|
|
Included in the High Performance Buildings Program Area are links to, and highlights from, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System,TM case studies of green construction efforts, software and databases to aid in determining which construction products and processes are the most effective, and assorted high performance construction guidelines and standards.
Executive Order (EO) 13834, Efficient Federal Operations, was signed by President Trump on 17 May 2018. Section 8 of this EO revokes EO 13693.
In relation to energy and environmental performance, EO 13834 states that it is the policy of the United States that agencies shall meet such statutory requirements in a manner that increases efficiency, optimizes performance, eliminates unnecessary use of resources, and protects the environment.
Section 2, of EO 13834 directs federal facilities to continue the following efforts
- Achieving and maintaining annual reductions in building energy use and implementing energy efficiency measures that reduce costs;
- Meeting statutory requirements relating to the consumption of renewable energy and electricity;
- Utilizing performance contracting to achieve energy, water, building modernization, and infrastructure goals;
- Ensuring that new construction and major renovations conform to applicable building energy efficiency requirements and sustainable design principles; consider building efficiency when renewing or entering into leases; implement space utilization and optimization practices; and annually assess and report on building conformance to sustainability metrics;
- Tracking and reporting on energy management activities, performance improvements, cost reductions, greenhouse gas emissions, energy and water savings, and other appropriate performance measures.
The Implementing Instructions for EO 13834, issued April 2019, provides instructions to Federal agencies regarding the implementation of EO 13834 including agency planning, reporting requirements, and accountability. Note that in these implementing instructions, the terms "must" and "shall" convey statutory or regulatory requirements; "instruct" conveys directions to implement EO 13834; "should" or "may" convey recommended best practices for efficient and effective implementation (Section 1, para B.)
In relation to High Performance Buildings, Section III.A5 of the implementing instructions define the applicable Progress Metrics as follows:
Metrics
- Percentage of buildings qualifying as sustainable buildings; and
- Percentage of GSF qualifying as sustainable.
- For owned buildings > 10,000 gross square foot (GSF).
Performance Measures
- At least 15 percent of buildings or GSF qualifying as sustainable; and
- Annual progress (either buildings or GSF).
Progress Milestone
- Agencies will identify targeted percentage for the next fiscal year in annual Sustainability Plans.
Implementing instruction guidance specific to energy efficiency in Federal buildings is found in the Program Area: Energy
For E.O. 13834 implementation, a sustainable Federal building has the same meaning as a high-performance green building (42 U.S.C. § 17061(13)), which, when compared to similar buildings, reduces energy, water, and material use; improves occupant health and productivity; minimizes air and water pollution and waste generation; acquires sustainable products and services; increases reuse and recycling activities; and is located near multiple transportation modes.
Agencies may qualify sustainable buildings, including existing buildings, new construction, and major renovations, using one of the following:
Agencies that choose to use a third-party building certification system to certify a new building or an existing building undergoing major renovation must choose a system that meets criteria identified by DOE at 10 CFR part 433, subpart C and 10 CFR part 435, subpart C. For new construction and major renovations, agencies are required to meet energy efficiency and sustainable design standards established by DOE at 10 CFR part 433.
Beginning in FY 2019, the calculation for percentage of sustainable buildings will be based on owned buildings of 10,000 GSF or greater. Any building qualified prior to FY 2019, regardless of size, will be "grandfathered" and included in annual calculations (added to both the numerator and denominator), provided that the building continues to meet any requirements for requalification. Newly qualified buildings smaller than 10,000 GSF are eligible for bonus credit toward the annual GSF progress calculation only. GSF will be added to both the numerator and denominator.
Agencies are required to lease space in ENERGY STAR qualified buildings unless excepted in accordance with 42 U.S.C. § 17091 as follows:
- No space is available in an ENERGY STAR qualified building that meets the functional requirements of an agency, including locational needs (NOTE: Cost competitiveness is a functional requirement);
- The agency proposes to remain in a building that the agency has occupied previously;
- The agency proposes to lease a building of historical, architectural, or cultural significance (as defined in 40 U.S.C. § 3306(a)(4)) or space in such a building; or
- The lease is for not more than 10,000 GSF of space.
