How About All About LEED Submittal Documentation

October 30, 2008 – 10:40am

I’ve received a few questions lately asking why I don’t add a section within each credit about what documents are needed to be submitted for credit compliance. My initial thought was that the submittal documentation could be easily determined based on the information provided in the credits.

I guess I was being biased because I do work in the industry and may understand how these types of things work more so than some other people. I did not take into account the many people who have no experience in the building/construction industry who do take the LEED exam. So, for everyone, I’ve created a helpful list for you below.

There may be a few questions on the exam about submittal documentation, so feel free to use the list below as you wish. I’ll try to shorthand this as best as I can so you can still easily understand it. I won’t go too far into detail (i.e. exact calaulations) because they won’t ask you too much detail about documentation on the exam.

Note: a lot of the credits may require additional documentation for a description of any special circumstances that may be involved with meeting the requirements. For the purposes of this list, I have not included that below. It’s just good to know that.

LEED for NC Submittal Documentation

Sustainable Sites

  • SSp1: project drawings and description of ESCs, confirmation of NPDES (or local) compliance
  • SSc1: confirmation not on prohibited land
  • SSc2: project site & area (sq. ft)
    • option 1: drawing of project and adjacent buildings w/ density radius
    • option 2: drawing or aerial photo of 1/2 mi. radius w/ 10 basic services
  • SSc3: descriptions of site contamination & fixes; confirmation that it’s brownfield
  • SSc4.1: drawing of site indicating rail & bus, list of nearby rail & bus with distances from site
  • SSc4.2: project drawings w/ storage and shower locations, calculation numbers
  • SSc4.3: project drawings, info about specific options
  • SSc4.4: FTE and transit occupancy, confirm. of which option
    • (depending on option): site’s parking capacity, number of carpool spaces, desc. about rideshare program
  • SSc5.1: site area, building area, desc. of approach
    • greenfields: copy of site grading drawings & boundaries
    • previously dev: area of plant area, landscape plan & plant info
  • SSc5.2: site area, building area, landscape site/plan highlighting open spaces
    • option 1: area of open space required vs. area of vegetated open space
    • option 2: area of veg. open space that is equal to bldg. footprint
    • option 3: area of veg. open space
  • SSc6.1: runoff rate and quantity calculations, desc. of site cond. and measures taken
  • SSc6.2: confirm. of compliance
    • non structural: list and desc. of each BMP + rainfall treated annually
    • structural: list and desc. of struct. controls + rainfall treated annually
  • SSc7.1: site dwgs. with highlighted shade areas, pav materials & underground/covered parking, confirmation that roof materials meet requirements, calculation requirements + parking space info
  • SSc7.2: roof plans w/ highlighted area of specific roof mats. or green roof area, SRI information
  • SSc8: lighting dwgs (interior & ext.), max. candela information, light tresspass analysis, lighting power density tables, site zone classification, calculation requirements

Water Efficiency

  • WEc1.1&1.2: calculation requirements
  • WEc2: plumbing dwgs, # occupants, baseline water use info, design case water use info, fixture info, any treated water information, desc. of strategies
  • WEc3.1&3.2: # occupants, fixture info, baseline water use info, design case for flow flush,desc. of strategies

Energy and Atmosphere

  • EAp1: CxA name & company, confirm. 6 requirements, description + results of commissioning
  • EAp2: confirm. ASHRAE 901.1-2004 compliance
  • EAp3: confirm. no CFC use or phae out plan, desc. of phase out plan & refrig. quantities
  • EAc1: confirm. compliance of option requirements
  • EAc2: confirm. compliance of option requirements, desc. of renewable systems & calculations
  • EAc3: CA name & company, comfirm task completion, results and training/implementation/review plan
  • EAc4: finish letter template w/ all necessary items
  • EAc5: comfirm. IPMVP option, M&V plan
  • EAc6:  name & contract term or REC number, total annual elec. consumption & purchases

