Unformatted text preview: LEED
Green Associate Study Guide
Second Edition We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors...we borrow it from our children A Study Resource for
Green Building and LEED Core Concepts
and the LEED Green Associate Exam Process
SUSTAINABLEIDEALS LEED Green Associate Study Guide
Second Edition
publish date: January, 2012 NOTICE
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SUSTAINABLEIDEALS ii LEED® Green Associate Study Guide, 2nd Edition
© 2012 Studio4 LLC All Rights Reserved Table of Contents LEED Green Associate Study Guide, Second Edition 1 CHAPTER | 1
Introductory conversations into sustainable design and construction and the associated benefits of the roles of the LEED AP and LEED rating systems Introduction About the Studio4 Study Guide
The Studio4 Green Associate Study Guide Format
A Word About Sustainability
A Bit of Study Advice
Commentaries: the Value of LEED 2
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An analysis between traditional design and construction practice versus green
building strategies and the environmental impacts associated with each Green Buildings and Communities Green Building: Past, Present, Future
Green Building Core Principles
Traditional Thinking
Sustainable Thinking
Green Building Benefits
Economic Benefits
Health and Community Benefits
Environmental Benefits
The Triple Bottom Line
Climate Change and Sustainable Communities
Hard Costs
Soft Costs
Life Cycle Costing
Value Engineering
Green Building Costs
Green Building Core Design Principles
The Sustainable Structure of Green Design
Integrated Design Approach
The Building Program
Design Flexibility for the Future
Location, Location, Location
Credit Interactions
Building Commissioning
Operations & Maintenance Program
ENERGY STAR
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Green Buildings and Communities Summary
Chapter & Recommended Reference Links 22
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A review of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and
the processes required for, and associated with, LEED certification USGBC, GBCI & LEED Introduction
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
USGBC’s Mission
USGBC’s Vision
Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI)
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
USGBC, GBCI & LEED Organizational Chart
USGBC’s Guiding Principles
LEED Green Building Reference Guides
LEED Green Building Rating Systems
Multiple Building Projects
Multiple Certifications
Credit Harmonization
Carbon Overlay
Credit Weightings
Regional Priority Credits
LEED Pilot Credit Library
Project Registration and Certification
Commercial LEED Rating Systems
Project Certification Levels
Registration
Project Administrator
LEED AP
Eligibility
LEED Online
Project Checklist
Credit Forms and Calculators
Certification Process Overview
Prepare Application
Submit Application
Application Review
Certification 27
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Timeline and Project Design Phases
Certification Process Stages
Commercial LEED Ratings Systems
LEED for Neighborhood Development
LEED for Homes Registration and Certification
LEED for Homes Certification Levels
How to Participate in LEED for Homes
Five Steps to Participate
LEED for Homes Certification Stages
Project CIRs and LEED Interpretations
LEED Credentialing & Credential Maintenance
USGBC Trademark Policy and GBCI Logo Guidelines
USGBC, GBCI & LEED Summary
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A review of the Integrative Design Process that gives teams an opportunity to
be rewarded for holding charrettes, having a certain number of team meetings,
conducting a thorough site assessment and having a LEED AP as a team member The Integrative Process Integrated Project Delivery (IPD)
Integrated Design Process
Holistic, Whole Building Design Objectives
The Integrated Project Team
Key Project Team Stakeholders and Disciplines
Design and Construction Phase Plan
Design Charrette
Credit Interactions
Building Commissioning
The Systems Thinking Approach
The Goal
Systems Thinking Approach
Systems Thinking
Systems
Leverage
Measuring Performance of Sustainable Buildings
The Life Cycle Approach
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Life Cycle Costing (LCC)
General & Recommended Reference Links
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Studio4 Office Project: the Program Narrative
The Project Location
The Project Program Narrative: Predesign 74
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The sustainable goals of the Sustainable Sites category address both the location
and the development of the project site Sustainable Sites (SS) Sustainable Sites Overview
Location and Linkage
Neighborhood Pattern and Design
Green Infrastructure and Buildings
LEED Boundary
Development Density and Community Connectivity
Sustainable Sites Strategies
Site Selection and Location
Site Design
Transportation
Alternative Transportation - Public Transportation Access
Stormwater Management
Heat Island Effect
Light Pollution Reduction
The Triple Bottom Line (People, Planet, Profit)
Sustainable Sites Summary
Codes & Referenced Standards
General Chapter Related Definitions 79
