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

Which energy sources must be metered in a building?

1. Electricity only

2. Natural gas and renewable energy sources only

3. Electricity, natural gas, oil, and district energy systems

4. Only non-renewable fossil fuels

The correct answer is: Electricity, natural gas, oil, and district energy systems

The correct response highlights the necessity of metering multiple energy sources in a building for effective energy management and compliance with LEED BD+C requirements. Specifically, metering electricity, natural gas, oil, and district energy systems is essential for accurate tracking of energy consumption, which is pivotal in evaluating a building's energy performance. Understanding the energy consumption patterns from these diverse sources allows for the identification of inefficiencies, helps in resource planning, and promotes an overall reduction in energy use. Moreover, metering these energy types aligns with LEED goals to promote high-performance buildings that are designed to save energy and utilize resources more effectively. Metering electricity serves to assess how much power the building is consuming, while natural gas and oil consumption tracking helps determine the efficiency of heating systems or backup generators. District energy systems, which provide thermal energy from a centralized source, also require assessment to ensure sustainable energy practices are being followed. Such comprehensive metering not only supports the ongoing management of energy systems but also aids in reporting and verification processes essential for achieving LEED certification. In contrast, limiting metering to just one type of energy or a subset of sources diminishes the ability to fully analyze and enhance a building's energy performance holistically.