Materials & Resources

  • MRp1: confirm. recycle areas, confirm. materials to be recycled
  • MRc1.1&1.2: area of existing, area of any additions, area of each existing struct/envelope element and area that is being reused
  • MRc1.3: same as above except its info about interior nonstruct. elements
  • MRc2.1&2.2: units (tons or cubic yds.), info (receipts from haulers) about waste diversion
  • MRc3.1&3.2: method of determining materials cost & calculations, desc./vendor/cost of materials, desc. of strategy
  • MRc4.1&4.2: method of det. mat. cost & calcs, desc/manu./cost/%/PREorPOST/ of materials
  • MRc5.1&5.2: method of det. mat. cost & calcs, desc/manu/cost/% regional/distance from site
  • MRc6: method of det. mat. cost & calcs, desc/manu/cost/% rapid renewable
  • MRc7: info about product/name/vendor/cost/% wood/% FSC wood/FSC c.o.c. cert. #

Indoor Environmental Quality

  • EQp1: desc. of ventiliation design, confirm. meets ASHRAE 62.1-2004, drawings of natural ventilated zones & operable windows
  • EQp2: confirm. option chosen, drawings if applicable & testing results if applicable
  • EQc1: confirm. option chosen, confirm compliances, desc. of monitoring systems, drawings w/ location & type of sensors & natural vent. components
  • EQc2: confirm. option chosen, confirm meets ref. standard requirements, required calcs & drawings, desc. of design method & ventilation used if applicable
  • EQc3.1: copy of IAQ plan, confirm air handling equipment installation method, photos highlighting each approach to IAQ plan, list of filtration media used & confirm it was replaced after
  • EQc3.2: copy of IAQ plan highlighting pre-occupancy phase practices, confirm. of option used & compliance
  • EQc4.1-4.4: list of each critical product used. Include name/manu/VOC/allowable VOC based on SCAQMD, source of VOC & compliant statement
  • EAc5: confirm. required entryway systems installed, desc. & info on system installed, project drawings w/ locations, copies of mech. drawings, confirm. meets vent. & chem. requirements, confirm. filter requirements met
  • EAc6.1&6.2: # of workstations w/ controls, list of multi-occ. spaces w/ controls, desc. of controls + strategy + location used
  • EAc7.1: seasonal temp. data, desc. of method used + confirm. compliance w/ ASHRAE 55-2004
  • EAc7.2: desc. of planned survey and a possible plan if survey shows dissatisfaction
  • EAc8.1: areas and calcualtions for respective options. Project drawings with results of modeling simulations if applicable.
  • EAc8.2: calculation requirements, completion of online template, total area of reg. occupied space and spaces w/ views, copies of line of sight drawings in plan and section

Innovation in Design

  • IDc1.1-1.4:
    • ID credit title
    • desc. of credit intention
    • desc. of credit requirements
    • desc. of approach
    • any drawings that may need to be included
  • IDc2:
    • LEED AP name
    • LEED AP company
    • Description of role
    • Copy of certificate

I hope this helps some of you out! Good luck, and be sure to sign up for the newsletter below to keep up to date on any news I hear about LEED 2009. Cheers!


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Which NC Reference Guide Are YOU using? - LEED Erratas

July 1, 2008 – 11:05pm

If you didn’t know already, there are three editions of the LEED for New Construction version 2.2 reference guide. The first was issued in October of 2005, the second in September of 2006, and the third and latest edition in October of 2007. If you borrowed one from a friend, or have one in your office, check to see which edition you’re using. Not the latest? Don’t worry, this post will help you.

There are slight variations from edition to edition. Many of the changes are minor, such as website link updates and re-definitions of terms. Others, however, may impact what you see on the exam.

Luckily, the USGBC has been kind enough to issue what they call "Errata Sheets" or corrections & updates for each printed version of the reference guide. For your convenience, I’ve posted links to the errata sheets (in PDF format) here:

You’ll notice that the second link is for both the Second & Third editions. Yes, there are changes to the newest version as well, and they are listed at the beginning of that PDF.

WAIT! Before you look too deeply into those Errata Sheets, I’ve conveniently made note of which changes you should know for the exam. No matter which reference guide you’re using, please use the following to update your reference guide:

LEED Errata

(updated July 2, 2008)

OR

download the excel file below so you can edit it

  inthe-LEED-errata.xls (1,403 downloads)

Also, for your information, there was an update that was made to EAc1 - Optimize Energy Performance. The information is not found on errata sheets above (for some reason), but I found a separate errata sheet especifically for this credit below:

Now you should be equipped with all of the required updates and erratas to correctly study for the exam - no matter which reference guide you have. Again, don’t be freaked out by these changes, there really isn’t that much. But the ones I did put into the chart above you should definitely examine a little.