Agencies should also consider options to lease space in buildings that qualify as sustainable where cost effective and in accordance with the aforementioned parameters. Agencies may choose to track and report sustainability of leased space; however, these buildings will be tracked separately and will not count toward progress on sustainable building goals.
In general, Agencies should optimize space usage to avoid unnecessary real property expenditures. Activities should be consistent with the National Strategy for the Efficient Use of Real Property, which aims to improve the utilization of Federal Government-owned buildings and improve the cost effectiveness and efficiency of the government-wide portfolio.
Agencies are to report annually on sustainable Federal building status in GSA's real property
database and the Federal Real Property Profile Management System (FRPP MS). Detailed instructions are issued annually by GSA in the FRPP MS Data Dictionary.
Data points tracked as indicators currently include:
- Number of sustainable buildings.
- Percentage of leased space, as identified in FRPP MS, in sustainable buildings (if reported by the agency).
Links to statutory requirements, reporting mechanisms, and additional CEQ guidance is provided below. Please use the links to quickly jump to the information area needed or scroll down to view all items.
|
Efficient Federal Operations
17 May 2018
It is the policy of the United States that agencies shall meet such statutory requirements in a manner that increases efficiency, optimizes performance, eliminates unnecessary use of resources, and protects the environment. In implementing this policy, each agency shall prioritize actions that reduce waste, cut costs, enhance the resilience of Federal infrastructure and operations, and enable more effective accomplishment of its mission. This EO rescinds EO 13693.
These instructions issued by the Chairman of the CEQ to Federal agencies for meeting energy and environmental performance requirements in a manner that increases efficiency, optimizes performance, eliminates unnecessary use of resources, and protects the environment, as required under E.O. 13834.
This CEQ website links to relevant U.S. codes, public laws, guidance, and resources to assist agencies in implementing E.O. 13834.
|
Dated February 2016, this document updates and replaces the December 2008 Guiding Principles to: 1) Reflect the evolution of sustainable building design, construction, and operating practices since 2008, 2) Increase the economic and environmental benefits of Federal investments in facilities, 3) Enhance occupant health, wellness, and productivity, 4) Include climate resilience in building design, construction, and operations, and protect Federal facilities investments from the potential impacts of climate change, and 5) Provide information on tracking agency green building performance. Guidance documents issued under prior Executive Orders are under review and may be revised. Federal agencies may continue to refer to this guidance, unless revised or revoked, particularly with regard to established procedures, reporting processes, definitions, and technical matters.
To assist agencies with the transition between the 2008 Guiding Principles and the updated 2016 Guiding Principles, the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) developed a crosswalk guidance document to explain and highlight the differences between the 2016 and 2008 versions of the Guiding Principles for existing buildings. The crosswalk is based on the evaluation criteria included in the Guiding Principles compliance document and provide an overall comparison of the major scoring and applicability changes between the two versions. It walks through each of the 2016 Guiding Principles and highlight major changes or significant new requirements.
To assist agencies with the transition between the 2008 Guiding Principles and the updated 2016 Guiding Principles, the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) developed a crosswalk guidance document to explain and highlight the differences between the 2016 and 2008 versions of the Guiding Principles for new construction and modernization. The crosswalk is based on the evaluation criteria included in the Guiding Principles compliance document and provide an overall comparison of the major scoring and applicability changes between the two versions. It walks through each of the 2016 Guiding Principles and highlight major changes or significant new requirements.
Description: This document is a companion to the revised "2016 Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings" and metrics for agencies to use to evaluate compliance with the Guiding Principles.
|
A voluntary product stewardship agreement achieved through multistakeholder dialogue. It has been signed by 7 states, the USEPA, and more than 95% of the industry. The focus of the MOU is a series of goals for reuse, recycling, and waste diversion of carpeting by 2012.
This Army memo establishes policy and guidance to use only efficient light bulbs that meet standards outlined in the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007.
