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. Water that meets or exceeds the EPA's drinking water quality standards and is approved for human consumption by the state or local authorities having jurisdiction; it may be supplied from wells or municipal water systems.






2. The installed lighting power per unit area.






3. Sustainable plans for built environments that improve existing conditions. Regenerative design goes beyond reducing impacts to create positive change in the local and global environments.






4. 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






5. 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.






6. The amount of waste disposed of other than through incineration or in landfills - expressed in tons. Examples of waste diversion include reuse and recycling.






7. 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






8. A required LEED Green Building Rating System component whose achievement is mandatory and does not earn any points.






9. Plants that require saturated soils to survive or can tolerate prolonged wet soil conditions.






10. The percentage of material in a product that was consumer waste. The recycled material was generated by household - commercial - industrial - or institutional end users and can no longer be used for its intended purpose. This includes returns of mate






11. Typical primary measures of energy consumption associated with buildings include kilowatt-hours of electricity - therms of natural gas - and gallons of liquid fuel.






12. Wastewater from toilets and urinals; definitions vary - and wastewater from kitchen sinks (perhaps differentiated by the use of a garbage disposal - showers - or bathtubs is considered blackwater under some state or local codes.






13. 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






14. 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.






15. 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.






16. A small fluorescent lamp - used as a more efficient alternative to incandescent lighting; also called a PL - twin-tube - or biax lamp. (EPA)






17. 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






18. The percentage of material in a product that was recycled from manufacturing waste. Preconsumer content was formerly known as postindustrial content. Examples include planer shavings - sawdust - bagasse - walnut shells - culls - trimmed materials - o






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






20. Resources that are not depleted by use. Examples include energy from the sun - wind - and small (low-impact) hydropower - plus geothermal energy and wave and tidal systems. Ways to capture energy from the sun include photovoltaic - solar thermal - an






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






22. 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






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






24. 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






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






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






27. A device that removes heat from a liquid - typically as part of a refrigeration system used to cool and dehumidify buildings.






28. The amount of water consumed by flow fixtures (lavatory faucets - showerheads - aerators - sprinkler heads)






29. 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






30. A community's total greenhouse gas emissions divided by the total number of residents.






31. The process of reducing peak-period vehicle trips.






32. 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.






33. 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






34. 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.






35. 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.






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






37. Management of a forest to produce in perpetuity a high-level annual or regular periodic output - through a balance between increment and cutting. (Society of American Foresters)






38. 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






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






40. 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






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






42. 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.






43. The total square footage of all buildings within a particular area - measured in square feet per acre or units per acre.






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






45. The percentage of the surface area of a paving material that is open and allows moisture to pass through the material and soak into the ground below.






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






47. Domestic wastewater composed of wash water from kitchen - bathroom - and laundry sinks - tubs - and washers. (EPA)






48. 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.






49. Wood that has been issued a certificate from an independent organization with developed standards of good forest management. This certificate verifies that wood products come from responsibly managed forests.






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