Building Engineering Sustainable Building Design and Energy Efficiency 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does LEED stand for and who administers the program?
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, administered by the US Green Building Council (Correct answer)
- Low Energy Environmental Design, administered by ASHRAE
- Lighting Efficiency and Environmental Design, administered by the DOE
- Leadership in Ecological Engineering Design, administered by the AIA
Correct answer: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, administered by the US Green Building Council
LEED is a voluntary green building certification program by the USGBC that awards points across categories including energy, water, materials, and indoor environment quality.
Question 2: What is the purpose of a building energy model (BEM) in sustainable design?
- To simulate energy use and compare design alternatives before construction (Correct answer)
- To measure actual energy consumption after occupancy
- To certify compliance with fire and life safety codes
- To calculate structural loads on the building frame
Correct answer: To simulate energy use and compare design alternatives before construction
Building energy modeling uses software to predict heating, cooling, lighting, and plug load energy consumption, enabling designers to optimize building systems before committing to construction.
Question 3: What is a building's Energy Use Intensity (EUI) used to measure?
- Annual energy consumption per square foot of floor area (Correct answer)
- Peak electrical demand during the hottest day
- Energy savings compared to a baseline building
- The efficiency rating of HVAC equipment only
Correct answer: Annual energy consumption per square foot of floor area
EUI normalizes total annual energy consumption (kBtu or kWh) by building area, allowing fair comparison of energy performance across buildings of different sizes.
Question 4: What passive solar design strategy positions windows primarily on which building orientation to maximize winter heat gain?
- South-facing (Correct answer)
- North-facing
- East-facing
- West-facing
Correct answer: South-facing
South-facing windows in the northern hemisphere receive maximum low winter sun angles for passive heat gain while overhangs can block high summer sun to prevent overheating.
Question 5: What is the function of a cool roof in sustainable building design?
- To reflect more sunlight and emit more heat than a standard dark roof, reducing cooling loads (Correct answer)
- To provide thermal mass that stores heat during the day and releases it at night
- To harvest rainwater for non-potable reuse
- To support photovoltaic panels for electricity generation
Correct answer: To reflect more sunlight and emit more heat than a standard dark roof, reducing cooling loads
Cool roofs use high-reflectance and high-emittance materials to reduce heat absorbed by the building, lowering cooling energy consumption and mitigating urban heat island effects.
Question 6: What is the purpose of a thermal break in a building envelope assembly?
- To interrupt the conductive path through framing or cladding supports to reduce heat transfer (Correct answer)
- To provide an expansion gap between building materials
- To separate structural and non-structural facade components
- To allow moisture to drain from within the wall assembly
Correct answer: To interrupt the conductive path through framing or cladding supports to reduce heat transfer
Thermal breaks are low-conductivity materials inserted between highly conductive elements to stop heat from conducting from warm to cold sides of the building envelope.
Building Engineering Sustainable Building Design and Energy Efficiency 1
What does LEED stand for and who administers the program?