cleanedison leed green associate exam overview and green building basics

LEED® Green Associate

CleanEdison Exam Prep Course Materials

Copyright 2010 CleanEdison Inc

Table of Contents

1. AIA® Continuing Education Disclaimer

2. CleanEdison Course Learning Objectives

3. CleanEdison Course Outline

4. LEED® Green Associate Exam Overview

5. CleanEdison Course Slides


Table of Contents, continued

7. O + M LEED Glossary

8. Guidance on Innovation and Design Credits

9. Guidelines for Credit Interpretation Requests


AIA® Continuing Education Provider

“CleanEdison” is a Registered Provider with The American Institute

of Architects Continuing Education Systems. Credit earned upon

completion of this program will be reported to CES Records for AIA

members. Certificates of Completion are available on request.

This program is registered with the AIA/CES for continuing

professional education. As such, it does not include content that

may be deemed, or construed to be an approval, or endorsement by

the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of

handling, using, distributing or dealing in any material or product.

Questions related to specific materials, methods and services will

be addressed at the conclusion of this presentation.


CleanEdison Course Learning Objectives

Introduce U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

Introduce Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI)

Describe Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

Define scope of the various LEED rating systems

Detail crucial green building concepts and implementation

Enable success on LEED Green Associate exam on the first try


Course Outline

Green Associate Exam Overview

Green Building Basics; LEED and the LEED Process

Sustainable Sites

Water Efficiency

Energy and Atmosphere

Materials and Resources


Course Outline, continued

Indoor Environmental Quality

Innovation and Design Process; Innovation In Operations

Regional Priority Credits

Smart Location and Linkages

Awareness and Education

Synergies


LEED Accreditation

Buildings undergo “LEED Certification” process

Base level LEED Certification is “LEED Certified”

People get “LEED Accredited”


LEED Accreditation

“LEED Green Associate” requirements:• Experience on one LEED-registered project

• OR work in field of sustainability (or previous employment)

• OR proof of completion of green building education, like this course

• AND pass 2-hour LEED GA exam

Must complete 15 hrs. of CE every two years

Legacy LEED AP


“LEED AP with Specialty” requirements (2 options):

Pass LEED GA exam + at least one LEED-registered project experience + pass 2-hour Specialty standalone exam within the past three years

At least one LEED-registered project experience + pass 4-hour combined exam (LEED GA & Specialty exam)

Must complete 30 hrs. of CE every two years

LEED Accreditation, continued

Legacy LEED APs:

• Accredited before July 2009

• Retain current status OR transfer to Specialty via

prescriptive education agreement OR transfer to

Specialty via exam

• Also have 30 hrs of CE required every 2 years


LEED Accreditation, continued

“Green Fellow” requirements:• Highest credential demonstrating 10 plus years of LEED experience and commitment to the green building field• Must be nominated


LEED Green Associate Exam Overview

Apply for exam by logging into www.gbci.org My Credentials

(you will need to upload your document of eligibility)

Within a couple of days you should receive an “eligibility

number” from GBCI

Use this “eligibility number” to schedule your exam at

www.prometric.com/gbci (it may take up to 48 hours for the

eligibility number to show up in Prometric’s system)

All questions are delivered randomly on computer

Measures your LEED knowledge vs. “Subject Matter Experts”

http://www.gbci.org/

http://www.prometric.com/gbci


100 multiple choice questions, some multiple-multiple

Maximum possible score is 200; minimum is 125

Score of 170 required to pass

10 minute tutorial before exam + 2 hour actual exam time + 10 minute

satisfaction survey after the exam

Give yourself 2 hours and 20 minutes at the testing center

Get your score instantly

No partial credit

No penalty for wrong answers

Personal calculator forbidden; calculator tool will be on screen

Closed book!




Exam questions + Results break down by 7 “Knowledge Areas”…

Synergistic Opportunities and LEED Application Process

Project Site Factors

Water Management

Project Systems and Energy Impacts

Acquisition, Installation, and Management of Project Materials

Stakeholder Involvement in Innovation

Project Surroundings and Public Outreach



How do I prepare for the Green Associate Exam?

Read current GA Candidate Handbook (updated monthly)www.gbci.org Professional Credentials LEED Green AssociateLEED Green

LEED Green Associate Study Guide

Green Building and LEED Core Concepts Guide (USGBC)

“Fair game” = Primary + Ancillary References in Handbook

“Fair game” = USGBC, GBCI websites; www.leedonline.com

Take sample exams on study.cleanedison.com (no “www”)

20-25 hours studying recommended beyond this course

Don’t underestimate questions on terminology, procedure

http://www.gbci.org/

http://www.leedonline.com/

http://study.cleanedison.com/


LEED Green Associate Sample Question #1

What Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) program sets

standards for low-emitting carpets, adhesives and

pads?

A. Green Seal

B. Green Guard

C. Green-e Certified

D. Green Label Plus

Answer: D – Green Label Plus

This question aligns itself with:

I. Synergistic Opportunities and LEED

Application Process

D. Standards that support LEED credit



Why should a green project be located in an existing

community?