Hopefully this is helpful for all of you and you can spend more time studying rather than catching up on what the latest updates are all about. Please let me know if there is anything I should add to this list.

As always, best of luck to you - and cheers!


Posted in Random Tips | 14 Comments »

The Four Categories of LEED and What the Heck They Mean

June 11, 2008 – 6:25am

By special request, I have decided to tackle the four topics of LEED for your better understanding. Yay! I’ve been searching for new topics to write on, and this seems to be one that many people will hopefully benefit from.Ok, so - the questions on the LEED NC v2.2 exam are broken down into four sections. They are the following:

  • Knowledge of LEED Credit Intents and Requirements
  • Coordinate Project and Team
  • Implement LEED Process
  • Verify, Participate in, and Perform Technical Analyses Required for LEED

Each question on the exam is going to be from one of these four sections. You will not know (and you shouldn’t worry about) which questions on the exam fall under what category while you are taking the test. At the end of your exam, however, the testing program will tell you your percentage of correct answers in each category.Generally speaking, if you average about 65-70% within each category, you will pass. There may be some type of minimum percentage that you must get for each category, or else you automatically fail (i.e. at least 50% in each), but really there is no way to prove this - and you should be striving for 100% anyways, so let’s not worry about that either.

If you are taking any of the practice exams out there that happen to break down the questions into these separate categories, or if you have taken the LEED exam and have failed (keep trying, you’ll pass!), please take note of which section(s) you need work on. That way, you can spend the most time re-studying those sections of the test and hopefully improve. For your information, you will not get any of the exact questions on your retake, but some may be very similar.From there, you can use the following information about each particular section to help you study and focus on the categories that you need help in:

Knowledge of LEED-NC Credit Intents and Requirements

Summary:This is the basic “you better have your credits memorized” section.

What to Study:

Sample Questions:

  1. Which three of the following might contribute to WE Credit 1, Water Efficient Landscaping?
  2. SS Prerequisite 1, Construction Activity Pollution Prevention, requires addressing which four of the following concerns?
  3. Which two of the following are requirements for MR Prerequisite 1, Storage & Collection of Recyclables?

Coordinate Project and Team

Summary:This section deals with the coordination between all trades, especially with any opportunities for integrated and/or credit synergies. For some reason, questions dealing mainly with codes and standards apply here too - probably because the LEED AP is the point of contact regarding each of these standards that all trades must meet in order to fulfill the credit/prerequisite’s requirements.

What to Study:

  • Know who is involved with each credit. Study this handy-dandy chart credit decision makers.
  • Know each of the codes and standards used. Again, use the blank or semi-blank study guide to help you memorize them. Be especially careful with the differences between each of the ASHRAE Standards.
  • Understand the different opportunities for LEED Credit Synergies. Be especially concerned about vegetated roofs. They (almost) always appear on the test.

Sample Questions:

  1. Which one of the following best describes the LEED Credit parameter(s) to which ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2004 applies?
  2. Which two of the following design-team members are most likely to play a significant tole in achieving EQ Credit 3.1, Construction IAQ Management Plan?
  3. Which of the following team members best represents all of those that might offer meaningful input to an owner’s interest in a vegetated roof system?

Implement LEED Process

Summary:This section is mostly all about how to manage a project from it’s initial registration with the USGBC, through the CIR and documentation process, and all the way to the appeal process.

What to study:

  • Read and re-read everything I wrote in the LEED Project Registration, CIR and Appeal Process post. I heard that it’s pretty spot on.
  • Get your hands on some letter templates. If you know anyone who is currently undergoing a LEED project, ask them how letter templates work. If not, you can visit this website from the Green Building Certification Institute.
  • Find out, if you can, anything about the project administrator’s duties. I still have yet to find any good information about this, so if you do come across something useful, PLEASE let us all know!

Sample Questions:

  1. An application for LEED Certification must contain two of the following:
  2. What are two responsibilities of the contractor that support LEED documentation?
  3. Credit Interpretation Rulings provide which two of the following?

Verify, Participate in, and Perform Technical Analyses Required for LEED Credits

Summary:This section is tricky. The USGBC lists the “content areas” of this section to be:

  • Verify compliance of technical work products created by other team members.
  • Participate in and guide the development of technical analyses with design professionals.
  • Perform technical analyses to verify compliance with LEED-NC requirements.

