Test your basic knowledge |

Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
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  • Match each statement with the correct term.
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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. 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






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






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






4. Management of forest resources to meet the long-term forest product needs of humans while maintaining the biodiversity of forested landscapes. The primary goal is to restore - enhance - and sustain a full range of forest values - including economic -






5. 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.






6. 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)






7. 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.






8. The installed lighting power per unit area.






9. 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.






10. 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






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






12. 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






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






14. 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






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






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. A formal USGBC process in which a project team experiencing difficulties in the application of a LEED prerequisite or credit can seek and receive clarification - issued as a Credit Interpretation Ruling. Typically - difficulties arise when specific i






18. The spent or used water from a home - community - farm - or industry that contains dissolved or suspended matter.






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






20. 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






21. Energy derived from ancient organic remains - such as peat - coal - crude oil - and natural gas. (EPA)






22. 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.






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






24. 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






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






26. 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






27. 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






28. 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.






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






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






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






32. 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).






33. 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






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






35. 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.






36. 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






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






38. 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






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






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






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






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






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






44. 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






45. 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.






46. 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.






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






48. A rating that indicates the efficiency of air filters in the mechanical system. MERV ratings range from 1 (very low efficiency) to 16 (very high efficiency).






49. 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.






50. 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.