In the Indoor Environmental Quality Credit, Low-Emitting Materials, what types of products need to be evaluated for both Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) content of the material and VOC emissions of the material?
Correct Answer: B
Explanation Furniture is the only type of product that needs to be evaluated for both VOC content and VOC emissions in the LEED BD+C Low-Emitting Materials credit.Flooring, composite wood, and wet applied products only need to meet the VOC content requirements, while other types of products, such as ceilings, walls, thermal and acoustic insulation, and exterior applied products, only need to meet the VOC emissions requirements1. References: * LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide * Low-Emitting Materials | U.S. Green Building Council
Question 32
Which of the following is an example of a nonroof measure for Sustainable Sites Credit, Heat Island Reduction?
Correct Answer: B
Explanation A vegetated shading structure is an example of a nonroof measure for Sustainable Sites Credit, Heat Island Reduction. The heat island effect is the phenomenon of urban areas having higher air temperatures than surrounding rural areas due to the absorption and emission of heat by human-made surfaces, such as buildings, roads, and pavements. The heat island effect can have negative impacts on the environment, human health, and energy consumption. One of the strategies to reduce the heat island effect is to use nonroof measures that provide shade, reflectivity, or evapotranspiration for at least 50% of the site hardscape, such as parking lots, walkways, plazas, and courtyards1. A vegetated shading structure is a type of nonroof measure that consists of a trellis or pergola that supports climbing plants or vines that provide shade and cooling for the underlying surface. A vegetated shading structure can also enhance the aesthetic and ecological value of the site2. The other options are not examples of nonroof measures for Sustainable Sites Credit, Heat Island Reduction. A playground with artificial turf is not a nonroof measure, but a roof measure, as it is considered as part of the building envelope. Artificial turf is also not a compliant roof measure, as it does not meet the minimum solar reflectance index (SRI) or vegetated roof requirements1. A shade structure with a three-year aged SRI value of 0.2 is not a compliant nonroof measure, as it does not meet the minimum SRI value of 29 for nonroof surfaces1. A paving material with a three-year aged SRI value of 0.2 is also not a compliant nonroof measure, as it does not meet the minimum SRI value of 29 for nonroof surfaces1. References: *LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, Sustainable Sites Credit: Heat Island Reduction, page 1281 *Heat Island Reduction | U.S. Green Building Council2
Question 33
Building Product Disclosure and Optimization is based on market
Correct Answer: C
Explanation Building Product Disclosure and Optimization is based on market transparency, which means providing information about the environmental and social impacts of the products and materials used in the building. The LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction states that "the intent of this credit category is to encourage the use of products and materials for which life-cycle information is available and that have environmentally, economically, and socially preferable life-cycle impacts"1. By disclosing the information about the product ingredients, environmental product declarations, sourcing of raw materials, and material ingredients optimization, the project team can make informed decisions and support the development of a more sustainable market. References: * LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, Materials and Resources Credit: Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Environmental Product Declarations, page 5462 * LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, Materials and Resources Credit: Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Sourcing of Raw Materials, page 5502 * LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, Materials and Resources Credit: Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Material Ingredients, page 5542
Question 34
A contractor is building a retirement community project. 30% of the building's product costs were derived from reused/salvaged materials or met recycled content criteria. Which of the following credits can the LEED AP submit towards certification?
Correct Answer: A
Explanation The Materials and Resources Credit, Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Sourcing of Raw Materials rewards projects that use materials that have optimized extraction processes by limiting or eliminating the extraction of new resources, the reuse of materials or the use of recycled materials1. According to the LEED Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction2, the credit has two options: Option 1. Raw Material Source and Extraction Reporting and Option 2. Leadership Extraction Practices. Option 1 requires the project to use at least 20 permanently installed products from at least five different manufacturers that have publicly released a report from their raw material suppliers which include extraction locations, a commitment to long-term ecologically responsible land use, a commitment to reducing environmental harms from extraction and/or manufacturing processes, and a commitment to meeting applicable standards or programs voluntarily that address responsible sourcing criteria2. Option 2 requires the project to use products that meet at least one of the responsible sourcing criteria below for at least 25%, by cost, of the total value of permanently installed building products in the project: * Extended producer responsibility. Products purchased from a manufacturer (producer) that participates in an extended producer responsibility program or is directly responsible for extended producer responsibility. * Bio-based materials. Bio-based products must meet the Sustainable Agriculture Network's Sustainable Agriculture Standard. Bio-based raw materials must be tested using ASTM Test Method D6866 and be legally harvested, as defined by the exporting and receiving country. Exclude hide products, such as leather and other animal skin material. * Wood products. Wood products must be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or USGBC-approved equivalent. * Materials reuse. Reused products must include salvaged, refurbished, or reused products. * Recycled content. Recycled content is the sum of postconsumer recycled content plus one-half the preconsumer recycled content, based on cost. Products meeting recycled content criteria are valued at 100% of their cost for the purposes of credit achievement calculation. * USGBC approved program. Other USGBC approved programs meeting leadership extraction criteria. Therefore, among the given options, only Option A is relevant to the use of reused/salvaged materials or recycled content, as they can contribute to the materials reuse or recycled content criteria under Option 2. Option B is a prerequisite that requires the project to develop and implement a construction and demolition waste management plan that identifies the materials to be diverted from disposal and whether the materials will be sorted on-site or co-mingled2. Option C is a credit that requires the project to use at least 20 different permanently installed products from at least five different manufacturers that use any of the following programs to demonstrate the chemical inventory of the product to at least 0.1% (1000 ppm): * Health Product Declaration. The end use product has a published, complete Health Product Declaration with full disclosure of known hazards in compliance with the Health Product Declaration Open Standard. * Cradle to Cradle. The end use product has been certified at the Cradle to Cradle v2 Basic level or Cradle to Cradle v3 Bronze level. * REACH Optimization. The end use product is compliant with REACH Optimization criteria. * GreenScreen v1.2 Benchmark. The product's chemical ingredients are inventoried using the GreenScreen v1.2 Benchmark. * Declare. The Declare product label must indicate that all ingredients have been disclosed down to 1000 ppm. Option D is a credit that requires the project to use at least 20 different permanently installed products that have environmental product declarations. The products must be sourced from at least five different manufacturers. The environmental product declarations must conform to ISO 14025, 14040, 14044, and EN 15804 or ISO 21930 and have at least a cradle-to-gate scope2. References: * LEED Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction v4 * Recycled content | U.S. Green Building Council * CS-v4.1 MRc3: Sourcing of Raw Materials | LEEDuser * How to choose the right materials for a LEED project? - GBCE
Question 35
Which of the following statements is correct when defining the project boundary?
Correct Answer: C
Explanation The land associated with the project supports typical operations According to the LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, the LEED project boundary must include all contiguous land that is associated with the project and supports its typical operations. This includes land altered as a result of construction and features used primarily by the project's occupants, such as hardscape (parking and sidewalks), septic or stormwater treatment equipment, and landscaping1. Therefore, statement C is correct when defining the project boundary. Statement A is incorrect because the LEED project boundary must be contiguous. Statement B is incorrect because the LEED project boundary can include more than one building, as long as they are on the same site and share a common scope of work. Statement D is incorrect because there is no such requirement for the gross floor area of the LEED project to be a certain percentage of the gross land area within the LEED project boundary. References: Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction v4 - Page 282 NC-v4.1 MPR2: Must use reasonable LEED boundaries | LEEDuser1
