LEED Green Associate exam 2024-2025 questions and answers
A LEED 2009-certified building must use at least ___% less water indoors than a baseline water
use calculated for the building. - ANSWER>>20%
What kind of materials should be used for the envelope of a building in a hot/dry climate? -
ANSWER>>Hot/Dry: Materials with a high thermal mass-adobe and masonry
List two ways insluation could be added to an existing building. - ANSWER>>Add EIFS (exterior
insulation and finish system) on the outside of the current building skin.
Add blown-in insulation in the wall cavities and seal any points where air infiltration has been
identified.
What are the three tiers of LEED AP designation? - ANSWER>>LEED Green Associate
LEED AP with Specialty
LEED AP Fellow
What is thermal bridging? - ANSWER>>Heat transfer to the inside or outside (or vice versa) via
the building envelope.
What are the main advantages and disadvantages of using steel in building construction? -
ANSWER>>Advantages: impervious to termites, added resistance to fire and earthquake, and
they can span greater distances
Disadvantages: conducts heat 300x faster than wood (they can create thermal bridges to the
outside of the building) and by adding the additional insulation, it might reduce the cost-
effectiveness.
What is a Trombe wall? - ANSWER>>A trombe wall is a special type of masonry wall used for
thermal storage in passive solar building. It consists of a masonry wall coated with a dark, heat-
absorbing material and faces with a single or double layer of glass. HEat from sunlight passing
through the glass is absorbed by the dark surface, stored in the wall, and conducted slowly
inward through the masonry.
,How do roof designs and materials typically differ for commercial and residential buildings? -
ANSWER>>Commercial buildings typically have low-slope or flat roofs, while the roofs on most
homes are pitched at a slope greater than 3:12. Commercial projects often use rubber or built-
up roofing materials, while residential projects are more likely to use asphalt shingles or metal.
A vapor barrier should be placed on the ______ side of a wall. - ANSWER>>warmer side
Describe three ways to purchase green power. - ANSWER>>*Renewable energy products can
be purchased either as a fixed energy quantity block or as a percentage of monthly use. (The
project must be located in a region that offers this option)
*Renewable energy certificates (RECs) can often be purchased even if the local utility does not
offer renewable energy products. RECs aren't offered in all areas.
*On-site renewable generation requires the purchase and installation of some sort of
equipment that generates electricity. (Solar cells, wind turbines, steam turbine powered by
burning biomass, fuel cells, or equipment that converts methane gas to electricity)
*Off-site renewable energy is produced by equipment owned and operated by the utility
company or its subsidiaries at a location other than the project site.
What is distributed generation, and what are its advantages? - ANSWER>>Distributed
generation involves placing small, modular electricity generators close to where the power is
used, which helps utilities defer or eliminate costly investments in transmission and distribution
system upgrades while providing customers with better quality, more reliable energy supplies
and a cleaner environment.
Name five cooling strategies. Under what conditions is each strategy most appropriate? -
ANSWER>>*Design the building to take advantage of natural ventilation (Humid climates)
*Consider radiative cooling in appropriate climates (Effective in climates and during seasons of
the year when the temp differences between day and night are significant)
*Consider ground-coupled cooling
*Consider evaporative cooling strategies (Dry climates- such as the southwest)
*Use dehumidification in humid climates (Climates with high humidity levels)
, What are the three components of the daylight that hits a work surface, and how can the
balance of these components be enhanced? - ANSWER>>The exterior reflected component
The direct sun/sky component
The internal reflected component
Balance: a room with a higher ration of ceiling height to depth will have deeper penetration of
daylight, whether that daylight enters through sidelighting (windows) or toplighting (skylights
and clerestories). Raising the window head height will also result in deeper penetration and
more illumination. A more even distribution can be achieved with horizontal strip windows.
Skylights and clerestory windows are examples of ________ strategies. - ANSWER>>Toplighting
What are the characteristics of sustainable building materials? - ANSWER>>Nontoxic
Recyclable or made from recycled material
Renewable
Obtained from local sources
Certified, labeled, or otherwise recognized as compliant with sustainability standards.
What is the difference between post-consumer and pre-consumer recycled content? Give
examples of each. - ANSWER>>Post-Consumer: Content that has already been used by a
consumer (Example: water bottles that have been used)
Pre-Consumer: Content diverted from the manufacturing process (Scraps from the
manufacturing process of the water bottles)
A regionally manufactured material is produced within _____ miles of the project site. -
ANSWER>>500 miles
A plant must be harvested on a cycle of _____ years or less to be considered rapidly renewable.