Generally, I’ve noticed that this seems to be the section that most people perform the worst in. I think this section is really a combination of all of the other sections with a primary focus on those credits and situations where there is verification and calculations involved. The questions can get pretty nit-picky, and for some, you’ll only know the answers based on your construction and building experience, your knowledge from taking so many practice exams, and/or luck. That being said, a lot of the questions come from information that you should already know: the credit intents and calculations! It’s just worded a little differently, so you may have to think about the questions a little harder.

What to Study:

  • Again, memorize each of the credits and prerequisites. Feel free to use the credit summaries on the table of contents, along with the blank or semi-blank study guide to make sure you’ve got it down.
  • Know which credits have calculations and make sure you know how to perform them. (Credits dealing with FTE or number of plumbing fixtures especially!)
  • Practice tests and more practice tests!

Sample Questions:

  1. The design team has elected to pursue strategies addressing 50% of the hardscape surfaces on the site to meet the requirement of SS Credit 7.1, Heat Island Effect: Non-Roof. Which three of the following should the LEED AP verify?
  2. Which of the following best represents an appropiate level of overall illumination on an office work surface, including daylighting, ambient artificial lighting, and task lighting?
  3. In an office building, the design includes a rainwater harvesting system that collects 20,000 gallons of water each year. This water is used for flushing toilets. Which of the following information is needed to calculate the reduction in potable water demand for building sewage conveyance for achieving WE Credit 2, Wastewater Technologies?

If some of these questions scare you, don’t worry. Just stick with your gameplan, and follow the tactics that are described above. Don’t get yourself down if you have failed once before. Agression or doubt can get in the way of all the hard work you’ve put into this. Get familiar with the types of questions you need help on, study, and you’ll do great. I hope this breakdown has helped even just one of you.Best of luck!


Posted in Random Tips | 28 Comments »

Life After the LEED AP Exam - What’s Next?

March 28, 2008 – 11:31pm

Creative Commons License photo credit: Admit One

A lot of people have asked me, “What happens after you pass the LEED AP Exam?” Well at first - nothing really. After you pass and have your celebratory beer or cupcake, and after the first day you get back to your office and everyone asks you how the test was when really all you want to do is add the “LEED AP” to the end of your name on your email signature - after that, not too much happens right away. But don’t get yourself down. You’ve put in the hard work, and it will eventually pay off, as it did with me.

A couple of weeks after my exam, a lot of my co-workers started to ask me about LEED. Even my boss was interested - as I’m sure he’s aware of the “Green Movement” in the building industry. Even the principal, my boss’ boss, pronounced that I was doing such a great job and taking initiative - doing things above and beyond what was asked of me. Soon after, I received a promotion. I was expecting a promotion, but not until the end of the year. It was obvious that my LEED credential helped that come about much sooner than expected. I am so grateful. I also joined the ULI, the Urban Land Institute, to further pursue (and share) my knowledge of Green and Sustainable design. I’ve met a lot of great people, and as you should know, your life excels with the connections and friends that you make - so is definitely a great opportunity for me. I invite you to become as involved as you can now that you are (or will be soon) a LEED AP.

Am I currently involved with any LEED projects? No - but I wish! I know quite a few new LEED APs who are already involved with LEED projects. I’m quite jealous because now that I’m LEED AP, I want to actually do what a LEED AP was meant to do: certify projects. The project will come, so I’m not worried. I’m doing all I can to stay involved though, and by answering questions and maintaining this blog, I can still retain the information quite well.

So to answer the question, “What’s next after the LEED AP exam?” For some, its a promotion and/or a raise, although it’s never guaranteed. For others, it’s being able to work on LEED projects for the first time. Some motivated people are even becoming LEED consultants and starting their own consulting firms! For most - it’s just waiting 6 to 8 weeks for our certificates to come in the mail, along with waiting for that next opportunity to come by. Whatever road you choose, just realize that you’ve earned (or will earn) your credential, and you should be damn proud of yourself.

