Online LEED-AP-BD+C Questions Video

A pedestrian-oriented paving or turf area with physical site elements that accommodate outdoor social activities is necessary to satisfy the requirement for the outdoor space to be physically accessible when calculating the Sustainable Sites Credit, Open Space. This is because the outdoor space must be designed to encourage regular use by occupants and visitors1. A garden space dedicated to industrial food production for use by local communities may not be accessible to the building occupants and visitors2. A garden space with only one vegetation type and species during the summer for visual interest does not meet the requirement of having two or more types of vegetation or overhead vegetated canopy1. A dark paving area with site elements to encourage parking near wetlands or naturally designed ponds is not considered as pedestrian-oriented hardscape and may have negative impacts on the natural environment3.

References:

•Open Space, p. 1

•NC-v4 SSc3: Open space, p. 2

•LEED v4 for Building Design and Construction, p. 72

The correct sequence for LEED certification is: Choose Rating System, Register, Submit documentation through LEED Online, Review, Certify (C). Projects begin by selecting the appropriate LEED rating system, then register with USGBC, followed by documentation submission for review. After review, certification is granted based on achieved points. This structured approach ensures accurate and consistent compliance with LEED standards.

The Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) is a measure of the roof’s ability to reject solar heat, as shown by a small temperature rise. It is defined so that a standard black (reflectance 0.05, emittance 0.90) is 0 and a standard white (reflectance 0.80, emittance 0.90) is 100. SRI is calculated using the roof surface’s Solar Reflectance (SR) and Thermal Emittance (TE). SR is the fraction of solar energy that is reflected by the roof, and TE is the relative ability of the roof surface to radiate heat. Therefore, SRI includes the measure of a material’s ability to reflect solar radiation, but not its ability to absorb or emit thermal radiation.

References:

What is the Solar Reflectance Index? - Cool Roof Rating Council

Definitions and Terms | HEATISLAND

Makeup water meters, conductivity controllers and overflow alarms

According to the Water Efficiency Prerequisite for Indoor Water Use Reduction, cooling towers and evaporative condensers must be equipped with makeup water meters, conductivity controllers and overflow alarms to reduce water consumption and prevent water waste. These devices help monitor and control the water quality, flow rate and level of the cooling system, and alert the operators of any malfunctions or leaks.

References: As per the LEED AP Building Design + Construction (LEED AP BD+C) V4 resources, the installation of makeup water meters, conductivity controllers and overflow alarms is a requirement for cooling towers and evaporative condensers under the Water Efficiency Prerequisite for Indoor Water Use Reduction. This prerequisite aims to reduce indoor water consumption by setting baseline and efficiency standards for fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment and processes. For cooling towers and evaporative condensers, the prerequisite also requires efficient drift eliminators that reduce drift to a maximum of 0.002% of recirculated water volume for counterflow towers and 0.005% of recirculated water flow for cross-flow towers. For more detailed information, you can refer to the web-based reference guide in the credit library at USGBC’s official website.