEED encourages the use of materials that can be continually cycled back into the same system at their end-of-life. This is referred to as moving to cyclical, non-depleting material cycles. It promotes the use of renewable or recyclable materials and reduces waste. References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, U.S. Green Building Council resources

One of the things that LEED promotes by encouraging compact development is walkability. Compact development is a form of urban planning that aims to reduce sprawl and make more efficient use of land and resources by increasing density, diversity, and connectivity of land uses5. Compact development can enhance walkability by creating mixed-use neighborhoods that provide a variety of destinations within walking distance, such as shops, services, workplaces, schools, parks, and transit stops. Walkability can offer multiple benefits for the environment, health, economy, and social equity. For example, walkability can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution by replacing car trips with walking or transit; improve physical and mental health by increasing physical activity and reducing stress; support local businesses and generate tax revenues by increasing foot traffic and property values; and foster social cohesion and civic engagement by creating vibrant public spaces and enhancing accessibility for all6. References: Compact urban development6; LEED v4 BD+C Reference Guide, Location and Transportation, page 15

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 90.1-2010, Appendix G is the referenced standard for defining the baseline building performance for energy simulation modeling in LEED v4 for Building Design and Construction. The baseline building is a hypothetical building that represents the minimum energy performance required by ASHRAE 90.1-2010, which is a standard for energy efficiency in buildings. The baseline building is used as a benchmark to compare the proposed design of the project and to calculate the percentage of energy cost savings achieved by the project. The baseline building performance is evaluated by following the procedures and assumptions specified in Appendix G of ASHRAE 90.1-2010, such as building envelope, lighting, HVAC systems, service water heating, and renewable energy.

The other options are not relevant to the question, as they are standards for different aspects of green building, such as thermal comfort (ASHRAE 55-2010), air filtration (ASHRAE 52.2-2007), and ventilation (ASHRAE 62.1-2010).

References: LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, p. 341 1; [ASHRAE website]