Chapter 6-Energy & Atmosphere Questions

1. In a commercial building, which end use consumes the most energy?

A Ventilation

B Lighting

C Space heating
D Cooling

2. How do utility companies encourage electricity users to reduce usage during peak times?
(Choose 2)

A By increasing the net-metering rates the building owner receives

B By discounting RECs

C By incentive programs that reward changing usage patterns when alerts are received
D By tiered-demand electricity pricing

3. An owner for a new three-story office space wants to know how the building compares to
other buildings of similar function. Which of the following can be used to compare the
performance of the building?

A EPA's ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager

B LEED Online

C Commissioning reports
D Local tax records

4. Which of the following is a difference between an REC and a carbon offset?

A RECs encourage the reduction of GHG emissions

B RECs must be purchased locally

C RECs are tradable commodities
D RECs are purchased

5. What is the average payback period for the commissioning of existing buildings?

A 0.7 years

B 1 year

C 1.5 years
D 2.8 years

6. What is the name of the cancer-causing radioactive gas that can be found in the ground,
groundwater, or building materials?

A VOC

B Radon

C NH3
D Urea-formaldehyde

7. Which of the following would require use of the EPA's ENERGY STAR Portfolio
Manager?

A Comparing the actual performance of a building with the predictions of a calibrated

energy simulation
B Registering a large volume of LEED projects

C Calculating a building's minimum energy use

D Bulk uploading project information into LEED online

8. What is lighting power density measured in?

A Footcandles per floor area

B Number of luminaires per unit area

C The quantity of light trespass on adjacent sites, measured in watts

D Installed lighting power per unit area
9. A building automation system will assist with collecting data about which of the
following:

A Energy spikes that occur every morning

B Maintenance schedule for replacing air filters

C Cleanliness of restrooms
D Complaints from occupants about a loud fan noise in a conference room

10. A home owner in a sunny climate has decided to lease a photovoltaic system instead of
purchase one. Which of the following about that choice is true?

A Leasing the system would offset a large up-front cost.

B Leasing the system would allow the owner to participate in a demand response
program.
C Leasing the system would decrease the home's electricity demand.
D Leasing the system would increase the home's energy efficiency.

11. Which of the following is a benefit of a building owner choosing to install a wind turbine
on site to reduce the building's use of grid-source nonrenewable energy?

A Reduced greenhouse gas emissions

B Lower liabilities

C Heat island reduction

D Decreased up-front building costs

12. What environmental benefit does purchasing off-site renewable energy (Green Power)
have?

A Avoiding electricity blackouts

B Reduced environmental regulation

C Stability of electrical prices

D Emission reductions
13. A project owner that chooses to use onsite renewable energy sources instead of oil, coal,
and natural gas gets what economic benefit of the triple bottom line?

A Avoiding escalating market prices

B Protection from uncertain supplies

C Decreasing destructive extraction processes

D Contributing to national security vulnerability

14. What are examples of spaces that are typically unoccupied? (Choose 3)

A Inactive storage area in a warehouse

B Airplane hanger

C Gymnasium

D Mechanical room

E Data center floor area

F Private office

15. Which of the following is reduced with the help of carbon offsets?

A Water contamination

B Ozone

C CFCs
D Greenhouse gas emissions

16. A building owner of a new extended-stay hotel is concerned about the higher initial costs
for ENERGY STAR appliances. Which of the following could help with the decision-
making process?

A Reviewing the building's energy use for ways to improve efficiency

B Using computer modeling to prioritize the owner's project requirements

C A life cycle assessment of the trade-offs between the capital and operating costs
D Showing the GHG emissions that would be reduced
17. After a building is completed and occupied, how can energy demand be reduced?

A By conducting routine waste audits

B By opening and closing shades to control solar energy

C By encouraging occupants to stagger work hours

D By purchasing environmentally preferable cleaning supplies

18. A project team wants to include occupancy sensors to turn-off the lights when the
occupants have left a space. What multi-occupant spaces would benefit from having the
sensors installed?

A Outdoor walkways

B Hallways

C Private offices
D Meeting rooms

19. Energy efficiency is defined as:

A The replacement of any older building product with a newer building product

B The use of technology that requires less energy to perform the same function as a
conventional item
C Any strategy that reduces resource use 10% or more from a baseline comparison
D Any strategy that reduces resource use 20% from a baseline comparison

20. Which projects would not be eligible for LEED certification? (Choose 2)

A An existing building project that phases out the use of CFC-based refrigerants no
later than 5 years after the project is completed
B A new building project that uses hydrocarbons (HCs) as refrigerants

C An existing building project that reduces CFC-based refrigerants by 95% prior to

submitting the LEED application and will continue to use this CFC system for
another 10 years
D A new building project that uses no refrigerants
E A new building project that uses CFC-based refrigerants
21. A demand response (DR) event is triggered by the .