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The sustainable goals of the Water Efficiency category address the following areas: Indoor potable water reduction; outdoor potable water reduction; water
efficiency as a teaching tool Water Efficiency (WE) Water Efficiency Overview
Water Use Reduction
Water Efficient Landscaping
Innovative Wastewater Technologies
Process Water Use Reduction
Water Efficiency as a Teaching Tool
Additional Benefits of Reducing Potable Water Consumption
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Water Type Definitions
Water Efficiency Strategies
Indoor Water Use Reduction
Outdoor Water Use Reduction
Process Water Use Reduction
Wastewater Reduction
The Triple Bottom Line (People, Planet, Profit)
Water Efficiency (WE) Summary
Codes & Referenced Standards
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The sustainable goals of the Energy and Atmosphere category address the following areas: reducing energy demand; increasing energy efficiency; managing refrigerants; renewable energy; ongoing energy performance Energy and Atmosphere (EA) Energy and Atmosphere Overview
Energy and Atmosphere Strategies
Reducing Energy Demand
Increasing Energy Efficiency
Renewable Energy Sources
Ensuring Energy Performance
Building Commissioning
Monitoring and Verification
Managing Refrigerants to Eliminate CFCs
The Triple Bottom Line (People, Planet, Profit)
Energy and Atmosphere (EA) Summary
Codes & Referenced Standards
General Chapter Related Definitions
Additional Recommended Study Resources 133
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The sustainable goals of the Materials and Resources category address the following areas: sustainable construction and materials selection; waste management Materials and Resources (MR)
Materials and Resources Overview
Life Cycle Impacts
Sustainable Materials
Construction Waste Reduction SUSTAINABLEIDEALS viii 155
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Source Reduction
Reuse and Recycling
Waste Management
Materials and Resources Strategies
Materials and Resources Credit Metrics
Calculating Material Costs
Storage and Collection of Recyclables
Building Reuse: Maintain Existing Walls, Floors and Roof
Building Reuse: Maintain Interior Nonstructural Elements
Materials Reuse
Recycled Content
Regional Materials
Rapidly Renewable Materials
Sustainable Purchasing Policies
Waste Management
The Triple Bottom Line (People, Planet, Profit)
Materials and Resources (MR) Summary
Codes & Referenced Standards
General Chapter Related Definitions 157
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The sustainable goals of the Indoor Environmental Quality category address the
following areas: indoor air quality; thermal comfort, lighting and acoustics Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Indoor Environmental Quality Overview
Indoor Environmental Quality Strategies
Ventilation
Contaminants
Material Selection
Occupant Control of Systems
Daylight and Views
Acoustics
Core & Shell (CS)
Schools
The Triple Bottom Line (People, Planet, Profit)
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Summary
Codes & Referenced Standards
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The Innovation in Design credit category awards bonus points for projects that
use new and innovative technologies and strategies to improve a building’s performance Innovation in Design (ID) Innovation in Design (ID) Overview
Innovation in Design
Innovation in Design Strategies
Innovative Performance
Exemplary Performance
Rating System ID Points
Path 1: Innovation in Design (Innovative Performance)
Path 2: Exemplary Performance 191
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USGBC has identified environmental concerns that are important for every region of the country and offers bonus points for credits that address those regional priorities Regional Priority (RP) Regional Priority (RP) Overview 197 196 202 CHAPTER | 12
For professionals who support green building design, construction, and operations, the LEED Green Associate credential denotes basic knowledge of green
building principles and practices, and LEED LEED Green Associate Exam 202 CHAPTER | 13
Acronyms, abbreviations and definitions that may be unfamiliar or have specific
meanings in the context of sustainability and green building Acronyms and Glossary of Terms
Acronyms & Abbreviations
Glossary of Terms SUSTAINABLEIDEALS x 211
219 210 210 Table of Contents LEED Green Associate Study Guide, Second Edition 268 CHAPTER | 14
Additional resources, referenced and not referenced throughout this study
guide Appendix Diverse Use Groups
Default Occupancy Counts
Credit Interactions
Referenced Standards by Standards
Referenced Standards by Category 268 269
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287 SUSTAINABLEIDEALS xi Table of Contents LEED Green Associate Study Guide, Second Edition SUSTAINABLEIDEALS xii Table of Contents LEED Green Associate Study Guide, Second Edition SUSTAINABLEIDEALS xiii The LEED Green Associate exam limits the scope
of studies to a general, non-technical degree of
knowledge with regard to the basic tenets of
sustainability and green building design. CHAPTER | 1
Introduction
»» Introduction »» About the Studio4 Study Guide
»» The Studio4 Study Guide Format
»» A Word about Sustainability
»» A Bit of Study Advice
»» Commentaries: The Value of LEED
»» Why Bother with LEED Certification?
