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






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






3. Energy consumption divided by the number of square feet in a building - often expressed as British thermal units (Btus) per square foot or as kilowatt-hours of electricity per square foot per year (kWh/sf/yr)






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






5. 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.






6. 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






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






8. 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






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






10. 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).






11. 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.






12. 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.






13. The amount of water consumed by flush fixtures (water closets - or toilets - and urinals). The baseline flush rate for water closets is 1.6 gpf - and for urinals - 1.0 gpf (EPAct 1992)






14. 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






15. 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






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






17. The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of liquid water from 60 to 61 degrees Fahrenheit. This standard measure of energy is used to describe the energy content of fuels and compare energy use.






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






19. 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






20. 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






21. 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






22. 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






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






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






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






26. The process of verifying and documenting that a building and all of its systems and assemblies are planned - designed - installed - tested - operated - and maintained to meet the owner's project requirements.






27. 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






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






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






30. 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






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






32. An unwanted airborne element that may reduce indoor air quality (ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2007)






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






34. The amount of a building's agricultural products (fiber or animal) that are quickly grown or raised and can be harvested in a sustainable fashion - expressed as a percentage of the total materials cost. For LEED - rapidly renewable materials take 10






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






36. 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.






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






38. 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.






39. 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.






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






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






42. 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






43. Land that is likely to be flooded by a storm of a given size (e.g. A 100-year storm).






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






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






46. Excavated areas that detain stormwater and slow runoff but are dry between rain events. Wet ponds serve a similar function but are designed to hold water all the time.






47. 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.






48. 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.






49. 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.






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