Introduction

Guide to the LEED®Green Associate V4 Exam is the resource to prepare for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Associate exam. This exam prep guide provides a road map to studying for the LEED Green Associate exam as administered by Green Building Certification Institute (GBCIT). Guide to the LEED Green Associate V4 Exam is aimed at those professionals seeking knowledge about the basic knowledge and understanding that is required in order to pass the exam and earn the LEED Green Associate accreditation.

As a means to introduce myself, I am a LEED consultant and an education provider, focused on sustainable design and building operation concepts. I have traveled the country helping many students to prepare for the LEED Green Associate and LEED Accredited Professional (AP) exams. The LEED Green Associate class typically is a one-day seminar and reviews all of the information as presented in this book. During this class, I share my LEED project experiences and study tips in order to help make sense of this challenging information and present it in a logical format to help streamline the studying efforts for my students. This book breaks down the difficult information to be retained into a coherent and straightforward approach, as compared to simply repeating what would be found in the study reference material outlined by GBCI.

EXAM PREP GUIDE STRUCTURE

Guide to the LEED Green Associate V4 Exam is organized into three parts as a method to break down the information to comprehend. First, an introduction is needed to review the concepts and processes, in order to then understand the next part, the technologies and strategies to implement. Finally, the appendices include charts and diagrams summarizing the critical information, as well as other resources to narrow down the amount of information to be studied as preparation to sit for the LEED Green Associate exam. The composition of the book is as follows:

Part I: Ramping Up is composed of the following information:

• Chapter 1: Understanding the Credentialing Process
• Chapter 2: Introduction to the Concepts of Sustainable Design
• Chapter 3: Integrative Process
• Chapter 4: Third-Party Verification
• Chapter 5: The LEED Green Building Certification Program
• Chapter 6: Essential LEED Concepts

Part II: Diving In: The Strategies and Technologies of LEED details the categories that are included in the rating systems, as well as the strategies to achieve each basic concept contained within. Part II details the critical information to be retained for the exam.

In this part of the book, the following LEED categories are reviewed:

• Chapter 7: Location and Transportation
• Chapter 8: Sustainable Sites
• Chapter 9: Water Efficiency
• Chapter 10: Energy and Atmosphere
• Chapter 11: Materials and Resources
• Chapter 12: Indoor Environmental Quality
• Chapter 13: Innovation and Regional Priority

Part III: Study Tips and Appendices is dedicated to summarizing the critical information, details, and concepts to retain, as well as providing an overview of the testing center environment. The appendices include additional resources to help after Part I and Part II of this book have been completed.

Study: Keep an eye out for these STUDY TIPS!, as they will point out the intricacies and nuances to remember.

STUDY TIPS! are located throughout the book as tools to help stay focused on the pertinent information. They will include things to remember and point out side note-type information. Sample exam questions (in terms of format and content) are also found in the book, as well as more basic quiz questions placed sporadically throughout.

Be sure to spot these FLASHCARD TIPS! to create flashcards along the way. Use the white cards for Part I and the color-coded ones for Part II.

While reading though this book, be sure to also keep an eye out for FLASHCARD TIPS!, as they will help to depict the important aspects for the exam and act as an indicator to create critical flashcards. All of the FLASHCARD TIPS! referenced throughout the book are collected at the end, following the index, although it is suggested that you make your own to enhance your studying. It is recommended to purchase plain white cards, as well as the color-coded flashcards (i.e., pink, yellow, blue, green, and purple). Use the white ones for the information to be covered in Part I and the color-coded cards for Part II of this exam prep book. The FLASHCARD TIPS! suggest a starting point for flashcard creation, but feel free to make more as needed. If you decide to make your own with the help of the FLASHCARD TIPS!, be sure to refer to the flashcards at the end of the book for some additional suggestions. If you decide to use the flashcards from the end of the book, you can always use markers or highlighters to color-code them if you wish.

Be sure to look out for these Bring-All-of-It-Together Tips, which are referred to as BAIT TIPS! These tips will reinforce the important concepts and bring all of it together as synergies and trade-offs are pointed out for green building strategies and technologies.

One of the main concepts of sustainable design is the integrative fashion in which green buildings are designed and constructed. It is critical to understand how strategies and technologies have synergies and trade-offs. For example, green roofs can have an impact on a construction budget but can help save on operational energy costs, which may present a breakeven or surplus. Green roofs also have synergistic qualities, as they can help reduce the heat burden on a building, as well as help to manage rainwater (Figure I.1). These types of concepts will be discussed in greater detail in Part II of this exam prep guide, but for now be sure to look for these BAIT TIPS! throughout Part II to help bring the concepts together.

Figure I.1 The CCI Center in Pittsburgh earned its gold certification under the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance rating system by reducing the amount of rainwater runoff from the site, increasing the amount of open space, promoting biodiversity, reducing cooling loads, and reducing the impacts of the urban heat-island effect by implementing a vegetated roof.

Photo courtesy of Conservation Consultants, Inc.

Career: Interested in a career in sustainability? Look out for these CAREER TIPS! for more information on which professional typically is responsible for the different strategies and concepts identified in Part II.

After the first edition of this book, I received feedback from some of the readers eager for more information than you are required to know for the exam. I learned that most of the individuals preparing for the Green Associate exam are looking to enter into green building but are not quite sure what part they wish play. If you are one of these individuals, be sure to look out for CAREER TIPS! throughout Part II. These tips will depict which team member typically contributes to implementing different green building strategies and the type of education they typically have.

V3V4: Need clarification on the changes from LEED 2009? Look for these V3V4! tips for more information.

Did you unsuccessfully attempt to pass the previous version of the LEED Green Associate Exam? If you started studying but were unable to sit for the previous version of the exam, look for V3V4! tips for insight on the changes from LEED 2009.

Another new addition to this edition of Guide to the LEED Green Associate V4 Exam is the Online Resources section. With the new version of the LEED Rating Systems, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC®) has posted numerous videos and articles to help educate the industry about the benefits of green building strategies and how to implement them into different project types. Visit these links to access these incredible resources.

STUDY SCHEDULE

As the preceding table shows, it is recommended that you read through Parts I and II of this exam prep book within six weeks. Introductory terminology from Part I should be absorbed to get on the right path to understand the more critical exam-oriented information presented in Part II. The goal is to...