The purpose of this memorandum, dated January 17, 2017, is to update the sustainable design and development (SDD) policy for Army construction activities. This policy applies to all infrastructure planning, design, sustainment, restoration, modernization, and construction activities on Army installations regardless of funding source.
|
This September 2015 DOE publication states that a Zero Energy Building is "an energy-efficient building where, on a source energy basis, the actual annual delivered energy is less than or equal to the on-site renewable exported energy." This definition also applies to campuses, portfolios, and communities. In addition to providing clarity across the industry, this new DOE publication provides important guidelines for measurement and implementation, specifically explaining how to utilize this definition for building projects.
Revised in December 2019, this FEMP document is an in-depth, step-by-step guide for incorporating efficiency requirements into solicitations. It covers a wide range of service and product solicitation types including information technology (IT) and electronics, appliances, lighting replacements, building renovation, design/build, operations and maintenance, food services, and laundry services. Each project type includes information on relevant covered product categories, a checklist for writing effective solicitations, and model contract language.
This updated document reflects the requirements of the 5 December 2013 Presidential Memo on "Federal Leadership on Energy Management." The updated guidance clarifies the criteria for "metered buildings" subject to the requirements of Section 432 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) (42 U.S.C. § 8253(f)(8)) and designates the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Portfolio Manager as the sole benchmarking tool for Federal agencies to use in fulfilling the benchmarking requirements. The criteria and process for requesting non-disclosure of building performance for national security reasons are also described in the guidance.
This November 2014 guidance defines which Federal buildings are appropriate to meter, provides metering prioritization recommendations for agencies with limited resources, and discusses the requirement for agencies to submit metering implementation plans the U.S. Department of Energy.
This template is intended to assist agencies in complying with the new Federal Building Metering Guidance.
The Green Building Advisory Committee provides expert advice to GSA's Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings to advance the greening of the Federal building portfolio. This website includes the resolutions and advice letters approved by the Committee and presented to GSA. As the products of an independent advisory committee, these proposals may or may not be consistent with current GSA policy.
This document reflects GSA's has review of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Version 4 (LEED v4), the new version of the LEED green building certification system published in November 2013 by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The purpose of the review was to examine how LEED v4 aligns with existing federal statutory, regulatory, and Executive Order green building requirements.
The Advisory Committee provides independent policy advice and recommendations to GSA's Office of Federal High-Performance Buildings, as required by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), to advance federal building innovations in planning, design, and operations to reduce costs, enable agency missions, enhance human health and performance, and minimize environmental impacts.
The purpose of this guide is to provide information on effective energy and water metering strategies, relevant metering technologies and communications, how to collect and use metered data, and how to develop a metering plan. This guide is designed to serve as a resource for facility, energy, and water management and technical staff. It does not try to represent the universe of metering-related material.
|
Back to Top 
|
A newsletter published by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS).
Each online issue of Ecotecture focuses on a particular aspect of the ecological design field, such as the redesign of cities for better ecological performance, sustainable agriculture, ecological housing, and alternative energy. The site also features interviews with a leading ecological designer and a forum for sharing ideas, designs, and the results of experiments.
An online newsletter about responsible forestry and green building.
This is a quarterly magazine is published by ASHRAE with a mission to help decision makers in the building community learn about the benefits of innovative technologies and energy-efficient design and operation. We do this with case studies of exemplary buildings, developed through the support of leading practitioners in the sustainability movement. High Performing Buildings is available in digital form at no cost.
A listing of proven green building strategies that have been submitted and utilized by LEED Certified projects.
This voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing a high-performance, sustainable building was created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED can be applied to every building type and phase of a building lifecycle. Specific programs exist for the following building types: new commercial construction and major renovation projects; multiple buildings and on-campus building projects; existing building operations and maintenance; commercial interiors; core and shell development projects; homes neighborhood development, schools, and retail operations.
The roster search and referral system is accessible to anyone contemplating the use of consensus building and dispute resolution services where environmental, natural resources, or public lands issues are involved.
|
A part of GSA's SFTool, this is a detailed repository of education and information about policies, strategies, case studies and tools developed in the process of greening their buildings and shared with the Interagency Sustainability Working Group (ISWG).
This library contains on-line resources on water conservation and efficiency. Subject matter covered in the library include: drought management, alternative supplies, conservation programs, water saving tips, residential efficiency, and metering.
