Optimize Operational and Maintenance Practices
Last updated: 10-14-2008
Overview
No matter how sustainable a building may have been in its design and construction, it can only remain so if it is operated responsibly and maintained properly. The use of toxic cleaning products can deteriorate indoor air quality; failure to test sensor control points can compromise energy efficiency; and poor training can lead to early system failures. Buildings must be operated and maintained with the security, safety, health, comfort, and productivity of their occupants in mind, and with an understanding of the next generation's need to reuse and recycle building components. To the extent possible, select systems that are easily maintained. Ensure operation and maintenance personnel are part of the project planning and development process.
Throughout the building's life cycle, operations and maintenance should seek to:
- Train building occupants, facilities managers, and maintenance staff in sustainable design principles and methods;
- Purchase cleaning products and supplies that are resource-efficient and non-toxic;
- Use automated monitors and controls for energy, water, waste, temperature, moisture, and ventilation;
- Reduce waste through source reduction and recycling to eliminate disposal off-site; and
- Minimize travel by supporting telecommuting programs and enabling teleconferencing.
Recommendations
Train Building Occupants, Facilities Managers, and Maintenance Staff in Sustainability Principles and Methods
- Implement a comprehensive, preventive maintenance program to keep all building systems functioning as designed. See WBDG Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM).
- Provide operations support to facilities managers and maintenance crews to answer questions and offer additional information.
Employ Environmentally Preferable Landscaping Practices
- Landscape with native, or indigenous, plants.
- Develop a Pest Control Plan, which includes information about: materials and equipment for service; method for monitoring and detection; service schedule for each building or site; any structural or operational changes that would facilitate the pest control effort; and commercial pesticide applicator certificates or licenses.
- Where unavoidable, use non-toxic outdoor fertilizers and pesticides.
- Consider composting/recycling yard waste.
- Minimize site disturbance. See also WBDG Sustainable—Optimize Site Potential.
- Use landscaping products with recycled content as required by EPA's Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) for landscaping products.
- See also WBDG Sustainable O&M Practices.
Purchase Cleaning Products and Supplies that are Resource-Efficient and Non-Toxic
- Use cleaners that biodegrade rapidly.
- Look for products that are concentrated, using less packaging for more power.
- Use integrated pest management (IPM) practices in facilities and landscaping to reduce the use of pesticides and herbicides. IPM has been mandated on federal property since 1996 by Section 136r-1 of Title 7, United States Code, and is cited in Title 41 of the Code of Federal Regulations (102-74.35) as a required service for agencies subject to the authority of the General Services Administration (GSA).
- Use non-toxic pest control for indoor spaces and plants. See also WBDG Evaluating and Selecting Green Products.
- Keep air ducts clean and free of microorganisms through a structured program of preventive maintenance.
Use Automated Monitors and Controls for Energy, Water, Waste, Temperature, Moisture, and Ventilation Monitors and Controls
- Use schedule, occupancy, or luminance sensors to control lighting and other functions.
- Use timers for heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) equipment.
- Turn off the lights, computers, and equipment when not in use.
- Enable power-down features on office equipment (e.g., Energy Star® computers).
- Turn off computer monitors when not in use.
Reduce Waste Through Source Reduction and Recycling
- Start a comprehensive recycling program with source separation and occupant incentives.
- Use on-site composting of organic materials.
- Adopt green meeting practices.
Support Practices that Encourage Sustainable Transportation or Minimize Travel
- Install sufficient bike racks to meet demand.
- Designate shuttle/bus stops in safe and accessible areas close to the facility.
- Provide sufficient parking spaces for carpools/vanpools.
- Support teleconferencing and videoconferencing through proper operations and maintenance of communication systems.
- Support telework (aka telecommuting) programs by providing hotelling spaces (flexible and well-equipped office spaces that teleworkers can use when they come into the office) and properly operating and maintaining telework centers.
Relevant Codes and Standards
- Executive Order 13423, "Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management"
- Executive Order 13423, Technical Guidance - EMS Integration
- Executive Order 13221, "Energy Efficient Standby Power Devices"
- U.S. General Services Administration:
- P100 Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service, 2005
Major Resources
WBDG
Building / Space Types
Applicable to most building types and space types.
