LEED Atmosphere Credits 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under LEED EA Credit: Enhanced Commissioning, what is the primary purpose of the 'commissioning authority' (CxA) being independent from the project team?
- To reduce project costs by outsourcing oversight
- To provide unbiased verification that building systems perform as intended (Correct answer)
- To comply with local building code requirements
- To manage the construction schedule more efficiently
Correct answer: To provide unbiased verification that building systems perform as intended
Independence ensures the CxA can objectively verify that building systems meet owner project requirements without conflicts of interest.
Question 2: Which refrigerant property is most critical when evaluating the Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) under LEED EA Credit: Enhanced Refrigerant Management?
- Global Warming Potential (GWP) value
- Chlorine or bromine content in the refrigerant molecule (Correct answer)
- Boiling point of the refrigerant
- Energy efficiency ratio of the equipment using the refrigerant
Correct answer: Chlorine or bromine content in the refrigerant molecule
Chlorine and bromine atoms in refrigerant molecules are the compounds that catalytically destroy stratospheric ozone.
Question 3: A building project wants to pursue LEED EA Credit: Optimize Energy Performance using the Prescriptive Compliance Path. Which reference standard does LEED primarily require for this path?
- ASHRAE 55-2017
- ASHRAE 90.1-2016 (Correct answer)
- IECC 2018
- ISO 50001
Correct answer: ASHRAE 90.1-2016
ASHRAE 90.1 is the energy standard LEED references for both the whole-building energy simulation and prescriptive compliance paths.
Question 4: What does the term 'Measurement & Verification' (M&V) refer to in the context of LEED EA?
- The process of metering water use to compare against baseline
- The ongoing process of measuring and verifying actual energy savings compared to predicted savings (Correct answer)
- Verifying that construction materials meet specification requirements
- Measuring indoor air quality parameters post-occupancy
Correct answer: The ongoing process of measuring and verifying actual energy savings compared to predicted savings
M&V is the ongoing process of quantifying actual energy savings achieved by energy conservation measures against a baseline.
Question 5: Under LEED v4 EA Prerequisite: Fundamental Commissioning and Verification, at what project phase must the commissioning process begin?
- During construction document preparation
- During the pre-design or early design phase (Correct answer)
- After construction is complete
- During the design development phase
Correct answer: During the pre-design or early design phase
Fundamental commissioning must begin early in the design process to ensure owner project requirements are incorporated before major design decisions are locked in.
Question 6: Which of the following LEED EA credits specifically addresses the long-term operational energy performance of a building after occupancy?
- EA Credit: Fundamental Commissioning
- EA Credit: Advanced Energy Metering (Correct answer)
- EA Credit: Green Power and Carbon Offsets
- EA Credit: Optimize Energy Performance
Correct answer: EA Credit: Advanced Energy Metering
Advanced Energy Metering requires whole-building energy metering and sub-metering of major end uses to track ongoing energy performance.
Question 7: In LEED Enhanced Refrigerant Management, the LCGWP calculation accounts for which combination of factors?
- Refrigerant GWP, equipment lifetime, and annual leakage rate (Correct answer)
- Refrigerant ODP, energy consumption, and system efficiency
- Refrigerant charge, operating pressure, and ambient temperature
- Equipment age, maintenance frequency, and refrigerant cost
Correct answer: Refrigerant GWP, equipment lifetime, and annual leakage rate
The life-cycle GWP calculation uses refrigerant GWP, equipment lifetime (years), and annual refrigerant leakage rate to estimate total climate impact.
LEED Atmosphere Credits 2
Under LEED EA Credit: Enhanced Commissioning, what is the primary purpose of the 'commissioning authority' (CxA) being independent from the project team?