LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification) Materials and Resources 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A project team wants to earn the LEED v4 'Sourcing of Raw Materials' credit using responsible extraction criteria. Which of the following practices would qualify a manufacturer?
- Offering a 10-year product warranty
- Reporting environmental and social performance through a sustainability report verified by a third party (Correct answer)
- Manufacturing products in a facility with ISO 9001 quality management certification
- Using 100% renewable energy in their manufacturing facility
Correct answer: Reporting environmental and social performance through a sustainability report verified by a third party
LEED v4 recognizes responsible extraction when manufacturers disclose environmental and social impacts through third-party verified reports or participate in recognized responsible sourcing programs.
Question 2: In the context of LEED Materials and Resources, what does the term 'embodied carbon' refer to?
- The carbon dioxide released by occupants breathing inside the building
- The greenhouse gas emissions associated with manufacturing, transporting, and installing building materials (Correct answer)
- The carbon stored in wood and other bio-based building materials
- The carbon emissions from the building's operational energy use over its lifetime
Correct answer: The greenhouse gas emissions associated with manufacturing, transporting, and installing building materials
Embodied carbon encompasses all greenhouse gas emissions associated with the material life cycle — extraction, manufacturing, transportation, and construction — not the building's operational energy use.
Question 3: Which LEED credit would a project earn by documenting that at least 20 different permanently installed products have published EPDs following ISO 14044 standards?
- Building Product Disclosure and Optimization — Sourcing of Raw Materials
- Building Product Disclosure and Optimization — Environmental Product Declarations (Correct answer)
- Building Product Disclosure and Optimization — Material Ingredients
- Construction and Demolition Waste Management
Correct answer: Building Product Disclosure and Optimization — Environmental Product Declarations
The EPD credit specifically rewards use of products with published Environmental Product Declarations that follow ISO 14044 life cycle assessment standards.
Question 4: A LEED project is salvaging doors and frames from a historic building being renovated. Where in the LEED rating system would credit for reusing these elements most likely apply?
- Energy and Atmosphere — Optimize Energy Performance
- Materials and Resources — Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction (Correct answer)
- Indoor Environmental Quality — Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies
- Sustainable Sites — Open Space
Correct answer: Materials and Resources — Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction
Reusing existing building elements such as doors, frames, and structural components reduces the need for new materials and is rewarded under the Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction credit in Materials and Resources.
Question 5: Under LEED v4, which of the following correctly describes a 'Declare' label in the context of Material Ingredients?
- A government-issued certification verifying a product's recycled content claims
- A voluntary manufacturer disclosure listing all chemical ingredients in a product (Correct answer)
- An energy performance label similar to Energy Star for building products
- A third-party structural performance certification for load-bearing materials
Correct answer: A voluntary manufacturer disclosure listing all chemical ingredients in a product
A Declare label is a voluntary ingredient transparency tool where manufacturers list all chemical ingredients in their products, accepted by LEED v4 as a path to earning the Material Ingredients credit.
Question 6: What percentage of total waste (by weight or volume) must a project divert from landfill to achieve the higher threshold under LEED v4's Construction and Demolition Waste Management credit?
- 60%
- 70%
- 75% (Correct answer)
- 90%
Correct answer: 75%
LEED v4 awards one point at 50% diversion and a second point at 75% diversion of total construction and demolition waste.
Question 7: Which of the following material types is classified as 'bio-based' and could contribute to a LEED Materials and Resources credit related to responsible sourcing?
- Concrete made with fly ash as a cement replacement
- Bamboo flooring harvested from a certified sustainable source (Correct answer)
- Steel produced in an electric arc furnace using scrap metal
- Insulation made from recycled glass fibers
Correct answer: Bamboo flooring harvested from a certified sustainable source
Bio-based materials are derived from living organisms — bamboo is a rapidly renewable plant-based material that qualifies as bio-based and can earn credit when responsibly sourced.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification) Materials and Resources 5
A project team wants to earn the LEED v4 'Sourcing of Raw Materials' credit using responsible extraction criteria.
Which of the following practices would qualify a manufacturer?