Before I finish, I’d like to mention a blog started by Joel McKellar, LEED AP, who has also recently passed his exam. His blog focuses on LEED and real life projects, rather than the exam itself. He is actually working on a quite a few LEED projects himself, and he’s documenting his questions and experiences. Maybe after you’re finished with this blog, you can migrate over to his and stay up-to-date on the many questions people have while applying LEED to the real world. I’ve read it, and so far, and it’s great. Kudos to Joel.Cheers!


Posted in Random Tips | 32 Comments »

LEED AP Giveaway RESULTS!

March 17, 2008 – 3:25am

Thank you all for your comments and tips! Here are the results of the LEED AP Giveaway:

  1. $25 Dollar Best Buy Gift Card - eLEEDest
  2. Colorado Chapter Study Guide - Lupe
  3. LEEDPASS - Katie
  4. Greenexamprep Platinum Package - Lisa
  5. Professional Publications - LEED NC Sample Exam - AndrewJ
  6. Professional Publications - LEED NC Practice Problems - Fadi
  7. Professional Publications - LEED CI Sample Exam - Razkal

Congratulations to all the winners! Winners were chose at random with a random number generator. Winners will be notified by email and asked for shipping information (if required) by Wednesday, March 19th, 2008. Shipping will be on me so don’t worry about any payments. If you are a winner and no longer want your prize, please let me know in your email so I can choose someone else. I don’t think there are any double names of anyone who won the giveaway (i.e. two Katies who entered the drawing) but just incase, you’ll be sure you’ve won if you get notified by email.

Also! For a short period of time, Professional Publications Inc. is giving a discount to all intheleed.com readers! Just visit www.ppi2pass.com and enter the promo code “PAT08″ and you’ll get 10% off of your order! (The discount only applies to the same items that were donated above from PPI.)

I’m glad to see so many people interested in LEED! Keep studying hard and pass the exam! Check out all of the great tips we recieved from you here!Cheers!


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10 Minutes Before the LEED AP Exam - What to NOT Do

March 12, 2008 – 6:38am

Amber, who posted a comment in my post test evaluation, kindly reminded me that I had forgotten to write about my pre-test brain dump as I had earlier promised. I apologize for the lateness of this post, and I hope it proves to be helpful for those of you who read it. (Thanks Amber!)

For those of you who don’t quite understand yet - after you sit down at your LEED AP prometric testing facility, you will be given 10 minutes to do a quick tutorial on how to use the testing software and program. Basically - I call it the “how to use a mouse” or “how to breath tutorial.” (Although it does teach you really quickly how to “mark” your questions so you can come back to them later, which is helpful, so don’t just blindly click through.) I breezed through it in about 45 seconds, and you have the remaining 9:15 to do whatever. You do have the option to skip this time and start your test, but you should definitely use the remaining time to your advantage - and DON’T do what I did.

What did I do?

  • First, I wrote down WIMSEE, which was good. Quick, easy and informative.
  • Then this is where I went wrong. I attempted to write down each and every single credit with points about each one so I could easily follow my chart throughout the test. I ended up not even using 95% of the stuff I wrote down or even referring to the chart for most of the questions. I already knew ABOUT the credits that were being asked - so this ended up being a total waste of time for me. It probably hurt me instead because I was so worried about getting all of the credits on this little piece of scratch paper within the time limit - and that clock is counting down right in front of you , so it can be a little stressful.
  • The sad part was that I actually practiced this the night before until I could do it within 10 minutes. All of that practice was good because it actually helped me memorize the credits and their main points in a neat order - but everything I wrote down, I already knew like the back of my hand.

What do I recommend to do instead?

  • Write down anything about the credits you know that you have been having trouble with.
    • Everyone will have a few things that, no matter how many times you go through the LEED AP Blank Study Guide, you always end up forgetting somehow. Know what these are going into the test and write them down during this time so when you DO forget them (like you always do) you’ll have them right there.

Everyone’s brain dump will be a little different, but this method should be easy to do within the 10 minute mark before you start your test. Don’t stress out (like me) about this pre-test brain dump of yours. It’s mainly used as a tactic to help you when you have brain-farts during the test.

So again I apologize for not posting this tip earlier. I would of uploaded an copy of the actual brain-dump I did during the test, but I have to say, it was pretty pathetic and not worth it. Just follow the tips here and you should be fine! You got this! Good luck!Anyone have any other suggestions?

Cheers!


Posted in Random Tips | 17 Comments »

LEED AP Celebration Giveaway!

