A rectangular office building is located in an extremely humid climate and is shaded by very large adjacent buildings on all four sides. If the building owner wants to decrease the annual energy cost for operating the building, which of the following would be the best design approach?
Answer(s): D
The best design approach for the office building is D. Recover waste energy through exhaust air energy recovery systems. This is because:Installing glazing with a higher solar heat gain factor would increase the cooling load and energy consumption of the building, especially in an extremely humid climate where heat gain is high. Installing photovoltaic panels on the sides of the building would generate electricity from solar radiation, but it would not reduce the cooling load or energy consumption of the building, unless the electricity is used to power a heat pump or other cooling device. Increasing outdoor air intake quantities during summer months would provide more fresh air to dilute the indoor pollutants and improve the indoor air quality, but it would not reduce the cooling load or energy consumption of the building, unless it is combined with a ventilation system that recovers waste energy from the exhaust air stream.An exhaust air energy recovery system (ERV) is a type of mechanical ventilation that uses a heat exchanger to transfer heat between two streams of air: one that enters the building and one that exits. The ERV pre-cools and dehumidifies the incoming ventilation air by sending the rejected heat into the exhaust airstream to cool the condenser coil at a lower temperature. This reduces both the cooling load and energy consumption of the building, as well as improving its indoor humidity levels. An ERV can also provide some fresh outdoor air to meet ASHRAE Standard 62 ventilation rates.Therefore, an ERV is a more efficient and effective design approach than glazing, photovoltaic panels, or increased outdoor air intake quantities for reducing the annual energy cost for operating an office building in an extremely humid climate and shaded by very large adjacent buildings on all four sides.
1: LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide - U.S. Green Building Council 2: LEED AP BD+C Exam | U.S. Green Building Council 3: Energy Recovery Systems - Nortek Air Solutions 4: Energy Recovery Ventilators - Greenheck 5: Mechanical Ventilation Types: Exhaust, Supply, Balanced & Energy Recovery
In order to achieve Indoor Environmental Quality Credit, Quality Views the project team increased the window-to-wall ratio. Which prerequisite was impacted by this action?
Answer(s): A
The correct answer is A. Energy and Atmosphere Prerequisite, Minimum Energy Performance. This is because:Increasing the window-to-wall ratio (WWR) would reduce the solar heat gain and the cooling load of the building, which are two of the main factors that affect the energy performance of a building. The WWR is defined as the ratio of the area of windows to the area of external walls in a building. The higher the WWR, the more natural light and ventilation can be achieved, which can improve the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and reduce the need for artificial lighting and mechanical systems.The LEED AP BD+C V4 credit for IEQ requires that buildings have a minimum WWR of 15% for south- facing walls and 20% for north-facing walls. However, this minimum WWR may not be sufficient to achieve optimal IEQ in hot regions, where high solar radiation and humidity levels create high cooling demand. Therefore, increasing the WWR beyond these minimum values can help achieve better IEQ by reducing both solar heat gain and cooling load. The other prerequisites are not impacted by increasing the WWR. Building-level energy metering is a prerequisite that requires measuring and reporting energy use at individual building units or zones. Fundamental refrigerant management is a prerequisite that requires ensuring proper handling, storage, use, recovery, and disposal of refrigerants used in cooling systems. Fundamental commissioning and verification is a prerequisite that requires ensuring that all commissioning activities are documented and verified according to LEED standards.
1: Window-to-wall Ratio and Energy Efficiency: Finding the Perfect Fit 2: Impact of Window to Wall Ratio on Energy Loads in Hot Regions: A Study of Building Energy Performance 3:Determination of Optimum Window to External Wall Ratio for Offices in a Tropical Climate 4:Parametric Optimization of Window-to-Wall Ratio for Passive Buildings in Hot Regions 5: LEED v4:Building Design + Construction Guide - U.S. Green Building Council 6: Effect of building shape, orientation, window to wall ratios and zones on energy efficiency and thermal comfort of naturally ventilated houses in tropical climate
A neighborhood housing development organization has dual goals, promoting occupant's health and minimizing energy costs. What LEED Building Design and Construction, New Construction credit might the LEED AP propose to best achieve the organization's dual goals?
Answer(s): B
The Energy and Atmosphere Credit, Optimize Energy Performance, is the most suitable for achieving the organization's dual goals. This credit encourages the use of energy-efficient strategies to reduce the environmental and economic harms associated with excessive energy use, thereby promoting occupants' health and minimizing energy costs.
LEED AP Building Design + Construction (LEED AP BD+C) V4 resources 1
A building owner installs a building automation system (BAS) to allow programmable load control.Which of the following credits can be pursued because of the installation?
This is because:A building automation system (BAS) is a system that controls and monitors various aspects of a building's operation, such as lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, security, fire alarm, and energy management.A BAS can allow programmable load control (PLC), which is the ability to adjust the power consumption of devices or equipment based on a schedule, a sensor, or an event. PLC can help reduce the energy demand and cost of a building by optimizing the use of resources and avoiding unnecessary or wasteful consumption.The LEED AP BD+C V4 credit for Demand Response requires that buildings have a demand response program that can respond to changes in electricity prices or supply by reducing or shifting the demand for electricity. A BAS can enable such a program by allowing PLC and other features that can modulate the power usage of devices or equipment in response to market signals or internal conditions.Therefore, installing a BAS to allow PLC can help achieve the Energy and Atmosphere Credit for Demand Response by reducing the energy demand and cost of a building.
1: Building Automation Systems - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics 2: Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics 3: How Programmable Logic ControllersCan Help You Save Money on Your Energy Bills 4: LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide - U.S. Green Building Council : How Building Automation Systems Can Help You Save Money on Your Energy Bills
Which of the following is required in determining the baseline for Water Efficiency Prerequisite, Indoor Water Use Reduction?
Answer(s): C
The make and model of fixtures is required in determining the baseline for the Water Efficiency Prerequisite, Indoor Water Use Reduction. This information is used to calculate the baseline water consumption of the building, which is then compared to the proposed water use to determine the percentage reduction.
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