List five examples of rapidly renewable materials. - ANSWER>>10 years
Examples: bamboo flooring, cotton batt insulation, linoleum flooring, panels made of sunflower
seed board, wheatboard, wool carpeting, and cork flooring
A LEED 2009-certified building must use at least ___% less water indoors than a baseline water
use calculated for the building. - ANSWER>>20%
What kind of materials should be used for the envelope of a building in a hot/dry climate? -
ANSWER>>Hot/Dry: Materials with a high thermal mass-adobe and masonry
List two ways insluation could be added to an existing building. - ANSWER>>Add EIFS (exterior
insulation and finish system) on the outside of the current building skin.
Add blown-in insulation in the wall cavities and seal any points where air infiltration has been
identified.
What are the three tiers of LEED AP designation? - ANSWER>>LEED Green Associate
LEED AP with Specialty
LEED AP Fellow
What is thermal bridging? - ANSWER>>Heat transfer to the inside or outside (or vice versa) via
the building envelope.
What are the main advantages and disadvantages of using steel in building construction? -
ANSWER>>Advantages: impervious to termites, added resistance to fire and earthquake, and
they can span greater distances
Disadvantages: conducts heat 300x faster than wood (they can create thermal bridges to the
outside of the building) and by adding the additional insulation, it might reduce the cost-
effectiveness.
What is a Trombe wall? - ANSWER>>A trombe wall is a special type of masonry wall used for
thermal storage in passive solar building. It consists of a masonry wall coated with a dark, heat-
absorbing material and faces with a single or double layer of glass. HEat from sunlight passing
through the glass is absorbed by the dark surface, stored in the wall, and conducted slowly
inward through the masonry.
,How do roof designs and materials typically differ for commercial and residential buildings? -
ANSWER>>Commercial buildings typically have low-slope or flat roofs, while the roofs on most
homes are pitched at a slope greater than 3:12. Commercial projects often use rubber or built-
up roofing materials, while residential projects are more likely to use asphalt shingles or metal.
A vapor barrier should be placed on the ______ side of a wall. - ANSWER>>warmer side
Describe three ways to purchase green power. - ANSWER>>*Renewable energy products can
be purchased either as a fixed energy quantity block or as a percentage of monthly use. (The
project must be located in a region that offers this option)
*Renewable energy certificates (RECs) can often be purchased even if the local utility does not
offer renewable energy products. RECs aren't offered in all areas.
*On-site renewable generation requires the purchase and installation of some sort of
equipment that generates electricity. (Solar cells, wind turbines, steam turbine powered by
burning biomass, fuel cells, or equipment that converts methane gas to electricity)
*Off-site renewable energy is produced by equipment owned and operated by the utility
company or its subsidiaries at a location other than the project site.
What is distributed generation, and what are its advantages? - ANSWER>>Distributed
generation involves placing small, modular electricity generators close to where the power is
used, which helps utilities defer or eliminate costly investments in transmission and distribution
system upgrades while providing customers with better quality, more reliable energy supplies
and a cleaner environment.
Name five cooling strategies. Under what conditions is each strategy most appropriate? -
ANSWER>>*Design the building to take advantage of natural ventilation (Humid climates)
*Consider radiative cooling in appropriate climates (Effective in climates and during seasons of
the year when the temp differences between day and night are significant)
*Consider ground-coupled cooling
*Consider evaporative cooling strategies (Dry climates- such as the southwest)
*Use dehumidification in humid climates (Climates with high humidity levels)
, What are the three components of the daylight that hits a work surface, and how can the
balance of these components be enhanced? - ANSWER>>The exterior reflected component
The direct sun/sky component
The internal reflected component
Balance: a room with a higher ration of ceiling height to depth will have deeper penetration of
daylight, whether that daylight enters through sidelighting (windows) or toplighting (skylights
and clerestories). Raising the window head height will also result in deeper penetration and
more illumination. A more even distribution can be achieved with horizontal strip windows.
Skylights and clerestory windows are examples of ________ strategies. - ANSWER>>Toplighting
What are the characteristics of sustainable building materials? - ANSWER>>Nontoxic
Recyclable or made from recycled material
Renewable
Obtained from local sources
Certified, labeled, or otherwise recognized as compliant with sustainability standards.
What is the difference between post-consumer and pre-consumer recycled content? Give
examples of each. - ANSWER>>Post-Consumer: Content that has already been used by a
consumer (Example: water bottles that have been used)
Pre-Consumer: Content diverted from the manufacturing process (Scraps from the
manufacturing process of the water bottles)
A regionally manufactured material is produced within _____ miles of the project site. -
ANSWER>>500 miles
A plant must be harvested on a cycle of _____ years or less to be considered rapidly renewable.
List five examples of rapidly renewable materials. - ANSWER>>10 years
Examples: bamboo flooring, cotton batt insulation, linoleum flooring, panels made of sunflower
seed board, wheatboard, wool carpeting, and cork flooring
