US Green Building Council LEED AP Building Design + Construction LEED-AP-BD+C Exam Questions

Answer : C

During the design phase documentation submission, the Materials and Resources (MR) Credit: Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) is reviewed. This credit encourages project teams to select products from manufacturers who provide transparency about their products' environmental impacts. EPDs are often part of the design documentation, as they influence material selection and project sustainability goals. Other PBT source reduction credits or raw material sourcing credits are typically more relevant in later phases, as they may involve construction processes and materials procurement rather than initial design specifications.

Answer : C

Plug-in task lighting is considered as furniture and is not included in the installed lighting power calculations for Energy and Atmosphere Prerequisite, Minimum Energy Performance. It is also not required to comply with the lighting control requirements of ASHRAE 90.1-2010. However, it can be used to satisfy the individual control requirement of Indoor Environmental Quality Credit, Interior Lighting, Option 1. Reference:

LEED v4 for Building Design and Construction, p. 361

LEED v4 for Building Design and Construction, p. 6012

ASHRAE 90.1-2010, Section 9.1.13

Answer : D

Detailed

The LEED boundary for Phase 1 can include only the building site (Phase 1) but must commit to keeping the Phase 2 grounds undisturbed until the second phase begins. This approach aligns with LEED's requirement to define boundaries where work occurs and ensures environmental protection for future development areas.

Answer : B

The commissioning process is a quality assurance process that ensures that the building systems perform as intended, based on the owner's project requirements and the design team's basis of design. The commissioning process can provide value to the project by improving energy efficiency, reducing operation and maintenance costs, enhancing occupant comfort and satisfaction, and reducing risks and liabilities123. Reference: LEED BD+C Reference Guide, Energy and Atmosphere, page 631; LEED BD+C Reference Guide, Enhanced Commissioning, page 661; LEED Building Commissioning: Why You Should Get Accredited

Answer : B

This option requires the project team to exclude public right-of-way areas, such as streets, sidewalks, and alleys, from the calculations of the surrounding existing density1. This option ensures that the density is measured based on the buildable land area, which is the area available for development or construction2.

Answer : D

Achieving a minimum of 10 cooling tower cycles by increasing the level of make-up water treatment is the way to obtain the maximum number of points for Water Efficiency Credit, Cooling Tower Water Use. This credit aims to conserve water used for cooling tower equipment by encouraging the use of non-potable water sources and increasing the cycles of concentration1. The cycles of concentration are the ratio of the concentration of dissolved solids in the blowdown water to the concentration of dissolved solids in the make-up water2. Increasing the cycles of concentration reduces the amount of make-up water and blowdown water, and thus saves water and energy2. The credit has two options: Option 1. Non-potable Water Source (1 point) and Option 2. Cooling Tower Water Use (2 points). Option 1 requires using at least 50% non-potable water for cooling tower make-up water1. Option 2 requires achieving a minimum number of cooling tower cycles based on the quality of the make-up water, as specified in Table 1 of the credit requirements1. The maximum number of cycles is 10, which can be achieved by increasing the level of make-up water treatment to meet the criteria for conductivity, silica, and alkalinity1. Therefore, Option 2 is the way to obtain the maximum number of points for this credit. Reference:

Credit: Cooling tower water use | U.S. Green Building Council

Cooling Tower Evaporation Credits | WaterSignal

Answer : B

At the time of registering a project in LEED Online, Regional Priority credits are determined based on the project's longitude and latitude. Regional Priority credits are bonus points that reward projects for addressing the environmental, social, and public health issues that are most relevant to their location1. The project team must enter the project's address and confirm the precise location using the Google Maps interface in LEED Online2. The longitude and latitude coordinates are then used to identify the Regional Priority credits that are applicable to the project2. The project can earn up to four Regional Priority points by achieving the base credits that correspond to the Regional Priority credits1. Reference:

Regional priority credit lookup | U.S. Green Building Council

Regional Priority (RP) credits -- U.S. Green Building Council