The Center, launched by DOE, is an online tool designed to provide building professionals with fast, free and reliable building science and efficiency knowledge. The tool is designed to enable professional homebuilders, remodelers, architects, designers, building science educators, researchers and code officials to have access to proven innovations and best practices from Energy Department-approved building science research for hundreds of high-performance home technologies. The Building America Solution Center brings together recommendations from the country's top building science experts to help participating builders and remodelers continuously improve their construction practices. At the heart of the Building America Solution Center are the guides -- a compilation of content covering eight critical topics for applying each individual measure. Users can also use a browser to view galleries of content - such as images, CAD files or case studies - or filter the results by keyword.
Sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council, GBIG provides tools that allow project teams, portfolio managers, investors, product manufacturers, researchers - and the general public - to discover green buildings around the world, generate insights and accelerate market transformation. Users can look for particular LEED Certified projects as well as more general information.
The Labs21 program developed a Tool Kit of resources to support the design, construction, and operation of high-performance laboratories. The tools include design guides, case studies, a performance rating system, a video, and other products that are planned or under development.
This is a collection of DOE protocols for determining energy savings from energy efficiency measures and programs. The first protocols were published in April 2013.
This is an extensive electronic library of construction guide specifications, manuals, standards and many other essential criteria documents. Published and updated continuously, this library contains the complete unabridged, approved, current electronic equivalents of over 5,000 documents direct from participating federal agencies. Documents are mainly available in Adobe Acrobat PDF. Some documents are also furnished by agencies in editable format, such as Microsoft Word or SpecsIntact specification processing program format used by the Army, NAVFAC and NASA. Documents are organized by agency and document type.
|
The AIA COTE annually selects its "Top Ten" examples of architectural and "green" design solutions that protect and enhance the environment.
Through the supply of technical support, tools, best practices, analyses, and the introduction of technologies, the Center of Expertise assists federal agencies and other organizations implement data center energy efficiency projects.
The Energy Efficient Building Association promotes a systems approach to ensure energy efficiency, building durability, occupant comfort and health, and environmental responsibility. Its Web site provides downloadable information (in PDF format) for energy- and resource-efficient buildings and assists small, low-rise commercial buildings with specific criteria for design, construction, and comprehensive rehabilitation.
Help protect our environment by designing buildings with superior energy performance. Top performing facilities that are designed to earn the ENERGY STAR require less money to operate and are responsible for fewer greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Take advantage of tools and resources from EPA, and join building design professionals from around the country who are demonstrating their commitment to creating sustainable architecture.
GBI is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches for residential and commercial construction.
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities' mission is to increase the awareness of the economic, social, and environmental benefits of green roof infrastructure across North America and rapidly advance the development of the market for green roof products and services.
HBN is a team of researchers, engineers, scientists, building experts, and educators. Whose mission is to pursue healthy building practices that increase transparency in the building products industry, reduce human exposures to hazardous chemicals, and create market incentives for healthier innovations in manufacturing.
NIBS is a non-profit, non-governmental organization bringing together representatives of government, the professions, industry, labor and consumer interests to focus on the identification and resolution of problems and potential problems that hamper the construction of safe, affordable structures for housing, commerce and industry throughout the United States.
A consortium of twelve federal government Member agencies and over 350 non-federal Cooperators representing various disciplines within the conservation field: biologists, botanists, habitat preservationists, horticulturists, resources management consultants, soil scientists, special interest clubs, non-profit organizations, concerned citizens, nature lovers, and gardeners. PCA Members and Cooperators work collectively to solve the problems of native plant extinction and native habitat restoration, ensuring the preservation of our ecosystem. This site contains state or regionally-specific guides on native plant landscaping, grant programs, in invasive species.
The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation's foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.
|
AIA's Committee on the Environment (COTE) has announced its Top Ten awardees for sustainable design in 2020. The 2020 COTE® Top Ten program highlights projects that meet the AIA Committee on the Environment's rigorous criteria for social, economic, and ecological value. The COTE® Top Ten Plus designation denotes projects with exemplary performance data and post occupancy lessons.