March 6, 2008 – 8:56am

Creative Commons License photo credit: Ilya Eric Lee

I have to be honest - it’s been a little weird the last few days since passing my exam. I feel like that I should be studying for something these days, but I can’t help but smile when I realize that all of my hard work has finally paid off. It’s also such a good feeling to hear that others have also have benefited from this blog since it’s creation. In fact, intheleed.com today just surpassed 30,000 pageviews since it’s launch just over 30 days ago! You guys are incredible - and I thank you.

To celebrate the success of the blog and my recent passing of the LEED AP Exam, I have decided to give away a couple of my study materials! I know it’s no ipod or anything like that, but I just wanted to give back something to my readers to show my appreciation. Plus anything I can do to promote studying for the LEED AP Exam. The giveaway is very simple:

  • What will I be giving away? One copy each of LEEDPASS and the notorious Colorado Chapter Study Guide (Jan. 2007 edition). Those are for the new future LEED APs. I know a lot of you have been readers since this blog has started, and some have already passed their AP tests (congrats!) so you don’t really have a need for any study materials - so I’m also throwing in a $25.oo Best Buy Gift Card, just for kicks. There will 3 winners total.
  • How do you sign up? All you have to do is leave a comment below that includes one (1) helpful tip for passing the LEED AP Exam. It can be something like “make sure you don’t forget to bring your ID to the testing facility” or “the exemplary performance threshold for MR 6 - Rapidly Renewable Materials, is 5%” or “when you blank out during the test, take a minute and just breath.” You can copy it from straight from the blog if you’d like and I won’t penalize you if it’s a repeat of someone else’s comment. You can be creative, but be helpful too!
  • Are there any rules? Besides leaving a tip, there is only one entry per valid email address. You can leave more than 1 comment, but you will only be counted for the drawing once.
  • How is the winner selected? I will randomly select 3 winners from the list of (valid) comments I receive. One will receive LEEDPASS, another the Colorado Chapter Study Guide and the last one the gift card. The winners will be selected and announced just after midnight on March 13th, 2008 (read below for new update!). The contest is one week long.
  • That’s it!

I’m pretty interested to see what kinds of tips you have for everyone else to see. Here is a list of my LEED AP Tips:

Feel free to forward the information about this giveaway to anyone you think may be interested in someday becoming a LEED AP. You can use the share this tab below. Thanks again!Cheers all!

OLD UPDATE: The kind folks at greenexamprep.com noticed I was doing a free giveaway for anyone interested in LEED and offered to throw in a fourth prize: The greenexamprep NC 2.2 Platinum Pack that includes their Exam Simulator with 320 Practice Test questions and 326 Flash Cards. A $64.95 value, for FREE! A 4th random winner will be selected for this prize which ends on midnight March 13th, 2008! (read below for new update!) All winners will be announced the following day. Leave a LEED AP tip to qualify, that’s it!

NEW UPDATE: Wow, this giveaway is generating a lot of interest! So much in fact that Professional Publications, Inc. has also kindly donated 3 new prizes for the giveaway! Here is what was added today from them (3/13/03):

  1. LEED NC Sample Exam, Second Edition
  2. LEED NC Practice Problems
  3. LEED CI Sample Exam

This is a HUGE donation from Professional Publications, Inc. Each item is worth $64.95! These are professional LEED publications - so you know they are good legitimate LEED study material. Check out what PPI is all about here. I’ve personally used their LEED NC sample exam and it’s awesome for anyone wanting to get familiar with LEED material - especially if you are just starting out. I highly recommend them to anyone!

So thats a total of 7 items to giveaway. Since I added new stuff today, I’m going to extend the contest throughout the weekend. The contest will end at 6:00pm, Sunday March 16th. Winners will be announced shortly thereafter! Again - to participate, leave a comment with a helpful tip - if you haven’t done so already on this post. If you are taking the CI Sample Exam, please mention that in your comment. One copy of the PPI LEED CI Sample Exam will only be given to one of those who specify CI in their comments. Thanks everyone, and good luck studying!


Posted in Random Tips | 73 Comments »

My LEED AP Exam Post-Test Evaluation & Brain Dump

March 3, 2008 – 11:06pm

I’m sorry it took a little while to post the results of my test this morning. I was out getting lunch with my Dad…to celebrate! That’s right, I passed!