»» LEED vs. Green
»» Integrated Design Process
»» Green Trend Forecasting SUSTAINABLEIDEALS 1 Introduction
About the Studio4 Study Guide
The Studio4 LEED Green Associate Study Guide, Second Edition, is a third party resource and, as
such, recommended to be used as a supplement to U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and
Green Building Certification Council (GBCI) materials. Due to the vast amount of material and
data, it would be difficult for any third party study material to convey the evolving message
USGBC promotes relative to the green knowledge required for their exams. Those who plan to
take any LEED exam are encouraged to download and/or purchase materials as currently recommended by USGBC and GBCI. In an effort to accurately assess an overview of what LEED
promotes and teaches, much of this study guide is focused on information and strategies contained within LEED Green Building Reference Guides and LEED Green Building Rating Systems,
as well as the USGBC and GBCI websites. USGBC has made a strong commitment to see that
the LEED processes and information highways are frequently updated to meet ever changing
demands. Therefore, it becomes exceedingly important to be connected in order to remain current. Throughout this guide, links are provided to USGBC and GBCI websites, as well as links to
additional green resource sites.
Passing the LEED Green Associate exam, Part 1, is a requirement when continuing forward toward any Tier II LEED AP with Specialty exam, Part 2. It would benefit all exam candidates to
consider other resources such as online tests offered by third party resources. These tests offer much more than simply answering questions correctly, as they provide a computer based
experience similar to that which will be encountered at the actual test site. One recommended
source for online tests is Green Building Education Services ( ).
Also consider quality green educational websites such as LEEDuser ( ).
During your studies, if you encounter difficulties in understanding any aspect of LEED, sign onto
the LEED section of the ARE forum and post a question, or just observe the ongoing dialog (
).
It is very important to download the latest version of the LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook for essential information the exam candidate must be aware of with regard to specific instructions on registering, scheduling, and studying for the LEED Green Associate exam. This free
document is available on the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) website. The Studio4 Green Associate Study Guide Format
The logic behind the flow of content in this study guide is rather straightforward. One, deliver an
argument in support of building green. Two, provide a description of the organizations and tools
responsible for establishing guidance and green strategy parameters, and the project teams
and processes responsible for the design and construction of green projects. Three, wrap it up
by presenting green strategy parameters available for delivering certified, high performance
green projects and communities. Simple—the WHY—the WHO—the HOW.
The WHY begins here with the Introduction chapter by presenting 4 short publications from
leading sustainable professionals (associated with the USGBC Cincinnati Regional Chapter) as
to why they believe, through experience, LEED is a valuable assest to any green building project. The following chapter, Green Buildings and Communities, compares traditional design and
SUSTAINABLEIDEALS 2 | Chapter 1 LEED® Green Associate Study Guide, 2nd Edition
© 2012 Studio4 LLC All Rights Reserved Introduction
building practices—Traditional Thinking—to green design and building practices—Sustainable
Thinking. The benefits of green building are presented in 2 general categories—Green Building
Core Principles and Green Building Core Design Principles.
The WHO starts with the USGBC, GBCI and LEED chapter. These are the organizations and tools
that promote the sustainable movement and provide guidance for delivering certified green
building projects. The Integrative Process chapter describes the project’s design and construction team members and additional major stakeholders—the Integrated Project Team—who are
associated with, and contribute to, the green building project and the tools, procedures and
policies they use to deliver high performance green projects.
The HOW is detailed through seven chapters, each specific to a category that addresses concerns
related to environmental issues that matter most: CO2 emissions, water and energy conservation, conservation and protection of natural resources, and human health. Each of these chapters begin with an overview analysis and then presents more detailed information.
• Sustainable Sites
• Water Efficiency
• Energy and Atmosphere
• Materials and Resources
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Innovation in Design
• Regional Priorities
To assist in understanding green building and LEED’s relationship to sustainability, a LEED project
has been developed that progressively builds at the end of each sustainable category chapter.
From site selection to credit selection, this project presents a broad overview of the integrated
design approach for achieving credits in order to produce a cost effective, high performance
building. Although this exercise goes beyond the scope of the Green Associate exam, the intent
of this project is only to provide a broad overview of how Integrated Project Teams implement
the processes and strategies that had been presented. In other words, to put a face on the content. To fully understand what green building is about, it is not sufficient to present a conceptual
outline of policies and strategies. Concepts are difficult to understand, require a fair amount of
interpretation, and a great deal of memorization in order to retain. How concepts are implemented help to ...
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