From the course: Cert Prep: LEED Green Associate

Sustainable sites overview

From the course: Cert Prep: LEED Green Associate

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Sustainable sites overview

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- [Narrator] A building's impact on the environment extends beyond its footprint to its surroundings, including its parking lot, sidewalks, and landscaped areas. The land that a building sits on and how it's planned, built, and maintained have a significant impact on the environment, as well as the way in which building occupants interact with the outdoors. Site lighting, landscaping, choice of hard scape materials, reducing land, air and water pollution due to construction activities are examples of sustainable site decisions that the LEED rating system recognizes as sustainable site strategies. Project teams are encouraged to minimize damage to ecosystems and waterways around the project, starting with construction and continuing throughout the building occupancy and operations. Landscaping that protects and restores habitats, reduces rainwater runoff, light pollution, and heat island effect are rewarded with multiple points in this category. There are six credits and one prerequisite in a sustainable site's category on the LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations, awarding up to 10 points to the projects. Just a side note, other LEED rating systems and adaptations may include additional credits and prerequisites, but for the LEED Green Associate exam, let's focus on the LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations, since this rating system is the most commonly pursued LEED rating system, and will likely be covered in the LEED Green Associate exam. It is unlikely that you'll be questioned about the number of points in other LEED rating systems and various adaptations. However, you need to know how many credits and prerequisites are under each LEED credit category and the total number of points each category rewards the project under LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations. Here is a sample question. What is the maximum number of points a new construction project can achieve under the Sustainable Sites credit category? A, 10. B, eight. C, 16. D, 11. The correct answer is A, 10.

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