I’m so relieved that it’s finally over and I can get back to my normal life again, but honestly all of the studying really paid off. I scored a 185 which was the result of an average 80-85% in each of the 4 categories tested. I’m pretty happy with that. My lowest scored category, however, was in the Knowledge of LEED Credit Intents and Requirements section in which I only scored a 76%. This was a definite surprise to me since I thought I knew the LEED credits like the back of my hand. I am notorious for being a bad multiple-choice test taker (I tend to think too much and perform reverse psychology on myself) so maybe that had something to do with it.

The test questions were definitely NOT straightforward. A lot were very wordy and you really had to focus and take a closer look while reading the questions to determine exactly what they were looking for. I would compare them to be most similar to the sample questions on the greenexamprep.com website and the Colorado Chapter Study Guide . I’m not really one for endorsing products, but I must say the greenexamprep.com tests helped me out A TON. The test questions on there are very tough and nit-picky, but they are good at preparing you for test and for things that aren’t exactly said straight-out in any guides. Plus, the tests are taken on the computer exactly like on test day - and you get 4 different tests with different questions to take as many times as you like for a certain amount of days. I’ve heard lots mixed reviews about the greenexamprep.com tests - but they get a thumbs up from me.

Creative Commons License photo credit: Joe Shlabotnik

Based on the GCBI LEED AP Handbook, I’m not really allowed to post any test questions or content I’ve seen here. I will give you some of the topics that I believe "I should of studied more of." (*wink) Note: I have no clue how many versions of the test there are or if the following "topics I should of studied more of" are covered in each. This is just my opinion (in no particular order):

I kept the braindump below from when I started studying back in January-ish. I put it here for you because it sums of a lot of good information that I found to be true after taking the test. Again, this isn’t mine (I think it’s from a guy named TAD) - but it’s here for your use:

  TestBrainDump - TAD.pdf (11,167 downloads)


A few last things to consider after taking the Exam:

  • Make sure you put the correct address into Google Maps. I got lost on the way to the exam this morning.
  • You get a locker to empty your pockets into before the exam. Make sure you bring your ID.
  • You will be videotaped the entire time (or at least I was) during the exam by prometric. Think twice before cheating (and picking your nose).
  • At my testing facility, I had the option at any time during the exam to wear these orange sound-deadening earmuffs . I think I looked pretty cool.
  • After sitting at your computer before you start, take a deep breath and relax. You got this!

Lastly, I just wanted to thank you all for your help. Your encouragement and involvement with INTHELEED has kept me studying hard and wanting to figure out a way to neatly organize this fairly dense LEED information - for myself and for you. Thank you for back-checking the material on the website and being open to communication with me and other’s in the community. Be sure that I’m not done with the website and I’ll be posting new things as I figure them out or you suggest them to me. Architectural License? We’ll see…

Much Love - Best of Luck - and Cheers!

-Pat (webmaster@intheleed.com )
p.s. any questions? leave a comment



Posted in Random Tips | 122 Comments »

The LEED Project Registration, CIR and Appeal Process - Lightning Round

March 2, 2008 – 12:06pm

Here is a "lighting round" of information regarding Project Registration, the Credit Interpretation Requests and Rulings (CIRs) and the Appeal Process in LEED. This information is as of January 2007. When updates occur, so will the information this page. Any of the information below could be asked on the Exam, so get familiar with it.

LEED Project Registration:

  • First thing is to do is register ONLINE via USGBC website
  • Registration fees are $450 for members, $600 for non-members
  • Certification fee depends on LEED Rating System (NC, EB, CS, etc.) and building sq. ft. (let me reiterate - building square footage !)
    • paid in different stages (i.e. design and construction phase)
  • Registration fees are waived if project receives Platinum LEED Certification
  • You could submit in two phases (for design submittal and then again for construction) OR submit in one phase (design and construction submittals together)
  • After design phase - USGBC will mark each credit as credit anti cipated or credit denied . They cannot actually reward credits after the design phase.
  • After construction phase - this is when USGBC makes a ruling on each credit as credit achieved or credit denied .
  • Registration provides access to Credit Templates online
    • 4 sections of Credit Templates:
      1. template status
      2. manage template
      3. required documents
      4. documentation status
  • Registration during early phases of project design ensures maximum potential for achieving certification.
  • Registration establishes point of contact with USGBC and provides access to essential information, software tools and communications.
  • Registration also provides access to a database of existing Credit Interpretation Requests and Rulings
  • A complete LEED-Online submittal must include the following:
    • overall project narrative including at least three project highlights
    • drawings and photos illustrating the project, including:
      1. site plan
      2. typical floor plan
      3. typical building section
      4. typical or primary elevation
      5. photo or rendering of the project

