BOMA Building Operations & Energy Management 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary goal of BOMA's BEEP (Building Energy Efficiency Program)?
- To help building owners reduce energy consumption and operating costs (Correct answer)
- To certify buildings for LEED gold or platinum ratings
- To mandate energy audits for all commercial buildings over 50,000 SF
- To establish utility billing standards for multi-tenant buildings
Correct answer: To help building owners reduce energy consumption and operating costs
BOMA's BEEP program helps building owners identify and implement energy-saving measures to reduce operating costs and environmental impact.
Question 2: Which ENERGY STAR score indicates that a commercial building performs better than what percentage of similar buildings?
- 75th percentile or better (Correct answer)
- 50th percentile or better
- 90th percentile or better
- 60th percentile or better
Correct answer: 75th percentile or better
An ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher means the building performs better than 75% of similar buildings nationwide, qualifying for ENERGY STAR certification.
Question 3: What does a building's 'Energy Use Intensity' (EUI) measure?
- Energy consumed per square foot of building area per year (Correct answer)
- Peak demand load relative to installed HVAC capacity
- Percentage of energy derived from renewable sources
- Cost per kilowatt-hour paid by building tenants
Correct answer: Energy consumed per square foot of building area per year
EUI measures a building's annual energy consumption divided by its gross floor area, expressed in kBtu per square foot per year.
Question 4: In commercial building operations, what does 'demand response' mean?
- Reducing energy use during peak grid demand periods in exchange for incentives (Correct answer)
- Responding to tenant maintenance requests within a defined timeframe
- Automatically adjusting HVAC based on occupancy sensors
- Installing backup generators to respond to power outages
Correct answer: Reducing energy use during peak grid demand periods in exchange for incentives
Demand response involves temporarily reducing energy consumption during peak utility demand periods, typically in exchange for financial incentives from utilities.
Question 5: Which system is most commonly responsible for the largest share of energy consumption in a typical US commercial office building?
- HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) (Correct answer)
- Lighting systems
- Plug loads and equipment
- Elevators and escalators
Correct answer: HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning)
HVAC systems typically account for the largest portion of energy use in commercial office buildings, often representing 35-40% of total consumption.
Question 6: What is the purpose of a 'retrocommissioning' study in building operations?
- To optimize existing building systems to improve performance and efficiency (Correct answer)
- To demolish and rebuild outdated building mechanical systems
- To install new smart building technology in older properties
- To verify that construction meets original design specifications
Correct answer: To optimize existing building systems to improve performance and efficiency
Retrocommissioning systematically identifies and corrects operational deficiencies in existing building systems to restore or improve their efficiency.
BOMA Building Operations & Energy Management 1
What is the primary goal of BOMA's BEEP (Building Energy Efficiency Program)?