LEED AP Building Design and Construction (BD+C) Practice Exam

RECs are used to mitigate which type of emissions for green power and carbon offsets?

1. Scope 1 emissions

2. Scope 2 emissions

3. Scope 3 emissions

4. All emissions

The correct answer is: Scope 2 emissions

Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are instrumental in mitigating Scope 2 emissions. These emissions are produced indirectly from the consumption of purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling. By investing in RECs, organizations can claim that they have used renewable energy to cover their energy consumption, although the actual power drawn from the grid may still involve fossil fuels. RECs represent the environmental benefits associated with generating one megawatt-hour of electricity from renewable energy sources. When a facility purchases RECs, it effectively offsets its Scope 2 emissions by supporting renewable energy development, making it possible to report a lower carbon footprint associated with electricity usage. In contrast, Scope 1 emissions arise from direct sources owned or controlled by an organization, such as on-site fossil fuel combustion. Scope 3 emissions are a broader category, capturing indirect emissions not included in Scope 2, which arise from the entire value chain of the organization, including the emissions generated by suppliers and product use. Therefore, RECs primarily address the indirect emissions represented in Scope 2 due to energy purchased from the grid, making it the relevant choice in this context.