This award recognizes the initiatives that shape, inform and catalyze the high-performance building market, as well as the real-world application of high-performance design and construction practices.
|
Tips for pollinator friendly landscapes
This EPA website includes links to examples of tribal building codes, an assessment tool
(with tribal case studies) for identifying and prioritizing structures the community wants to build, funding opportunities, and multiple other resources supporting sustainable design in tribal communities.
|
This report discusses the impact of indoor environments on people and the impact of buildings on the environment.
A collection of projects and practices which Federal agencies have implemented to achieve green building goals. Information is categorized by the headings "Policies and Strategies," Tools and Training," and "Best Practices and Case Studies." Subjects covered within these categories include, but are not limited to: water conservation, energy efficiency, metering, NetZero, lighting, green leasing, sustainable acquisition, and design.
This report commissioned by the Office of Federal High Performance Green Buildings includes a literature review of 200 research studies, in-depth analysis of green roof benefits, an original cost-benefit analysis, discussion of challenges and best practices, and assessment of further research needs. The report estimated a 6.2-year payback for this technology on commercial and public buildings.
Developing and delivering a cost-effective proactive replacement strategy for RTUs is challenging because it involves many complex factors. To successfully optimize energy and cost performance, the strategy must include evaluation of a range of economic and non-economic factors. This November 2015 document introduces the key elements to consider in making the business case for a proactive high efficiency RTU replacement strategy for facility maintenance staff and building engineers who are responsible for energy management.
This technical support document, dated September 2009, was created by the DOE national laboratories under the direction of DOE's Building Technologies Program. It describes the assumptions, methodologies, and analyses used to reach 50% energy savings over ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2004. This report provides recommendations and user-friendly design assistance to designers, developers, and owners of highway lodging properties and is intended to encourage steady progress towards net-zero energy performance in these buildings.
Plug and process loads (PPLs) consume about one-third of the primary energy in U.S. commercial buildings. PPLs cover a wide variety of electronic, computer, refrigeration, and cooking devices, including essential equipment for information processing, medical treatment, and food service businesses. The December 2015 decision guides found in this resource were created to help building owners find the right control strategy for PPLs in their buildings. Developed by the Better Building Alliance, the guides are developed for different building types and outline the costs, potential savings, complexities, and user friendliness of various control strategies and their applications to each building type. The guides also aim to help building owners determine whether a control is appropriate for particular project applications such as staged retrofit projects, whole-building retrofits, new construction projects, and projects that involve tenants and landlords. Lastly, the guides provide links to additional resources that can further help building owners assess and reduce the energy use that is associated with PPLs, find rebates for PPL control measures, and procure the right control types for their building equipment.
Military Construction and Major RenovationsNational Research Council, concludes that green building certification systems such as LEED offer frameworks for successfully reducing energy and water use in buildings. The report is based on a review of empirical studies related to energy-efficiency and green building standards.
This August 2018 EPA case study demonstrates the environmental and health benefits of green roofs for Kansas City, Missouri. The case study lays out a replicable analytical framework using free quantitative tools created by EPA and others that state and local decision-makers and practitioners can use to assess the multiple benefits of green roofs.
To help the Army and Fort Carson achieve their Net-Zero goals, GSA partnered with them to conduct the Fort Carson Energy Research Project. The research team tested and analyzed strategies to minimize energy use, including both improving building systems and influencing occupant behavior. The researchers targeted strategies with the highest return on investment over the lifecycle of the buildings studied. This report was issued in 2014.
Sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council, GBIG provides tools that allow project teams, portfolio managers, investors, product manufacturers, researchers - and the general public - to discover green buildings around the world, generate insights and accelerate market transformation. Users can look for particular LEED Certified projects as well as more general information.
This is a database that provides case studies of projects ranging from homes and commercial interiors to large buildings and even whole campuses and neighborhoods. These may be certified green projects, or simply projects that have one or more notable environmental features. The information has been reviewed for consistency and presentation, but in most cases the details have not been independently verified.
Energy consumption at labs, data centers, and cleanrooms is characterized by large base-loads operating 24 hours a day with energy intensities much larger than typical commercial buildings. The intent of this website is to provide a portal to a portfolio of research, development, demonstration, and deployment of energy-efficient technologies and practices for high-tech facilities such as laboratories, cleanrooms, and data centers.
