USGBC LEED-Green-Associate Questions Answers

When a project involves multiple rating systems, the project team must decide the most appropriate one based on the project’s scope and primary objectives. LEED provides guidance to facilitate this decision​​.

LEED encourages compact communities because they provide reduction in travel associated with reaching services. Compact communities are communities that have high-density development patterns, mixed land uses, walkable streets, and diverse transportation options. Compact communities reduce the need for driving long distances to access various services, such as work, education, health care, recreation, or shopping. This reduces fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, traffic congestion, and infrastructure costs. The LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook states that one of the intents of the Location and Transportation category is to “reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT)” [1, p. 12]. References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, [Compact Communities | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development]

Installing new flush valves or flow restrictors is a low-cost strategy to improve water efficiency. These devices reduce the amount of water used in each flush or flow, leading to significant water savings over time. Other strategies like installing subsurface cisterns to collect stormwater, using only compostable toilets throughout the facility, or incorporating an on-site blackwater treatment system can also improve water efficiency, but they typically involve higher upfront costs. References: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, U.S. Green Building Council resources

The triple bottom line is a business concept that states firms should commit to measuring their social and environmental impact—in addition to their financial performance—rather than solely focusing on generating profit, or the standard “bottom line”1. The triple bottom line can be broken down into “three P’s”: profit, people, and the planet2. Firms can use these categories to conceptualize their environmental responsibility and determine any negative social impacts to which they might be contributing1.

Triple bottom line