USGBC LEED-Green-Associate Questions Answers

The LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system has four certification levels: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Each level requires a minimum number of points to achieve, based on the total number of available points in the rating system. The total number of available points is 110, and the minimum points for Platinum certification is 801. Therefore, the maximum points a new construction platinum LEED for Neighborhood Development certification level can earn are 110 - 80 = 30 points. However, there are also four regional priority credits that can be earned for addressing geographicallyspecific environmental issues2. These credits are worth one point each, and can be added to the total score of a project. Therefore, the maximum possible points a new construction platinum LEED for Neighborhood Development certification level can earn are 30 + 4 = 34 points. However, the question asks for the maximum points that can be earned by a new construction project. According to the LEED Reference Guide for ND, new construction projects must meet all prerequisites and achieve at least 50% of the points available under the Green Infrastructure and Buildings category3. This category has 21 criteria, each worth one point, except forCertified Green Buildings, which is worth up to five points4. Therefore, the maximum points available under this category are 21 + 4 = 25 points. Since new construction projects must achieve at least 50% of these points, they must earn at least 13 points under this category. This means that they have less points to earn under the other categories (Smart Location and Linkage, and Neighborhood Pattern and Design), which have a total of 32 criteria worth one point each4. Therefore, the maximum points a new construction project can earn under these categories are 110 - 25 - 13 = 72 points. Adding the regional priority credits, the maximum possible points a new construction project can earn are 72 + 4 = 76 points. To achieve Platinum certification, a new construction project must earn at least 80 points1. Therefore, the maximum points a new construction platinum LEED for Neighborhood Development certification level can earn are 80 - 76 = 4 points under each of the four categories: Smart Location and Linkage, Neighborhood Pattern and Design, Green Infrastructure and Buildings, and Regional Priority Credits. Hence, the answer is D. 16.

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LEED certification for neighborhood development

LEED Reference Guide for ND

LEED for NeighborhoodDevelopment - Wikipedia

LEED rating system

LEED for Neighborhood Development - Infrastructure Tool Navigator

Native species are plants that are adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, and therefore require less water and maintenance than non-native species. By maximizing the use of native species in the landscaping design, the project can reduce the need for potable water for irrigation and achieve the Outdoor Water Use Reduction credit under LEED v4 Water Efficiency category1.

LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide1, page 35

Low-emitting materials, including partitions, are intended to:

“...reduce concentrations of chemical contaminants that can damage air quality, human health, productivity, and the environment.”

VOCs are a major indoor air contaminant addressed under the Indoor Environmental Quality category.

Including subsidies for carpools is a strategy that can increase the number of points the project receives for Location and Transportation credits. This is because it reduces the demand for single-occupancy vehicle trips and parking spaces, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion, and land consumption12. The project can earn up to 15 points for the Transportation Demand Management credit by providing various incentives and programs to encourage alternative modes of transportation, such as carpooling, public transit, biking, or walking12.