Design Objectives
Aesthetics, Functional / Operational, Historic Preservation—Update Building Systems Appropriately, Productive, Productive—Assure Reliable Systems and Spaces, Productive—Design for the Changing Workplace, Productive—Promote Health and Well-Being, Productive—Provide Comfortable Environments, Secure / Safe—Ensure Occupant Safety and Health, Sustainable—Optimize Site Potential, Sustainable—Optimize Energy Use, Sustainable—Protect and Conserve Water, Sustainable—Use Environmentally Preferable Products, Sustainable—Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality
Products and Systems
Building Envelope Design Guide—Sustainability of the Building Envelope
Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers:
- 01 91 00 (01810) Commissioning
- 01 78 23 (01830) Operation and Maintenance Data
- 32 90 00 (02900) Planting
- 06 20 00 (06200) Finish Carpentry
- 09 29 00 (09250) Gypsum Board
- 09 30 00 (09300) Tiling
- 09 51 00 (09510) Acoustical Ceilings
- 09 65 00 (09650) Resilient Flooring
- 09 65 16.13 (09654) Linoleum Flooring
- 09 68 00 (09680) Carpeting
- 09 72 00 (09720) Wallcoverings
- 09 90 00 (09900) Painting & Coating
- 10 21 13.19 (10170) Plastic Toilet Compartments
- 11 13 00 (11160) Loading Dock Equipment
- 11 30 00 (11450) Residential Equipment
- 11 28 00 (11680) Office Equipment
- 12 48 13 (12482) Entrance Floor Mats and Frames
- 12 59 00 (12700) Systems Furniture
- 48 14 00 (13600) Solar Energy Electrical Power Generation Equipment
- 48 15 00 (13600) Wind Energy Electrical Power Generation Equipment
- 48 30 00 (13600) Biomass Energy Electrical Power Generation Equipment
- 14 20 00 (14200) Elevators
- 22 40 00 (15400) Plumbing Fixtures
- 23 70 00 (15700) Central HVAC Equipment
- 23 30 00 (15800) HVAC Air Distribution
- 26 50 00 (16500) Lighting
Project Management
Tools
LEED® Version 2.1 Credit / WBDG Resource Page Matrix, LEED®-DoD Antiterrorism Standards Tool
Optimize Operational and Maintenance Practices
- Energy Star Operations and Maintenance Reports
- EPA WasteWise Program
- EPA Smart Growth
- FedCenter.gov—FedCenter, the Federal Facilities Environmental Stewardship and Compliance Assistance Center, is a collaborative effort between the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, and the U.S. EPA Federal Facilities Enforcement Office. FedCenter replaces the previous FedSite as a one-stop source of environmental stewardship and compliance assistance information focused solely on the needs of federal government facilities.
- Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of Understanding
- Pennsylvania Green Building Maintenance Manual by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in partnership with Green Seal and Department of General Services' Property Management.
- Operations and Maintenance—Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)
- U.S. Green Building Council, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System—Existing Buildings.
Train Building Occupants, Facilities Managers, and Maintenance Staff in Sustainability Principles and Methods
- IFMA Certification Program for Facility Managers—Maintenance and operations management is one of eight competency areas evaluated in becoming a Certified Facility Manager. An ideas exchange among facility managers is available on an advertising-supported web page.
Employ Environmentally Preferable Landscaping Practices
- Beneficial Landscaping Guidance by the U.S. Coast Guard Environmental Management Division (G-SEC-3).
- GSA Integrated Pest Management Program
- GSA Landscape Management Program
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Food Production Fact Sheet by EPA.
Purchase Cleaning Products and Supplies that are Resource-Efficient and Non-Toxic
- Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP), EPA
- Includes several Cleaning Products Pilot Projects on cleaners listed under "Solvents."
- Green Seal
- South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD)
- U.S. General Services Administration, Federal Supply Schedule – GSA Schedule 073—Schedule 073 (Food Service, Hospitality, and Cleaning) offers a variety of cleaning equipment and accessories, and cleaning products (including biodegradable products) for daily cleaning-products that keep facilities clean in an environmentally friendly manner. Also available are office recycling containers and waste receptacles, outdoor recycling containers, and industrial trash storage containers.
Use Automated Monitors and Controls for Energy, Water, Waste, Temperature, Moisture, and Ventilation Monitors and Controls
- Building Air Quality: A Guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers by U.S. EPA and National Institute for Safety and Health.
- Energy Star®, EPA
- FEMP Operations and Maintenance—Advanced Metering
Reduce Waste Through Source Reduction and Recycling
- EPA Office of Solid Waste
- Green Meetings, EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
- GSA Recycling and Waste Reduction Fact Sheet
- Planning Environmentally Aware Events, EPA Office of Solid Waste
- Waste News.com
Support Practices that Encourage Sustainable Transportation or Minimize Travel
- E-Commutair, the Teleworking Impact Estimation Tool from the Consortium on Green Design and Manufacturing, University of California, Berkeley
- Interagency Telework/Telecommuting website, GSA/OPM
- Public Law 106-346, Section 359—Congressional Federal Telework Mandate 2001 (Part of the Department of Transportation Appropriations Act of 2001), 23 October 2000.
- The Telework Coalition (TelCoa)
Publications
- HVAC Characteristics and Occupant Health (PDF 430 KB, 4 pgs) by W.K. Sieber, M.R. Petersen, L.T. Stayner, R. Malkin, M.J. Mendell, K.M. Wallingford, T.G. Wilcox, M.S. Crandall, and L. Reed. ASHRAE Journal, September 2002.