A. Adequate parking is available on site.

B. The zoning approval for the project is easier.

C. Native plantings can be used for erosion control.

D. The connection to basic community resources is

present.

Answer: D


II. Project Site Factors

B. Community connectivity



The Montreal Protocol bans the production of which of

the following to conserve stratospheric ozone?

A. HFC

B. CFC

C. Propane

D. HCFC

Answer: B – CFC (LEED Core Concepts

Pg. 48)


IV. Project Systems and Energy Impacts

A. Environmental concerns

Section I

Green Building Basics


Objectives

Define green building

Describe the integrative design approach

Clarify the triple bottom line

Illustrate direct vs. indirect environmental impacts

Page I - 2


72% of electricity consumption

24%-50% of energy use

40% of raw materials use

38% of all CO2 emissions

30% of waste output

14% of potable water consumption

Source: Annual statistics, U.S. DOE Energy Information Administration 2005

Introduction

U.S. commercial + residential building

construction + operations account for:

Page I - 3


Defining Green Building Efficiently uses energy and uses

benign energy

Conserves water, land and

materials

a.k.a. “sustainable” or “high

performance” building, meeting the

needs of today without

compromising the needs of future

generations

Occupant health; employee

productivity

Reduces waste and pollution

Addresses lifetime performance

Page I - 4


Courtesy of Siemens

Lighting

TransportationLand use

HVAC&RBuilding

Orientation &

LocationMaterial Selection

Indoor

Environment

Whole Building Design, aka Integrative Design Process

Page I - 5

N


Integrative Design Process, continued

IDP maximizes opportunities for cost-effective green building

features

LEED encourages IDP, which emphasizes good interaction

between building disciplines and building elements

a.k.a. Whole Building Design

LEED AP must facilitate a multidisciplinary, holistic approach

IDP starts in pre-design, continues through project handover

“Value engineering” may conflict with LEED goals

Page I - 6


Building components were viewed as

separate elements

Building systems had isolated budgets

Disciplines had minimal interaction

Design decisions were based on

budget and schedule considerations,

piece-by piece

Did NOT emphasize life-cycle

performance of the completed building

Courtesy of SiemensPage I - 7

Traditional Design


Traditional Design Step-by-Step

Page I - 8


Integrative Design Process Step-by-Step

Page I - 9


Integrative Design Process: Project Team

Successful design requires

integrated team approach and

buy-in from all “stakeholders”

Stakeholders are not just the

owner and project team

Stakeholders may include:

•Construction workers

•Future occupants

•Future maintenance team

•Neighbors

•Community, gov’t reps

•Utility companies

Page I - 10


Integrative Design Process: Keys to Success

Page I - 11

Collaboration in conceptioncompletion

Possibly assisted by Building Information Modeling

with AutoDesk® Revit or Bentley® BIM, e.g.

Attainable, quantifiable goals

Familiarity with LEED

Continuous progress monitoring

Performance bonuses for team achieving:

Sustainability goals

Budget targets

Delivery dates

Health and safety goals


Ongoing Operations & Maintenance

Checking the Building Systems:

HVAC filters needing replacement?

Exhaust fans need replacing?

Hot water boilers functioning properly?

Performance of existing buildings is

evaluated in the LEED O&M rating

system during “performance periods”

Re-commissioning/retro-

commissioning/enhanced

commissioning

Page I - 12


Triple Bottom Line

Issues to consider for a particular

green building feature:

Does this produce a long-term

positive economic impact?

How does it directly and indirectly

affect the environment?

Does the building promote the

well-being of laborers, occupants,

community members, neighbors,

and other stakeholder interests?

a.k.a. “People, Profit, Planet”

Page I - 13


LEED encourages consideration of both direct and indirect

environmental impacts

Direct Impact Examples:

CFC-based refrigerant leakage from HVAC stratospheric O3 depletion

Construction activity erosion + sedimentation in nearby streams

Indirect Impact Examples:

Selecting propane or H2O refrigerant reduces ozone depletion, but

increases HVAC equipment size and therefore requires more electricity

from an off-site coal plant, emitting additional greenhouse gases

Purchase of non-FSC® wood products may promote deforestation

Direct and Indirect Impacts

Page I - 14

LEED Exam Prep• Green Associate Test

P

Building Performance Institute

Other Green• RESNET HERS Rater

Prep• Building Design and

Construction Test Prep• Operations and

Institute Certifications• Building Analyst• Envelope and Shell

• Green 101• Lead Renovator

Training• Geothermal Installer

Maintenance Test Prep• Interior Design and

Construction Test Prep• Homes Test Prep

• Envelope and Shell• Heating Specialist• AC/ Heat Pump• Multifamily

and Driller• Solar PV Installer• Solar PV for Sales• Solar Thermal Bootp

• Continuing Edy

• Manufactured Housing• Installer

• Solar Thermal Boot Camp

• Hybrid Auto

245