Buildings and Construction

Environmental Attributes to Look For
Procurement Guidance
Tools
Case Studies
Web Resources

Environmental Attributes to Look For

Biobased content
Energy efficient
Enhanced indoor environmental quality
Low embodied energy
Recyclable or reusable components
Recycled-content
Reduced environmental impact over the lifecycle
Reduced or eliminated toxic substances
Reduced waste
Responsible stormwater management
Sustainable development, smart growth
Uses renewable energy
Water efficient
Water reuse and recycling

Procurement Guidance

Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers
Model specification language for green building construction.

Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG)
Recycled-content recommendations for procurement of building and construction products.

ENERGY STAR® Procurement Language
Sample procurement language for procurement of ENERGY STAR-qualified products and services.

Federal Energy Management Program Model Language for Purchasing Energy-Efficient Products
Model language for procurement of ENERGY STAR-qualified and FEMP-designated products.

Department of Agriculture's BioPreferred, Purchasing Biobased
Links to federal agency Preferred Procurement Policies.

Tools

EPP Program list of Building and Construction Tools

Case Studies

EPP Program list of Building and Construction Case Studies

High Performance Buildings Database
Database of in-depth information and data on high-performance, green building projects across the United States and abroad, developed by the Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Web Resources

EPP Database

EPA Web Sites

Green Buildings Web site
Information about green building, including: benefits, environmental issues and building types.

Brownfields Redevelopment
Information about brownfields cleanup and redevelopment.

Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris
Information about reducing, reusing and recycling C&D debris.

ENERGY STAR® for Buildings
Information about improving the energy performance of buildings.

ENERGY STAR for New Buildings
Information about designing buildings with superior energy performance.

Green Indoor Environments
Information about enhancing indoor environmental quality.

Green Power Partnership
Information about renewable power sources, benefits of using them, and how to participate in the Partnership.

GreenScapes
Information about cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for landscaping.

Heat Island Effect
Information about heat islands and how to address them.

Smart Growth
Information about development and conservation strategies that help protect our natural environment and make our communities more attractive, economically stronger, and more socially diverse.

Sustainability in the Built Environment
Information about EPA tools, programs and partnerships that support a healthy and sustainable built environment.

WaterSense
Information about water-efficient products, programs, and practices.

Other Government Web Sites

Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG)
The WBDG is a web-based portal providing government and industry practitioners with one-stop access to up-to-date information on a wide range of building-related guidance, criteria and technology from a whole buildings perspective.

Non-Government Web Sites

BuildingGreen.com
BuildingGreen.com provides print and electronic resources to help in the design and building of construction projects from a whole-systems perspective. Publishers of Environmental Building News and the GreenSpec®

Green-e
Green-e is an independent renewable energy certification and verification program.

GreenerBuildings
GreenerBuildings is a resource center for environmentally responsible building development developed by Greener World Media, Inc.

GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI)
GREENGUARD is a nonprofit organization that establishes acceptable indoor air standards for indoor products, environments, and buildings.

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
USGBC promotes buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Developers of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™.

The Green Building Initiative (GBI)
GBI aims to accelerate the adoption of green building practices by promoting credible and practical green building approaches for residential and commercial construction. Developers of the Green GlobesTM environmental assessment and rating system for commercial structures.