EDGE Expert Exam (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies — GBCI/IFC)

What does the acronym EDGE stand for in the IFC green-building certification system?

• AExcellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies
• BEnergy Design for Greener Environments
• CEfficient Development of Green Estates
• DEnvironmental Design Guidelines for Engineers

Which organization created the EDGE software and standard, and which organization certifies projects and trains EDGE Experts?

• AEDGE was created by USGBC and certified by IFC, which also trains EDGE Experts
• BEDGE was created by IFC; GBCI certifies projects and trains Experts and Auditors
• CEDGE was created by GBCI and certified by the World Bank lending division
• DEDGE was created and certified solely by Prometric at all test centers

To earn the base EDGE Certified level, a project must demonstrate at least what minimum predicted reduction in each of the three EDGE resource categories?

• A10%
• B15%
• C20%
• D40%

Which three resource categories must a project reduce to qualify for EDGE certification?

• AEnergy use, indoor air quality, and waste diversion from operations
• BOperational carbon, transportation mode share, and land-use intensity
• CWater use, daylighting quality, and acoustic comfort performance
• DEnergy use, water use, and embodied energy/carbon in materials

What additional threshold beyond base EDGE Certified must a project meet to be recognized as EDGE Advanced?

• AAt least 40% predicted on-site energy savings
• BAt least 30% predicted water savings above the base case
• CAt least 50% predicted materials savings above the base case
• D100% renewable energy procurement for all building loads

Which condition must an EDGE Advanced project additionally satisfy to achieve EDGE Zero Carbon certification?

• AReduce embodied carbon in materials by 60% or more
• BAchieve carbon neutrality with 100% renewables or verified offsets
• CEliminate all water use from the municipal supply grid
• DInstall only passive cooling with no mechanical systems

In the EDGE App, what is the 'base case' against which a proposed design's savings are calculated?

• AThe most efficient building ever constructed in that country for any type
• BA theoretical net-zero building with no operational energy use
• CStandard regional construction practice for that building type over three years
• DThe minimum requirement of the international LEED reference standard

An EDGE Expert primarily performs which function in the certification process?

• AIndependently audits the building to verify it meets the EDGE Standard
• BIssues the final EDGE certificate on behalf of GBCI
• CSets the regional base-case values used in the EDGE App
• DAdvises on green design and helps prepare the EDGE certification application

What is the defining responsibility of an EDGE Auditor that distinguishes the role from an EDGE Expert?

• ADetermining whether a building meets the EDGE Standard through investigation
• BDesigning the most cost-effective efficiency measures for the client
• CMarketing EDGE certification to prospective developers
• DOperating the EDGE App to model the proposed design

Why is it a conflict of interest for the same individual to serve as both EDGE Expert and EDGE Auditor on the same project?

• AEDGE software licenses are limited to one professional role per user
• BThe Auditor must independently verify work the Expert helped produce
• CThe two roles require different language certifications for the exam
• DGBCI charges double fees when one person holds both roles

Which prerequisite must a candidate complete before becoming eligible to sit the EDGE Expert exam?

• AAudit at least five certified EDGE projects before exam eligibility
• BHold a professional engineering license in the country of practice
• CComplete GBCI's EDGE Technical Workshop on basics, process
• DPass the LEED Green Associate exam before EDGE training

What are the format, length, and time limit of the EDGE Expert exam?

• A120 questions, open-book, 4 hours at a Prometric center
• B50 questions, performance-based, 90 minutes
• C100 questions, oral examination, 3 hours
• D75 multiple-choice questions, closed-book, 2.5 hours

In the EDGE App, which energy-efficiency strategy directly reduces solar heat gain through the building's transparent envelope without changing glass type?

• AAdding external shading devices to windows
• BIncreasing the window-to-wall ratio on all facades
• CRemoving roof insulation to allow night cooling
• DSwitching all interior lights to incandescent lamps

Lowering a window's U-value primarily improves building performance by reducing which heat-transfer mechanism through the glazing?

• AAcoustic transmission from outdoor noise through the glazing
• BConductive and convective heat transfer across the window
• CDaylight transmission into the interior space
• DAir leakage through wall cracks unrelated to the window

Which parameter does the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of glazing describe?

• AAcoustic insulation value of the window assembly
• BConductive heat loss per unit temperature difference
• CFraction of incident solar radiation admitted through glass as heat
• DVisible light reflected back to the outdoors

A reflective (high-albedo) roof reduces building energy use most directly through which mechanism?

• AIncreasing embodied carbon in roofing materials
• BImproving the coefficient of performance of the chiller
• CReducing water consumption of cooling towers
• DReflecting solar radiation to lower roof temperature

For an air-conditioning system, a higher Coefficient of Performance (COP) indicates what about its efficiency?

• AMore cooling delivered per unit of energy input
• BMore energy consumed per unit of cooling delivered
• CGreater refrigerant charge required for the system
• DA larger physical footprint of the equipment

An air conditioner provides 3.5 kW of cooling while drawing 1.0 kW of electrical input. What is its Coefficient of Performance (COP)?

• A0.29
• B3.5
• C2.5
• D4.5

Replacing fluorescent and incandescent fixtures with LED lighting reduces energy use primarily because LEDs have a higher value of which metric?

• AColor temperature in kelvin for the lamp
• BLamp diameter in millimeters
• CLuminous efficacy in lumens per watt
• DRated voltage in volts for the fixture

In the EDGE App, reducing the lighting power density (LPD) of a space is expressed in which units?

• ALumens per fixture for each lamp
• BKilowatt-hours per year for the space
• CLux per occupant in the room
• DWatts per square meter (W/m2)

Which passive design strategy in EDGE relies on outdoor air movement, rather than mechanical cooling, to maintain indoor thermal comfort?

• ANatural (cross) ventilation
• BVariable refrigerant flow systems
• CElectric resistance heating
• DIncreased chiller capacity

How do ceiling fans reduce cooling energy in an EDGE-modeled building?

• ALower the actual air temperature of the room with the fan
• BIncrease air movement so occupants feel comfortable at higher setpoints
• CDehumidify indoor air using only the fan motor
• DGenerate cool air through evaporation of refrigerant

Reducing the window-to-wall ratio (WWR) in a cooling-dominated climate generally affects energy performance how?

• AIncreases solar heat gain and cooling loads on the facade
• BHas no measurable effect on the EDGE energy model
• CReduces solar heat gain and conductive losses
• DEliminates the need for any wall insulation on the facade

A solar water heater contributes to EDGE energy savings primarily by displacing what?

• AEmbodied carbon in structural materials
• BPotable water used for landscape irrigation
• CLighting energy in common areas
• DEnergy otherwise used to heat domestic hot water

Within the EDGE App, on-site photovoltaic (PV) generation is best described as a measure that does what?

• AGenerates on-site renewable electricity
• BReduces embodied energy of the building structure
• CImproves building water efficiency directly
• DIncreases the base-case energy consumption benchmark