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 landscaping method that makes routine irrigation unnecessary by using drought-adaptable and low-water plants - as well as soil amendments such as compost and mulches to reduce evaporation.






2. Previously undeveloped land with soil suitable for cultivation. Avoiding development on prime farmland helps protect agricultural lands - which are needed for food production.






3. A stormwater management feature consisting of an excavated depression and vegetation that collects and filters runoff and reduce peak discharge rates.






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






5. The number of types of spaces or housing types per acre. A neighborhood that includes a diversity of uses - offices - homes - schools - parks - stores - encourages walking - and its residents and visitors are less dependent on personal vehicles. A di






6. 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.






7. 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.






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






9. The amount of a site that is disturbed by construction activity. On undeveloped sites - limiting the amount and boundary of site disturbance can protect surrounding habitat.






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






11. 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






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






13. A process used to remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from a building by elevating the temperature in the fully furnished and ventilated building prior to human occupancy.






14. 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






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






16. 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.






17. An analysis of the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with a product - process - or service.






18. 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.






19. 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






20. 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






21. The relationship between the total building floor area and the allowable land area the building can cover. In green building - the objective is to build up rather than out because a smaller footprint means less diruption of the existing or created la






22. The amount of building materials returned to active use (in the same or a related capacity as their original use) - expressed as a percentage of the total materials cost of a building. The salvaged materials are incorporated into the new building - t






23. 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






24. 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






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






26. 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.






27. Previously used or developed land that may be contaminated with hazardous waste or pollution. Once any environmental damage has been re-mediated - the land can be reused. Redevelopment on brownfields provides an important opportunity to restore degra






28. 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






29. 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






30. Construction items recovered from existing buildings or construction sites and reused. Common salvaged materials include structural beams and posts - flooring - doors - cabinetry - brick - and decorative items.






31. 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.






32. A document that outlines the organization - schedule - allocation of resources - and documentation requirements of the commissioning process.






33. A measure of transportation demand that estimates the travel miles associated with a project - most often for single-passenger cars. LEED sometimes uses a complementary metric for alternative-mode miles (e.g. - In high-occupancy autos).






34. The amount of connection between a site and the surrounding community - measured by proximity of the site to homes - schools - parks - stores - restaurants - medical facilities - and other services and amenities.






35. 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






36. 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.






37. Solid particles or liquid droplets in the atmosphere. The chemical composition of particulates varies - depending on location and time of year. Sources include dust - emissions from industrial processes - combustion products from the burning of wood






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






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






40. The percentage of occupants who have direct control over temperature - airflow - and lighting in their spaces.






41. The amount of water the design case conserves versus the baseline case. All LEED Water Efficiency credits use a baseline case against which the facility's design case is compared. The baseline case represents the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct 1992






42. The percentage of material in a product that is recycled from the manufacturing waste stream (preconsumer waste) or the consumer waste stream (postconsumer waste) and used to make new materials. For LEED - recycled content is typically expressed as a






43. The amount of air circulated through a space - measured in air changes per hour (the quantity of infiltration air in cubic feet per minute divided by the volume of the room). Proper ventilation rates - as prescribed by ASHRAE Standard 62 - ensure tha






44. A committee consisting of industry experts who assist in interpreting credits and developing technical improvements to the LEED Green Building Rating System.






45. The amount of carbon compounds that participate in atmospheric photochemical reactions and vaporize (become a gas) at normal room temperatures - measured in grams per liter. VOCs off-gas from many materials - including adhesives - sealants - paints -






46. 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






47. The variety of life in all forms - levels - and combinations - including ecosystem diversity - species diversity - and genetic diversity.






48. The primary goal of each prerequisite or credit.






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






50. 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