Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) (Exam Cost Included)

Lesson 1

1. Introduction to Sustainability
   1. Defining sustainability
   2. Recognizing why sustainable building practices are important
2. Integrative Strategies
   1. Integrative design process - early analysis of the interrelationships among systems; systems thinking; charettes
   2. Integrative project team members - architect, engineer, landscape architect, civil engineer, contractor, facility manager, etc.
   3. Standards that support LEED - American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers [ASHRAE]; Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association [SMACNA] guidelines; Green Seal, ENERGY STAR®, HERs, Reference Standards listed in ACPs, etc.
3. Introduction to LEED
   1. USGBC®/GBCI
   2. Structure of LEED rating systems - credit categories, prerequisites, credits and/or Minimum Program Requirements for LEED Certification
   3. LEED v4 vs. LEED 2009
   4. Scope of each LEED rating system - rating system selection; rating system families [BD+C, ID+C, O+M, ND, Homes]
   5. LEED development process - consensus based; stakeholder and volunteer involvement; rating system updates/evolution
   6. Credit categories - goals and objectives of each and synergies
   7. Impact categories - what should a LEED project accomplish?
   8. LEED certification process - certification levels [Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum]; LEED Scorecard; 3rd party verification; role of documentation submission; LEED Interpretations; Addenda; awareness of different system versions; Components of LEED Online and Project Registration
   9. Other rating systems – what other green building rating systems are out there?
4. Location and Transportation
   1. Site selection - targeting sites in previously developed and brownfields/high-priority designation area, avoiding sensitive habitat, located in areas with existing infrastructure and nearby uses, reduction in parking footprint
   2. Alternative transportation - type, access, and quality; infrastructure and design
5. Sustainable Sites
   1. Site assessment - environmental assessment, human impact;
   2. Site design and development - construction activity pollution prevention; habitat conservation and restoration; exterior open space; rainwater management; exterior lighting; heat island reduction
6. Water Efficiency
   1. Outdoor water use - use of graywater/rainwater in irrigation; use of native and adaptive species
   2. Indoor water use - concepts of low flow/waterless fixtures; water-efficient appliances
   3. Water performance management - measurement and monitoring
7. Energy and Atmosphere
   1. Building loads - building components, space usage [private office; individual space; shared multi-occupant spaces]
   2. Energy efficiency - design, operational energy efficiency, commissioning, energy auditing
   3. Alternative and renewable energy practices - demand response, renewable energy, green power, carbon offsets
   4. Energy performance management - energy use measurement and monitoring; building automation controls/advanced energy metering; operations and management; benchmarking; ENERGY STAR®
   5. Environmental concerns - sources and energy resources; greenhouse gases; global warming potential; resource depletion; ozone depletion
8. Materials and Resources
   1. Reuse - building reuse, material reuse, interior reuse, furniture reuse
   2. Life-cycle impacts - concept of life-cycle assessment; material attributes; human and ecological health impacts; design for flexibility
   3. Waste - construction and demolition; maintenance and renovation; operations and ongoing; waste management plan
   4. Purchasing and declarations - purchasing policies and plans; environmental preferable purchasing (EPP); building product disclosure and optimization [i.e., raw materials sourcing; material ingredients; environmental product disclosure]
9. Indoor Environmental Quality
   1. Indoor air quality - ventilation levels; tobacco smoke control; management of and improvements to indoor air quality; low-emitting materials; green cleaning; integrated pest management
   2. Lighting - electric lighting quality, daylight
   3. Sound - acoustics
   4. Occupant comfort, health, and satisfaction - controllability of systems, thermal comfort design, quality of views, assessment/survey
10. Project Surroundings and Public Outreach
    1. Environmental impacts of the built environment - energy and resource use in conventional buildings; necessity of green buildings; environmental externalities; triple bottom line
    2. Codes - relationship between LEED® and codes [building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, fire protection]; green building codes
    3. Values of sustainable design - energy savings over time; healthier occupants; money-saving incentives; costs [hard costs, soft costs]; life-cycle
    4. Regional design - regional green design and construction measures as appropriate, regional emphasis should be placed in Sustainable Sites and Materials & Resources
    5. Exam Tips and Logistics
    6. Credentialing Exam