In this June 2018 study GSA compares 100 GSA high-performance buildings to 100 GSA legacy stock buildings looking at actual performance data in five key metrics from the last three years. The comparison found that high-performance buildings save energy, save water, cost less to operate, produce less waste, and have more satisfied occupants compared with typical buildings.
A listing of proven green building strategies that have been submitted and utilized by LEED Certified projects.
The document begins with a review of LID, its purpose and methods. It also includes numerous examples of the application of LID at DOD training areas. It then devotes the majority of its pages to a set of fact sheets on such topics as "Secondary Roads", "Small Weapons Firing Ranges", "Maneuver Corridors", and "Bioretention Technology". It ends with good number of plans and drawings for the hard-corps planning/engineering staff.
Contains information on studies conducted by the Army and the Air Force on the costs and requirements of meeting energy efficiency, sustainability, and ASHRAE standards.
This study, published September 2012 by the Harvard Business School, examines the impact of environmentally friendly government procurement policies on private-sector adoption of the targeted products. Key concepts include: government purchasing preferences can accelerate the diffusion of products and services, potentially replacing the need for subsidies and
government procurement policies can specify particular product standards can foster their adoption by the private sector.
This report compares different green building rating systems for Federal use. The report was authored by Pacific Northwest National Lab.
This report, released by the National Trust's Preservation Green Lab provides the most comprehensive analysis to date of the potential environmental benefit of building reuse. The report uses a life cycle assessment approach to compare the environmental impacts from reuse of existing buildings with demolition and construction of new buildings.
This website provides a brief overview of the role of green roofs in mitigating the heat island effect, including green roof types, other environmental and social benefits, and cost-benefit considerations.
|
A summary of the impact of the Energy Star Program in homebuilding.
The Center, launched by DOE, is an online tool designed to provide building professionals with fast, free and reliable building science and efficiency knowledge. The tool is designed to enable professional homebuilders, remodelers, architects, designers, building science educators, researchers and code officials to have access to proven innovations and best practices from Energy Department-approved building science research for hundreds of high-performance home technologies. The Building America Solution Center brings together recommendations from the country's top building science experts to help participating builders and remodelers continuously improve their construction practices. At the heart of the Building America Solution Center are the guides -- a compilation of content covering eight critical topics for applying each individual measure. Users can also use a browser to view galleries of content - such as images, CAD files or case studies - or filter the results by keyword.
Issued by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), this report, dated 1 December 2008, highlights combined heat and power (CHP) as a realistic solution to enhance national energy efficiency, ensure environmental quality, promote economic growth, and foster a robust energy infrastructure.
A government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency.
EPA has partnered with the Federal Environmental Executive and the Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) to develop the Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers. The intent of the document is to address the need for a comprehensive guide for procuring green building products and construction services within the Federal government.
This document reflects GSA's has review of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Version 4 (LEED v4), the new version of the LEED green building certification system published in November 2013 by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The purpose of the review was to examine how LEED v4 aligns with existing federal statutory, regulatory, and Executive Order green building requirements.
Green Globes is a web-based program for green building guidance and certification that includes an onsite assessment by a third party. The program has modules supporting new construction, existing buildings, and Healthcare buildings. It is suitable for a wide range of buildings from large and small offices, multi-family structures, hospitals, and institutional buildings such as courthouses, schools, and universities. The program includes best practices guidance for green construction and operations as well as a rating and certification system.
Guiding Principles of Sustainable Design published by the US Department of Interior and National Park Service.
This is a collection of resources to support the design, construction, and operation of high-performance laboratories. The tools include design guides, case studies, a performance rating system, a video, and other products that are planned or under development.
This voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing a high-performance, sustainable building was created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED can be applied to every building type and phase of a building lifecycle. Specific programs exist for the following building types: new commercial construction and major renovation projects; multiple buildings and on-campus building projects; existing building operations and maintenance; commercial interiors; core and shell development projects; homes neighborhood development, schools, and retail operations.
A voluntary public-private partnership that identifies and promotes high performance products and programs that help preserve the nation’s water supply (EO 13423, Section 2(c)).
