Pass LEED-AP-BD+C Exam Guide

This is the requirement for the Indoor Environmental Quality prerequisite Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control, which applies to all LEED BD+C rating systems. The intent is to prevent or minimize exposure of building occupants, indoor surfaces, and ventilation air distribution systems to environmental tobacco smoke. The no-smoking signage must explicitly state the 25 ft. (8 m) limit and communicate the no-smoking policy to occupants.

While increased ventilation improves indoor air quality, it can also lead to higher energy consumption, impacting LEED BD+C Energy and Atmosphere (EA) Credit: Optimize Energy Performance.

More ventilation requires more heating/cooling energy, which can increase energy use and reduce overall energy efficiency.

This can lower the points earned for energy optimization, since LEED rewards projects that minimize energy consumption.

Other credits (Options A, B, and D) are not directly affected by increased ventilation rates.

Energy performance is negatively impacted when additional ventilation leads to increased HVAC energy demand.

(Source: Official LEED BD+C Reference Manual)

Average number of occupants standing or seated

To identify the regularly occupied spaces on a project, the LEED consultant should consider the average number of occupants standing or seated in each space, as this is the criterion used by the LEED Reference Guide for Green Building Design and Construction, 20091. Regularly occupied spaces are defined as areas where workers are seated or standing as they work (or perform regular tasks) inside a building2. The typical duration of occupancy in each space per day is not necessarily relevant, as some spaces may be used intermittently but still qualify as regularly occupied2. The rate of outdoor air provided per person and the fire ratings of installed wall and ceiling assemblies are not related to the definition of regularly occupied spaces, but rather to other credits such as Indoor Environmental Quality or Fire and Life Safety.

For Energy and Atmosphere (EA) Credit: Advanced Energy Metering, any individual energy end uses that represent 10% or more of the total annual energy consumption must be metered (A). This credit promotes ongoing energy management and helps identify large energy-consuming systems for efficiency improvements. Metering data from major end uses can provide insights into energy patterns, facilitating targeted actions to reduce consumption.