A Building occupants

B Utility company

C Building owner
D Facility manager

22. What helps utilities optimize their supply-side energy generation and delivery systems?

A Daylighting automation systems

B Customers that enroll in a demand response program

C Building submetering
D Building owners that purchase carbon offsets

23. What variables measure a refrigerant's impact on the environment? (Choose 2)

A Ozone depletion potential

B Global warming potential

C Global warming period

D Lifecycle potential
E Greenhouse gas lifetime

24. Which of the following is a benefit of commissioning?

A Decreased project costs

B Fewer system deficiencies

C Reduced construction schedules

D Reduced operational training

25. Which of the following project areas would retrocommissioning aid?

B Selecting environmentally preferable products

C Advanced energy metering

D Identifying system problems prior to occupancy

26. What types of energy sources generate the least air and water pollution? (Choose 2)

A Natural gas

B Oil

C Biofuel

D Coal
E Wind

27. In the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, which score represents average building
performance?

A 50

B 70

C 75
D Certified

28. Which of the following actions should a project team take to achieve operational energy
efficiency?

A Run computer simulations to prioritize energy-efficiency opportunities

B Turn on all systems to their maximum output to confirm the building can handle the
load
C Verify that no issues occur during a demand-response event

D Ensure that the building systems are functioning as designed and that they support the
owner's project requirements

29. Using passive strategies such as daylighting is an example of which of the following:
B Energy performance management

C Increasing energy efficiency

D Renewable energy practice

30. If a building owner enrolls in a demand response program, which of the following will
happen?

A The owner will have to purchase carbon dioxide equivalents equal to the annual
grid-generated electricity.
B The owner will have to purchase RECs equal to fifty percent of the building's yearly
electricity use.
C The building may have to decrease electricity use during peak times.

D During off-peak times, the building's excess electricity may be sold back to the
utility company.

31. What is Global Warming Potential as it relates to refrigerants?

A The speed at which an appliance loses its refrigerant

B The efficiency of a refrigerant

C The potential for a single molecule of the refrigerant to destroy the ozone layer

D A measurement of how much effect the given refrigerant will have on global
warming in relation to carbon dioxide.

32. Which of the following refrigerants are banned or are scheduled to be banned under the
Montreal Protocol? (Choose 2)

A Isopentane

B CFCs

C HCFCs
D HFCs

33. What environmental issue is associated with the burning of fossil fuels?
B Interference with migratory birds

C Reduction of water from aquifers

D Release of carbon dioxide

34. What does a REC represent?

A The amount of energy an electricity provider purchases from renewable sources

B The environmental, social, and other positive attributes of power generated by

renewable resources
C The quantity of fossil fuels avoided by purchasing renewable energy, expressed in
tons
D The amount of energy purchased from a Green-e supplier

35. Which of the following is the average payback period for the commissioning of new
buildings?

A 2.6 years

B 3.9 years

C 4.8 years
D 1.5 years

36. What does a carbon offset represent?

A A tradable commodity representing proof that a unit of electricity was generated

from a renewable resource
B A unit of carbon dioxide equivalent that is reduced, avoided, or sequestered to
compensate for emissions occurring elsewhere.
C The primary measure of energy consumption associated with buildings
D The energy consumption divided by the number of square feet in a building

37. Commissioning of a building is intended to verify the building and its systems meet
which of the following:
B Local building code

C The owner's project requirements

D HVAC specifications

38. One way to reduce a building's energy load is to do which of the following?

A Increase the size of the building

B Configure the building to minimize solar gain in summer and maximize it in winter

C Site the building far away from adjacent buildings

D Reduce a building's thermal mass

39. Increasing the thermal mass of a building and installing a photovoltaic system would help
with:

A Reducing energy demand and renewable energy

B Reducing energy demand and increasing energy efficiency

C Increasing energy efficiency and renewable energy

D Decreasing energy efficiency and renewable energy

40. A project team is reviewing strategies to increase energy efficiency. Which of the
following will help reduce plug-load demands?

A High-performance glazing

B Computer modeling

C Installing appliances that meet or exceed ENERGY STAR requirements

D Efficient street lighting

41. Which of the following are types of individual occupant spaces? (Choose 3)

A Hotel guest room

B Auto service bay

C Hotel front desk
D Hospital exam room

E Open-office workstation
F Study carrel

42. A project owner wants to provide financial support to a reforestation project. What would
help with this goal?

A On-site renewable energy

B Building in a high-priority site

C Carbon offsets
D Green power

43. During a LEED project, when does commissioning take place?

A Pre-design phase

B Substantial completion phase

C Schematic design phase

D Discovery phase

44. Which of the following must occur to ensure energy-efficient design is carried through to
efficient performance?

A Sixty day post occupancy review after the building is certified

B Staff training

C Yearly maintenance of all non-energy related systems

D Indoor air-quality monitoring

45. A project team is gathering for a LEED charrette. Which of the following should the
project team review first when examining ways to save energy?

