Green power, like all electricity, is typically purchased in units of kilowatt-hours (kWh). This unit

measures the amount of energy used over time. For example, a 1-kilowatt (1000 watts) appliance

used for one hour consumes one kilowatt-hour of electricity. Reference: LEED Green Associate

Candidate Handbook, U.S. Green Building Council resources

The credit templates are the online forms that document the achievement of the LEED credits for a

project pursuing LEED certification. The credit templates are completed and signed by the specified

team member who is responsible for the credit, such as the architect, engineer, contractor, or

owner. The team member must provide the required information, calculations, narratives, and

supporting documentation for each credit13. Reference: LEED v4 Green Associate Candidate

Handbook1, LEED v4 BD+C Reference Guide3

Monitoring outdoor airflow is a strategy for improving indoor environmental quality during

construction. Outdoor airflow is the amount of fresh air that enters a building through natural or

mechanical means. Monitoring outdoor airflow can help ensure that adequate ventilation is

provided to the building during construction, which can prevent the accumulation of indoor

pollutants, such as dust, debris, or volatile organic compounds, that may affect the health and

comfort of the workers or occupants. The LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook states that one

of the strategies for achieving indoor environmental quality is to “monitor outdoor airflow” [1, p.

16]. Reference: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, [Outdoor Airflow | ASHRAE]

The result of proper design and operation of buildings and neighborhoods is an increase in energy

efficiency. Energy efficiency is the ratio of useful output to energy input for a system or process.

Energy efficiency can be improved by using less energy to perform the same function or by using

renewable or low-impact energy sources. Energy efficiency can reduce greenhouse gas emissions,

energy costs, and dependence on fossil fuels1 . Reference: LEED v4 Green Associate Candidate

Handbook1, EPA’s Energy Efficiency

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are a type of compound that was widely used in the 20th century in

various applications, including as a refrigerant in air conditioning systems such as centrifugal chillers.

CFCs are known to deplete the ozone layer when released into the atmosphere, and their use has

been phased out in many countries under the Montreal Protocol. Reference: LEED Green Associate

Candidate Handbook, U.S. Green Building Council resources

The scope of the LEED impact category component Protect Human Health from Direct Exposure to

Negative Health Impacts is building occupants and design and construction crew during the

construction phase and use phase of the building cycle, within the project boundary and its

immediate surroundings. This component aims to reduce the exposure of people to harmful

substances or conditions that may affect their health and well-being. This includes indoor air quality,

thermal comfort, lighting quality, noise levels, water quality, and safety hazards. The component

covers both the construction phase and the use phase of the building cycle, as both stages can pose

potential health risks to people involved or affected by the project. The component also considers

both the project boundary and its immediate surroundings, as some health impacts may extend

beyond the site itself. Reference: LEED v4 BD+C Reference Guide, Introduction, page 9

According to the Indoor Environmental Quality credit category of LEED, mechanical and electrical

rooms are considered unoccupied spaces. These spaces are typically not intended for human

occupancy, except for maintenance or operational purposes, and therefore do not require the same

level of environmental control (such as ventilation or temperature control) as occupied

spaces. Reference: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, U.S. Green Building Council resources

One of the requirements for the Sustainable Sites Credit: Rainwater Management is that projects

must use Green Infrastructure (GI) and Low Impact Development (LID) techniques within the LEED

project boundary. GI and LID are design approaches that mimic natural hydrologic processes to

manage stormwater runoff at its source. GI and LID techniques include strategies such as rain

gardens, bioswales, permeable pavements, green roofs, rain barrels, cisterns, and vegetated buffers.

The other options are not requirements for the Sustainable Sites Credit: Rainwater Management.

Maximizing open space within the LEED project boundary is a requirement for the Sustainable Sites

Credit: Open Space. Calculating the total rainwater runoff for 75th percentile rainfall events is a

requirement for the Sustainable Sites Credit: Site Assessment. Using a combination of both structural

and non-structural measures to manage a 90th percentile rainfall event is an option for meeting

Option 1 of the Sustainable Sites Credit: Rainwater Management. Reference: LEED Green Associate

Candidate Handbook, page 27; USGBC, [Sustainable Sites], page 4-5.

The Facilities Manager is typically responsible for ensuring the comfort and safety of a building’s

occupants. They would be best equipped to evaluate responses to a survey about comfort levels in

the building and develop a corrective action plan to address any problems identified. Reference:

LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, U.S. Green Building Council resources

The amount of landfill-destined waste generated during project construction can be reduced by

requiring the general contractor to follow requirements for using dimensional construction

materials, prefabrication or material efficient framing. These methods reduce the amount of

material waste by minimizing cutting, fitting, and trimming on site, and by using standardized or

modular components that can be easily reused or recycled. The LEED Green Associate Candidate

Handbook states that one of the strategies for achieving materials and resources efficiency is to

“reduce construction waste through efficient framing techniques” [1, p. 15]. Reference: LEED Green

Associate Candidate Handbook, [Reducing Construction Waste | U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency]