(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification) Sustainable Sites Flashcards

A LEED project team is documenting compliance with the High Priority Site credit by building on a historic district site. Which organization's designation of 'historic district' does LEED recognize?

Answer: National Register of Historic Places

LEED recognizes sites listed on or adjacent to the National Register of Historic Places as qualifying historic district locations for the High Priority Site credit.

Under LEED's Rainwater Management credit (Option 1), a project must manage on site the runoff from precipitation events up to and including the 95th percentile of regional rainfall events. What does 'manage' mean in this context?

Answer: Retain, infiltrate, evapotranspire, or harvest and use the water on site

Managing rainwater means retaining it on site through infiltration, evapotranspiration, or harvesting/reuse, so it never leaves the site as runoff.

A project team is pursuing the Sensitive Land Protection credit. Which of the following site types is protected under this credit?

Answer: Prime farmland as defined by the USDA

Sensitive Land Protection prohibits development on prime farmland (as classified by the USDA), floodplains, habitat for threatened or endangered species, and other ecologically sensitive areas.

For the LEED Heat Island Reduction credit, what qualifies as a 'shade tree' that contributes to non-roof heat island reduction over paved areas?

Answer: A tree with a mature canopy that shades at least 100 sq ft of paved surface within 5 years

LEED credits shade trees that provide meaningful canopy coverage—shading at least 100 sq ft of paved surface within 5 years of planting—as a qualifying non-roof heat island reduction strategy.

Which LEED Sustainable Sites credit specifically addresses the ecological impacts of nighttime lighting on wildlife, particularly nocturnal species and migratory birds?

Answer: Light Pollution Reduction

The Light Pollution Reduction credit limits upward light spill and glare from exterior fixtures, directly reducing disruption to nocturnal wildlife and migratory bird navigation.

A retail center earns points under the Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses credit by counting nearby services. Which of the following would NOT typically count as a 'diverse use' under this credit?

Answer: A surface parking lot serving multiple tenants

Surface parking lots are not recognized as community services or diverse uses under LEED; only functioning services and amenities that reduce vehicle trips count toward this credit.

A LEED project team finds that their urban site contains a small area of degraded riparian habitat. Under the Protect or Restore Habitat credit, which approach earns the most points?

Answer: Earn a conservation easement on an off-site parcel equal to the disturbed site area

Off-site conservation easements are an accepted higher-point strategy under Protect or Restore Habitat, permanently protecting equivalent habitat elsewhere when on-site restoration alone is insufficient.