A Purchasing carbon offsets

B Reducing demand
C Increasing efficiency
D On-site renewable energy

46. Which of the following is a measure of energy use intensity?

A The amount of electricity a photovoltaic system can produce

B The efficiency of an HVAC system

C Daylighting
D Energy consumed per unit of floor space

47. A data center in a rural area wants to be net-zero. Which of the following design
decisions will help the project team achieve this?

A Purchase carbon offsets

B Purchase RECs

C Provide all occupants with electric vehicles

D Install a photovoltaic system on site

48. A developer is considering pursuing LEED for an eight-story, multi-family residential

project. How would the baseline building performance be determined?

A By calculations made using ASHRAE 90.1

B By obtaining an ENERGY STAR for Homes rating

C By using the EPA's ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager

D By the project obtaining a HERS index

49. What are the environmental benefits of cogeneration? (Choose 2)

A Reduced wastewater generation

B Reduced air pollution

C Reduced erosion and sedimentation

D Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
E Recharging of aquifers

50. What environmental issue is associated with refrigerants used in HVAC&R systems?

A Increasing greenhouse gas emissions

B Groundwater contamination

C Increased CO2 indoors

D Soil contamination

51. A project is located in an area with a demand-response program and that has enough
room for a wind-turbine to allow for on-site renewable energy. If the project implements
both of these strategies, which of the following will occur?

A The project's energy costs will decrease

B The project's renewable energy production will decrease

C The project's minimum energy performance will decrease

D The project's energy demands will decrease

52. Which of the following project team members is responsible for verifying and
documenting that a building and all of its systems and assemblies are planned, designed,
installed, tested, operated, and maintained to meet the owner's project requirements?

A The mechanical engineer

B The commissioning authority

C The project administrator

D The LEED project reviewer

53. What is NOT a natural refrigerant?

A CO2

B NH3

C HC
D HFC
54. Once occupants are in a building, how can the project team maintain ongoing energy
efficiency? (Choose 2)

A By monitoring building automation systems

B By purchasing RECs

C By retrocommissioning
D By comparing the performance against ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager

55. A school building consumes electricity from the grid at night while contributing energy
back to the grid during the day from on-site solar panels, resulting in the school having
no electricity costs. This is an example of:

A Zero waste

B Water balance

C Net-zero energy
D Carbon neutrality

56. Regularly occupied spaces would include which of the following:

A Break room

B Corridor

C Restroom
D Dorm room

57. An owner wants to install a photovoltaic system on the building's rooftop and sell the
excess electricity back to the utility company. Which of the following would be aided by
this strategy?

A Green power

B Demand response

C Carbon offsets
D On-site renewable energy
58. What LEED credits reward projects for improving operational energy performance?
(Choose 2)

A Commissioning

B Energy metering

C Green power and carbon offsets

D Demand response

59. On a project with an older existing HVAC&R system that uses CFCs, what can the
project team do to earn LEED certification?

A Recharge the equipment with CFCs

B Make a phase out plan for the removal of the CFC based refrigerants

C Eliminate all refrigerant leaks

D Get a state exemption for the HVAC&R system

60. A refrigerated warehouse project in the design phase could reduce its electricity usage by
taking which of the following actions?

A Purchasing all electricity from a wind farm

B Enrolling in a demand response program

C Purchasing RECs
D Purchasing carbon offsets to counter GHG emissions

61. A developer is building a medical park that will have ten buildings for doctors' offices.
Which of the following is a strategy for achieving energy efficiency?

A Building a district heating and cooling system

B Installing a community solar garden

C Siting the buildings close to each other

D Purchasing carbon offsets

62. Which of the following causes depletion of the ozone layer?

A CFCs

B Propane

C CO2
D Ammonia

63. Which of the following building components contribute to the plug load?

A Computers

B HVAC system

C Elevators
D Recessed lighting

64. To qualify for LEED, carbon offsets must be which of the following?

A Purchased and used within the same state or locale.

B Green-e Energy certified (or equivalent)

C Green-e Climate certified (or equivalent)

D ENERGY STAR labeled

65. What process uses heat recovery to capture heat from the process of generating electricity
and then turns the recovered heat into thermal energy that can be used to heat a building?

A Commissioning

B Evapotranspiration

C Cogeneration
D Tertiary treatment

66. The owner of a historic renovation project wants to achieve carbon neutrality. Which of
the following design decision will help the project team achieve this?

A Purchasing RECs
B Purchasing carbon offsets
C Participating in a demand response program
D Using no more water than what falls on the site as precipitation

67. What is a difference between advanced energy metering and building-level energy
metering?

A Advanced metering is a manual process

B Advanced metering tracks consumption at one-month intervals

C Advanced metering tracks building subsystems

D Advanced metering requires a computer simulation be completed during the design

process

68. Reduced emissions are a benefit of purchasing:

A Materials with high SRI

B Recycled water

C Certified wood
D RECs

69. Why is it important to categorize spaces in LEED?

A Depending on the space categorization, the credit requirements may not apply

B Smaller spaces have lower baseline requirements

C The types of spaces are used to determine building density

D It helps with floor area calculations