Test your basic knowledge |

Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. A measure of how well a material rejects solar heat; the index ranges from 0 (least reflective) to 100 (most reflective). Using "cooler" materials helps prevent the urban heat island effect (the absorption of heat by roofs and pavement and its radiat






2. The installed lighting power per unit area.






3. Native plants occur naturally in a given location and ecosystem. Adapted plants are not native to a location but grow reliably with minimal attention from humans. Using native and adapted plants can reduce the amount of water required for irrigation






4. The percentage of water delivered by irrigation equipment that is actually used for irrigation and does not evaporate - blow away - or fall on hardscape. For example - overhead spray sprinklers have lower irrigation efficiencies (65%) than drip syste






5. A measure of the amount of illumination falling on a surface. A footcandle is equal to one lumen per square foot. Minimizing the number of footcandles of site lighting helps reduce light pollution and protect dark skies and nocturnal animals.






6. Water from precipitation that flows over surfaces into sewer systems or receiving water bodies. All precipitation that leaves project site boundaries on the surface is considered stormwater runoff.






7. American Society of Heating - Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.






8. Building components and appliances that use less energy to perform as well as or better than standard products.






9. A control system capable of monitoring environmental and system loads and adjusting HVAC operations accordingly in order to conserve energy while maintaining comfort. (EPA)






10. All the individuals involved in a building project from early in the design process - including the design professionals - the owner's representatives - and teh general contractor and subcontractors.






11. A voluntary - consensus-based - market-driven building rating system based on existing - proven technology. The LEED Green Building Rating System represents USGBC's effort to provide a national benchmark for green buildings. Through its use as a desi






12. Plant material from trees - grasses - or crops that can be converted to heat energy to produce electricity.






13. Any substance introduced into the environment that harms the usefulness of a resource or the health of humans - animals - or ecosystems. (EPA) Air pollutants include emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) - sulfur dioxide (SO2) - nitrogen oxides (NOX) - m






14. Long-term maintenance of ecosystem components and functions for future generations. (EPA)






15. A tradable commodity representing proof that a unit of electricity was generated from a renewable energy resource. RECs are sold separately from the electricity itself and thus allow the purchase of green power by a user of conventionally generated e






16. A document that details the commissioning program overview - identification of the commissioning team - and description of the commissioning process activities.






17. An indicator of ventilation effectiveness inside buildings. CO2 concentrations greater than 530 parts per million (ppm) above outdoor conditions generally indicate inadequate ventilation. Absolute concentrations of greater than 800 to 1000 ppm genera






18. An indicator of neighborhood density - calculated as the number of centerline miles per square mile. Centerline miles are the length of a road down its center. A community with high street grid density and narrow - interconnected streets is more like






19. Precipitation captured and used for indoor needs - irrigation - or both.






20. The temperature of the surrounding air or other medium. (EPA)






21. The emission of volatile organic compounds from synthetic and natural products.






22. The nature of air inside the space that affects the health and well-being of building occupants. It is considered acceptable when there are no known contaminants at harmful concentrations and a substantial majority (80% or more) of the occupants do n






23. A plan that diverts construction debris from landfills through recycling - salvaging - and reuse.






24. Systematic improvements in the performance of a market or market segment. For example - EPA's ENERGY STAR program has shifted the performance of homes - buildings - and appliances toward higher levels of energy efficiency by providing recognition and






25. Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (Brundtland Commission)






26. A measure of greenhouse gas emissions associated with an activity. A comprehensive carbon footprint includes building construction - operation - energy use - building-related transportation - and the embodied energy of water - solid waste - and const






27. Also known as regional materials - the amount of a building's materials that are extracted - processed - and manufactured close to a project site - expressed as a percentage of the total materials cost. For LEED - regional materials originate within






28. Vehicles that use low-polluting - nongasoline fuels - such as electricity - hydrogen - propane or compressed natural gas - liquid natural gas - methanol - and ethanol. In LEED - efficient gas-electric hybrid vehicles are included in this group.






29. A structure that uses water to absorb heat from air-conditioning systems and regulate air temperature in a facility.






30. Not capable of being replaced; permanently depleted once used. Examples of nonrenewable energy sources are oil and natural gas; nonrenewable natural resources include metallic ores.






31. The absorption of heat by hardscapes - such as dark - nonreflective pavement and buildings - and its radiation to surrounding areas. Particularly in urban areas - other sources may include vehicle exhaust - air-conditioners - and street equipment; re






32. Waste and recyclables generated from construction and from renovation - demolition - or deconstruction of existing structures. It does not include land-clearing debris - such as soil - vegetation - and rocks.






33. Electricity from photovoltaic cells that convert the energy in sunlight into electricity.






34. Capable of decomposing under natural conditions. (EPA)






35. The level of pollutants prescribed by regulations that is not to be exceeded during a given time in a defined area. (EPA)






36. A comparison of a building system's performance with a baseline that is equivalent to minimal compliance with an applicable energy code - such as ASHRAE Standard 90 or California's Title 24.






37. The exterior surface of a building - the walls - windows - roof - and floor; also referred to as the building shell.






38. A combination of symptoms - experienced by occupants of a building - that appear to be linked to time spent in the building but cannot be traced to a specific cause. Complaints may be localized in a particular room or zone or be spread throughout the






39. The controlled admission of natural light into a space - used to reduce or eliminate electric lighting.






40. The resistance of a material to penetration by a liquid. The total imperviousness of a surface - such as paving - is expressed as a percentage of total land area that does not allow moisture penetration. Impervious surfaces prevent rainwater from inf






41. The area on a project site that is used by the building structure - defined by the perimeter of the building plan. Parking lots - landscapes - and other nonbuilding facilities are not included in the building footprint.






42. A basic unit of nature that includes a community of organisms and their nonliving environment linked by biological - chemical and physical processes.






43. The floor area of the building divided by the total area of the site (square feet per acre)






44. A measure of a building's energy performance compared with that of similar buildings - as determined by the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. A score of 50 represents average building performance.






45. The temperature - humidity - and airflow ranges within which the majority of people are most comfortable - as determined by ASHRAE Standard 55-2004. Because people dress differently depending on the season - thermal comfort levels vary with the seaso






46. A comparison of a building system's performance with a standard - such as ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.






47. The operation of mechanical systems for a minimum of two weeks using 100 percent outside air at the end of construction and prior to building occupancy to ensure safe indoor air quality.






48. Equipment - distribution systems - and terminals that provide the processes of heating - ventilating - or air-conditioning. (ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007)






49. The precipitation of dilute solutions of strong mineral acids - formed by the mixing in the atmosphere of various industrial pollutants (primarily sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides) with naturally occurring oxygen and water vapor.






50. An optional LEED Green Building Rating System component whose achievement results in the earning of points toward certification.