CIRs (Credit Interpretation Requests and Rulings):

  • During the certification process, if it is unclear whether or not a strategy applies to a given credit, a CIR can be submitted and the ruling will determine the suitability of the approach.
  • CIR rulings will never guarantee or award any credits - it just provides specific information regarding applicability.
  • IMPORTANT - Before submitting a CIR, check the online resource for previous CIRs logged by other projects on relevant credits first . Only if a similar credit interpretation has not been logged or does not answer your inquiry sufficiently, then a new CIR via LEED-Online should be submitted.
  • CIRs are $220 for each one
  • Each CIR should refer to only one LEED credit and one primary related strategy
  • The inquiry should only include essential project strategy and background information and should be presented in the context of the credit intent. (600 max words?)
  • Submissions of drawings, cut-sheets, or other attachments is NOT permitted.
  • CIRs can be viewed by all USGBC members, non-members with registered projects, and workshop attendees.
  • CIRs can only be requested by LEED Registered Project Team Members.

Appeals:

  • If a project team feels that sufficient grounds exist to appeal a credit that has been denied in the Final LEED Review, it has the option to appeal.
  • Appeals are $500 per credit
  • You have 25 days to appeal after Final LEED Review
  • Appeal submittals are all done via LEED-Online
  • Because review will be done by a different review team, appeals must include the following:
    • LEED registration information, including project contact, project type, project size, number of occupants, date of construction completion, etc.
    • An overall project narrative including at least three project highlights.
    • The LEED Project Checklist Scorecard indicating project prerequisites and credits and the total score for the project
    • Drawing and photos illustrating the project, including:
      1. site plan
      2. typical floor plan
      3. typical building section
      4. typical or primary elevation
      5. photo or rendering of project
    • complete list of all CIRs used
    • Original, re-submittal, and appeal submittal documentation for only those credits that are being appealed. Narratives for each to be included as well.

Good times. Cheers!

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Posted in Random Tips | 12 Comments »

Yet Another Helpful LEED AP Chart - Know Your Roles (Decision Makers)

March 2, 2008 – 10:08am

As my LEED AP exam day quickly approaches, I find myself fairly confident with all of the credits as I fill out the semi blank study guide. However, there is a lot more to the exam than just understanding the credits. Knowing the credit intentions and requirements is just 1/4 the battle. But thats ok! Hopefully I can shed some light on those other things you’ll need to know within the next day or two.

To recap, there are 4 basic “sections” within the LEED AP Exam format that you’ll be tested on:

  1. Knowledge of LEED Credit Intents and Requirements
  2. Coordinate Project and Team
  3. Implement LEED Process
  4. Verify, Participate in, and Perform Technical Analysis Required for LEED Credits

At the end of the test, you’ll see how well you did in each category and then an overall score. By studying the reference book and your favorite study guides, you’ll have a lot of information to help you answer questions from each of these sections. This being said, there are going to be quite a few questions dealing with “who does what”, or how the certification process works, which isn’t directly mentioned in the reference guide. Many of these answers are found online at the USGBC website - you just have to fish for them. Again, I’ll do my best to post useful information from a variety of resources soon.

Below is a useful table of responsibilities and decision making for each credit in the LEED certification process. I really don’t think you should spend too much time memorizing a table like this, rather - I think it would be useful to carefully go through it a few times. Read each credit number, associate it with the information you know about the credit and see who is responsible. After a while it should become almost “common sense” to you. For example, of course the contractor is the only trade responsible for MR 2.1 & 2.2 - Construction Waste Management because he/she is really the only one who will be on site to deal with the disposal and diversion waste during construction while collecting the receipts and tickets from the haulers.

click image for enlargement (opens a new window)

Again I thank you dearly for your support and the success of intheleed.com. Thank you, and good luck! Cheers!

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Posted in Random Tips | 23 Comments »

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