LEED Quiz 03

Reducing the number of vehicles on the road, is a key priority for green projects.

Vehicle miles traveled is a measure of transportation demand that estimates the travel miles associated with a project.

Locate the project near mass transit. Make it easy on employees to take the bus or train to work by picking a site that is within easy walking distance of bus or train stops.

A sustainable site is one that is located within or near existing development to leverage existing infrastructure and provide basic services to building occupants. Additionally, it prioritizes potential sites that have been previously developed, minimizing the degradation of greenfield sites.

Decreasing impervious surfaces permits an increase in pervious surfaces. Pervious surfaces allow water to infiltrate the ground, thereby reducing storm water runoff.

Many water-using fixtures follow the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) guidelines for baseline water use. Other water-using fixtures follow standards such as the Universal Plumbing Code (UPC).

Nonpoint source pollution is caused by many sources, such as oil leaks in cars or fertilized landscape plantings, and is exacerbated by impervious hardscapes during heavy rainfall.

RECs are tradable environmental commodities representing proof that a unit of electricity was generated from a renewable energy source. RECs are sold separately from the electricity itself.

Using materials with high solar reflectance indexes reduces the trapping of heat in site hard scapes, in turn reducing the heat island effect.

Projects that use reclaimed water for process uses reduce their demand on municipally supplied potable water.

Increasing the floor-to-area ratio results in a smaller building footprint, thereby increasing the available site area to use as open space. Additionally, locating parking underground eliminates surface parking, likewise increasing the available site area that can be dedicated to open space.

Submeters and locally adapted plantings both contribute to water use reduction. Submeters ensure that water use can be tracked and leaks or overwatering quickly mitigated. The use of locally adapted plantings allows further reduction, because these plants are suited to the local climate and, once established, can be sustained with little or no ongoing irrigation.

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study found that commissioning for existing buildings has a median cost of $0.27 per square foot and an average simple payback of 0.7 years. For new construction, the study found that the median cost was $1 per square foot and had a payback of 4.8 years based on energy savings alone.

Providing a carpooling incentive increases the percentage of occupants who co-commute, thereby reducing the total vehicle miles traveled.

In all cases, water containing human waste is considered black water.

Light trespass is the unwanted spillage of light onto adjacent properties. To minimize its impact on nocturnal environs, light trespass must be controlled.

Nonpotable water is, by definition,not suitable for consumption, so although it is often acceptable to use for plant watering and waste transport, it is not usable for drinking, ice making, or bathing.

The Sustainable Building Technical Manual: Part II recommends developing green design criteria before selecting the project site, in order to use the criteria to evaluate potential sites and guide the overall design effort.

The Energy Policy Act (EPAct) establishes the baseline of 1.6 gallons per flush for all water closets.

Many municipalities supply both potable water (treated for human consumption) and nonpotable water (typically treated, but not to the same standard as potable water). This nonpotable water is often reclaimed from sources such as storm water.

Process water is used for industrial systems such as HVAC, as well as for certain business operations, such as clothes washing and dish washing. Submetering can track consumption and allow for the early identification of inefficiencies or leaks. ENERGY STAR–certified clothes washers have low water factors, thereby ensuring that they use water efficiently.

Passive design strategies are used to reduce energy consumption by utilizing natural thermal processes (convection, absorption, radiation, and conduction) and sunlight to condition and light spaces.

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

Finally, sub metering equipment is used to maintain building performance.

Potable water- Water that meets or exceeds the EPA’s drinking water quality standards and is approved for human consumption by the state or local authorities having jurisdiction.

A refrigerant is weighted by its global warming potential and its ozone depletion potential.

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

Other factors also affect energy usage, including other aspects of building performance that have a direct impact on energy use. Increased ventilation strategies, while helpful for increasing the overall quality of indoor air, typically require a corresponding increase in HVAC energy use.

Periodic maintenance helps ensure that systems stay in peak operating condition.

To reduce energy use, project teams should first reduce energy demand, followed by implementing energy efficiency measures such as installing high-performance equipment.