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






2. 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






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






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






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






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






7. The installed lighting power per unit area.






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






9. 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 -






10. 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.






11. 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.






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






13. 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.






14. 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






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






17. 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






18. 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.






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






20. The primary goal of each prerequisite or credit.






21. 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






22. 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






23. 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






24. 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.






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






26. 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






27. 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).






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






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






30. 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.






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






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






33. 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






34. 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).






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






36. 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






37. 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






38. 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.






39. 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






40. 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.






41. 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






42. 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)






43. 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






44. 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






45. 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






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






47. 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






48. 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






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 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.