REP Sustainability Practices & Environmental Impact 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before constructing a utility-scale wind farm?
- To estimate project revenue potential
- To identify, predict, and mitigate significant environmental effects (Correct answer)
- To secure construction financing from lenders
- To establish interconnection agreements with grid operators
Correct answer: To identify, predict, and mitigate significant environmental effects
An EIA systematically identifies and evaluates potential environmental effects of a project before construction decisions are finalized.
Question 2: Which international framework established national Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as the mechanism for countries to set their own GHG reduction targets?
- Kyoto Protocol
- Montreal Protocol
- Paris Agreement (Correct answer)
- UNFCCC Cancún Agreements
Correct answer: Paris Agreement
The 2015 Paris Agreement introduced NDCs, allowing each country to self-determine its climate targets and update them every five years.
Question 3: A geothermal power plant using a binary cycle system has a lower environmental impact than a flash steam plant primarily because:
- It operates at lower temperatures
- The geothermal fluid never contacts the atmosphere (Correct answer)
- It requires no cooling water
- It produces no wastewater
Correct answer: The geothermal fluid never contacts the atmosphere
In a binary cycle, the geothermal brine is kept in a closed loop and never exposed to the atmosphere, preventing emissions of dissolved gases.
Question 4: What is 'albedo effect' in the context of utility-scale solar farm siting?
- Heat generated by inverter losses
- The reflectivity of a surface and its impact on local microclimate (Correct answer)
- Glare from panel surfaces affecting aviation
- Underground thermal exchange with soil
Correct answer: The reflectivity of a surface and its impact on local microclimate
Albedo refers to surface reflectivity; replacing high-albedo surfaces (like snow or light soils) with dark PV panels can alter local temperature and moisture.
Question 5: Which sustainability reporting standard is most widely used by corporations to disclose environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance globally?
- SASB Standards
- GRI Standards (Correct answer)
- CDP Framework
- TCFD Recommendations
Correct answer: GRI Standards
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards are the most widely adopted framework for sustainability and ESG reporting worldwide.
Question 6: Noise pollution from wind turbines is primarily characterized by which type of sound?
- High-frequency ultrasonic emissions
- Low-frequency aerodynamic noise from blade rotation (Correct answer)
- Electrical hum from transformer operations
- Infrasonic pulses from tower resonance
Correct answer: Low-frequency aerodynamic noise from blade rotation
Wind turbine aerodynamic noise from blade-air interaction is predominantly low-frequency broadband sound, typically in the 100–2000 Hz range.
Question 7: In the context of renewable energy, 'additionality' means that a project:
- Adds capacity beyond grid demand forecasts
- Would not have been built without carbon credit or REC revenue (Correct answer)
- Adds redundant generation for grid reliability
- Uses additional raw materials beyond standard specifications
Correct answer: Would not have been built without carbon credit or REC revenue
Additionality requires that the emission reductions or renewable generation would not have occurred without the financial incentive provided by carbon credits or RECs.
REP Sustainability Practices & Environmental Impact 3
What is the primary purpose of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before constructing a utility-scale wind farm?