Practice Test Geeks(REP) Certified Renewable Energy Professional Practice Test
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Sustainability Practices & Environmental Impact Flashcards

7 cards from real REP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Sustainability Practices & Environmental Impact flashcards as text

  1. Which greenhouse gas has the highest 100-year Global Warming Potential (GWP) among those commonly tracked in energy sector reporting?

    Answer: Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)

    SF6 has a 100-year GWP of approximately 23,500, far exceeding CO2 (1), CH4 (~27-30), and N2O (~273).

  2. What does a 'cradle-to-grave' lifecycle assessment (LCA) encompass?

    Answer: Raw material extraction through end-of-life disposal

    Cradle-to-grave LCA covers all stages from raw material extraction through manufacturing, use, and final disposal.

  3. Which metric measures the ratio of energy delivered by a renewable system over its lifetime to the energy required to build, operate, and decommission it?

    Answer: Energy Return on Energy Invested (EROI)

    EROI quantifies how much energy a system produces relative to the energy consumed across its entire lifecycle.

  4. Land use change associated with large-scale bioenergy crops can lead to which environmental concern?

    Answer: Carbon debt from displaced ecosystems

    Converting forests or grasslands to bioenergy crops releases stored carbon, creating a 'carbon debt' that can take decades to repay.

  5. Under the US EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), advanced biofuels must achieve what minimum lifecycle GHG reduction compared to the fossil fuel baseline?

    Answer: 50%

    Advanced biofuels under the RFS must achieve at least a 50% lifecycle GHG reduction versus the petroleum baseline they displace.

  6. Which environmental impact is most directly associated with improper decommissioning of solar photovoltaic panels?

    Answer: Heavy metal leaching into soil and groundwater

    PV panels can contain lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals that leach into the environment if not properly recycled or disposed of.

  7. The concept of 'avoided emissions' in renewable energy project reporting refers to:

    Answer: GHG reductions achieved by displacing fossil fuel generation

    Avoided emissions represent the GHG reductions attributable to a renewable project by replacing higher-emitting fossil fuel generation.