LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification) Sustainable Sites 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: 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?
- American Institute of Architects (AIA)
- National Register of Historic Places (Correct answer)
- US Green Building Council (USGBC)
- National Trust for Historic Preservation
Correct 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.
Question 2: 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?
- Discharge the water to a municipal stormwater system within 72 hours
- Retain, infiltrate, evapotranspire, or harvest and use the water on site (Correct answer)
- Filter the water through a bioswale before releasing it to a waterway
- Collect and store the water in a detention pond for gradual release
Correct 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.
Question 3: A project team is pursuing the Sensitive Land Protection credit. Which of the following site types is protected under this credit?
- Sites within a 500-year floodplain
- Prime farmland as defined by the USDA (Correct answer)
- Sites within 100 feet of a community park
- Brownfield sites listed on the EPA's National Priorities List
Correct 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.
Question 4: For the LEED Heat Island Reduction credit, what qualifies as a 'shade tree' that contributes to non-roof heat island reduction over paved areas?
- Any tree planted within 10 feet of a paved surface regardless of mature canopy size
- A tree that will provide shade over the paved area within 10 years of occupancy
- A tree with a mature canopy that shades at least 100 sq ft of paved surface within 5 years (Correct answer)
- A deciduous tree with a minimum caliper of 3 inches at planting
Correct 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.
Question 5: Which LEED Sustainable Sites credit specifically addresses the ecological impacts of nighttime lighting on wildlife, particularly nocturnal species and migratory birds?
- Site Assessment
- Protect or Restore Habitat
- Light Pollution Reduction (Correct answer)
- Open Space
Correct 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.
Question 6: 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?
- A full-service supermarket within 0.5 miles
- A bank or credit union branch
- A surface parking lot serving multiple tenants (Correct answer)
- A public library
Correct 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.
Question 7: 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?
- Preserve the existing degraded habitat without modification
- Restore the riparian area with native plants and use the remaining site for development
- Earn a conservation easement on an off-site parcel equal to the disturbed site area (Correct answer)
- Demonstrate that the habitat is non-functional and exclude it from calculations
Correct 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.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification) Sustainable Sites 5
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?