LEED-AP-BD-C Exam Questions & Answers

According to theLEED V5: Building Design + Construction Guide, one of the strategies to reduce indoor water use is to optimize the consumption of showerheads by selecting fixtures that have a flow rate lower than the baseline of 2.0 gallons per minute (gpm) at 80 psi, or a local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.This can help the project achieve the Water Efficiency Prerequisite, Indoor Water Use Reduction, and the Water Efficiency Credit, Indoor Water Use Reduction, by reducing the aggregate water consumption from plumbing fixtures and fittings by at least 20% from the baseline1.

The other choices are not strategies to reduce indoor water use, because:

Designing drip irrigation for landscape is a strategy to reduce outdoor wateruse, not indoor water use1.

Using high-efficiency HVAC systems is a strategy to reduce energy use, not water use, although it may have some indirect water savings by reducing the cooling tower water use2.

Excluding janitor closets in the building is not a feasible or practical strategy, as janitor closets are necessary for cleaning and maintenance purposes, and may also be required by codes or standards3.

:LEED V5: Building Design + Construction Guide, Water Efficiency Prerequisite, Indoor Water Use Reduction, Requirements1;LEED V5: Building Design + Construction Guide, Water Efficiency Credit, Indoor Water Use Reduction, Requirements1;LEED V5: Building Design + Construction Guide, Energy and Atmosphere Credit, Optimize Energy Performance, Requirements2;LEED V5: Building Design + Construction Guide, Indoor Environmental Quality Credit, Green Cleaning - High-Performance Cleaning Program, Requirements3

Regional Priority (RP) creditsareawarded based on local environmental concerns.

Projects must register for credits that align with local sustainability priorities.

Points are NOT automatic---projects must achieve the related credits.

(Source: Official LEED BD+C Reference Manual)

Large commercial buildings are most often dominated by internal loads, which are the heat gains or losses from people, equipment, lighting, and other sources inside the building. Internal loads can affect the heating and cooling loads and the energy consumption of the building. Therefore, reducing internal loads can improve the building's energy efficiency and performance.Reference:

LEED AP BD+C V4 Reference Guide, Chapter 5: Energy and Atmosphere, page 5-51

ENERGY STAR Building Upgrade Manual, Chapter 6: Lighting, page 6-22

Michaels Energy, Shell vs.Load Dominated Buildings

The outdoor airflow rate is the amount of outdoor air that is supplied to the building by the ventilation system to dilute indoor air pollutants and provide fresh air for the occupants.The outdoor airflow rate depends on the ventilation standard that the project follows, which can be either ASHRAE 62.1-2010 or CEN Standard EN 15251-20071. Both standards specify the minimum outdoor airflow rate per person and per unit area for different occupancy types and zones. Therefore, increasing the number of occupants will require an increase in the outdoor airflow rate to maintain the minimum ventilation level. The other variables, such as supply air velocity, system ventilation efficiency, and supply air temperature set point, do not directly affect the outdoor airflow rate, although they may influence the energy consumption and thermal comfort of the ventilation system.

LEED Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction v4

Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance

Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality - ASHRAE

Indoor environmental input parameters for design and assessment of ... - CEN

Regular building occupantsare individualswho consistently use the building.According to LEED, this includes:

Staff (employees working full-time or part-time)

Primary and secondary students(school occupants)

Higher education students(university students who regularly attend)

Residents(permanent occupants of a residential building)

Retail customers, visitors, and periodic volunteersare considered transient occupantsand arenot classified as regular occupants.

(Source: Official LEED BD+C Reference Manual)