ASHE Sustainability & Energy Efficiency 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which ASHRAE standard provides the primary energy efficiency requirements for healthcare facility HVAC system design?
- ASHRAE 90.1 (Correct answer)
- ASHRAE 62.1
- ASHRAE 170
- ASHRAE 55
Correct answer: ASHRAE 90.1
ASHRAE 90.1 sets the energy efficiency baseline for building systems including HVAC in healthcare facilities.
Question 2: A hospital is evaluating demand-controlled ventilation (DCV). In which healthcare space is DCV typically NOT recommended?
- Conference rooms
- Waiting areas
- Patient rooms requiring negative pressure (Correct answer)
- Administrative offices
Correct answer: Patient rooms requiring negative pressure
Infection control rooms requiring negative pressure isolation must maintain constant airflow and cannot reduce ventilation based on occupancy.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of a building commissioning process in a healthcare facility?
- To reduce construction costs
- To verify that systems are installed and operating as designed (Correct answer)
- To obtain LEED certification
- To comply with fire code inspections
Correct answer: To verify that systems are installed and operating as designed
Commissioning verifies that all building systems are installed, calibrated, and operating according to design intent and owner's project requirements.
Question 4: Which metric best measures the overall energy efficiency of a hospital's central chilled water plant?
- Tons of refrigeration (TR)
- Kilowatts per ton (kW/ton) (Correct answer)
- British thermal units per hour (BTU/hr)
- Coefficient of performance (COP) of a single chiller
Correct answer: Kilowatts per ton (kW/ton)
kW/ton measures the electricity consumed per unit of cooling delivered by the entire plant, capturing efficiency of chillers, pumps, and cooling towers together.
Question 5: A healthcare facility installs a cogeneration (CHP) system. What is a key operational advantage for energy resilience?
- Eliminates the need for utility connections
- Provides simultaneous on-site generation of electricity and usable heat (Correct answer)
- Reduces the facility's need for emergency generators
- Qualifies the building for carbon credits automatically
Correct answer: Provides simultaneous on-site generation of electricity and usable heat
CHP systems capture waste heat from electricity generation for space heating or domestic hot water, significantly improving overall fuel efficiency.
Question 6: Under LEED for Healthcare, which prerequisite must ALL projects achieve regardless of credit strategy?
- Renewable energy
- Green power purchase
- Minimum energy performance (Correct answer)
- Water metering
Correct answer: Minimum energy performance
LEED requires all projects to meet a minimum energy performance threshold (typically ASHRAE 90.1 compliance) as a prerequisite before earning credits.
Question 7: What does the term 'Energy Use Intensity' (EUI) measure in a healthcare facility?
- Peak electrical demand in kilowatts
- Annual energy consumption per square foot of floor area (Correct answer)
- Ratio of renewable to total energy consumed
- Monthly utility cost per occupied bed
Correct answer: Annual energy consumption per square foot of floor area
EUI normalizes a building's annual energy consumption by its gross floor area, enabling meaningful comparisons across different-sized facilities.
ASHE Sustainability & Energy Efficiency 2
Which ASHRAE standard provides the primary energy efficiency requirements for healthcare facility HVAC system design?