CHFM CHFM - Certified Healthcare Facility Manager Energy Management and Sustainability Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sustainability certification program is most widely used for evaluating the green performance of healthcare facility construction projects in the US?
- BREEAM
- LEED (Correct answer)
- WELL Building Standard
- Green Globes
Correct answer: LEED
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely adopted green building certification in the US, including for healthcare.
Question 2: What is the primary goal of an energy audit conducted in a healthcare facility?
- To determine if the facility qualifies for tax credits
- To identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption and costs (Correct answer)
- To satisfy OSHA inspection requirements
- To evaluate staff compliance with energy policies
Correct answer: To identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption and costs
An energy audit systematically identifies inefficiencies and improvement opportunities to lower a facility's energy use and operating costs.
Question 3: Retro-commissioning (RCx) in a healthcare facility is defined as:
- Installing new high-efficiency equipment to replace old systems
- Commissioning a newly constructed building before occupancy
- Optimizing existing building systems to meet current operational needs (Correct answer)
- Conducting a safety inspection of all mechanical systems
Correct answer: Optimizing existing building systems to meet current operational needs
Retro-commissioning improves performance of existing systems through investigation, analysis, and implementation of low-cost operational changes.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes a 'green power' procurement strategy for a hospital?
- Installing on-site natural gas generators
- Purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs) or signing a power purchase agreement (PPA) (Correct answer)
- Switching from electricity to propane for heating
- Reducing overall electricity consumption by 10%
Correct answer: Purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs) or signing a power purchase agreement (PPA)
RECs and PPAs allow hospitals to support renewable energy generation and credibly claim clean energy use without necessarily generating it on-site.
Question 5: Water use intensity (WUI) in healthcare facilities is typically measured in:
- Gallons per patient day
- Cubic feet per square foot
- Liters per bed per year
- Gallons per square foot per year (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Gallons per square foot per year
WUI expressed as gallons per square foot per year allows benchmarking of water efficiency across facilities of different sizes.
Question 6: A hospital installs occupancy sensors in administrative offices to control lighting. This is an example of:
- Demand response
- Energy load shifting
- Lighting controls for energy conservation (Correct answer)
- Power factor correction
Correct answer: Lighting controls for energy conservation
Occupancy sensors automatically turn off lights in unoccupied spaces, reducing lighting energy consumption through controls.
CHFM CHFM - Certified Healthcare Facility Manager Energy Management and Sustainability Questions and Answers 2
Which sustainability certification program is most widely used for evaluating the green performance of healthcare facility construction projects in the US?