WaterSense makes it easy to find and select water–efficient products that can help your wallet and the environment. WaterSense labeled products are backed by independent, third–party certification and meet EPA's specifications for water efficiency and performance. Products include toilets, faucets, irrigation sprayers, and others
|
This guide was released May 2012. It targets standard mid- to large-size hospital, typically at least 100,000 ft2 in size, but the strategies apply to all sizes and classifications of large hospitals. Space types covered include cafeterias and kitchens; conference and office areas; reception and waiting areas; examination and treatment rooms; clean and soiled workrooms; nurse stations; nurseries and patient rooms; operating, procedure and recovery rooms; sterilizer equipment areas; pharmacies and laboratories; triage, trauma, and emergency rooms; physical therapy and radiology/imaging rooms; storage, receiving, and mechanical/electrical/telecom rooms. This Guide does not directly address other, atypical or special-use spaces. This guide was developed through the collaboration of ASHRAE, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), with support from the Department of Energy (DOE), to help meet all of an owner's energy performance requirements. In an effort to promote building energy efficiency, ASHRAE and its partners has made this guide available for download (PDF) at no charge.
These guides offer contractors and designers the tools, including recommendations for practical products and off-the-shelf technology, needed for achieving a 30% energy savings compared to buildings that meet the minimum requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-1999. These guides have been developed through the collaboration of ASHRAE, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), with support from the Department of Energy (DOE), to help meet all of an owner's energy performance requirements. Sector-specific guides are available for: small hospitals and healthcare facilities; lodging facilities; small warehouses and self-storage; schools; small retail buildings; small office buildings. ASHRAE and its partners have made these guides available for download (PDF) at no charge.
This guide provides the tools, including recommendations for practical products and off-the-shelf technology, needed for achieving a 50% energy
savings compared to buildings that meet the minimum requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2004. The guide applies to small to medium office buildings up to 100,000 ft2, including a wide range of office types and related activities such as administrative, professional, government, bank
or other financial services, and medical offices without medical diagnostic equipment. Also provides a greater emphasis on integrated design as a necessary component in achieving 50% energy savings.
This checklist was developed by EPA. Called GreenCheck, the process provides a method for EPA to track the compliance of projects at facilities it owns and/or occupies where Federal sustainable building requirements apply.
Green Globes is a web-based program for green building guidance and certification that includes an onsite assessment by a third party. The program has modules supporting new construction, existing buildings, and Healthcare buildings. It is suitable for a wide range of buildings from large and small offices, multi-family structures, hospitals, and institutional buildings such as courthouses, schools, and universities. The program includes best practices guidance for green construction and operations as well as a rating and certification system.
This is a companion document to the GSA LEED Cost Study, which outlines an evaluation process in which the predicted first cost impacts of the individual LEED prerequisites and credits (developed from the Cost Study) are used as a basis for structuring an overall LEED project approach. The process also illustrates how LEED criteria relate to existing GSA mandates, performance goals, and programmatic requirements.
Two building types (new construction courthouses and Federal Building modernization) are modeled against two scenarios for each LEED rating (Certification, Silver, Gold), identifying differential costs of construction, design, and documentation/submission requirements.
This guide is offered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). The FEMP guide walks users through renewable energy options to help select appropriate types of renewable energy technologies and integrate these technologies into all phases of new construction or major renovation projects. This Guide also provides introductory information on why Federal agencies should consider renewable energy, specific guidance on major renovations, and guidance and resources for training and outreach for projects that use renewable energy.
This voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing a high-performance, sustainable building was created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED can be applied to every building type and phase of a building lifecycle. Specific programs exist for the following building types: new commercial construction and major renovation projects; multiple buildings and on-campus building projects; existing building operations and maintenance; commercial interiors; core and shell development projects; homes neighborhood development, schools, and retail operations.
This guide is for the construction company owner, contractor, architect, and other personnel involved in construction and development. Use this guide during the pre-bid phase to learn what is required; use it during the pre-construction phase to assign environmental responsibilities; and during the construction phase to find answers to ongoing environmental questions or conducting self audits.
This May 2014 document was developed by VA's Office of Construction and Facilities Management in cooperation with other VA partners. The intent of the document is to consolidate the wide range of sustainable design requirements into one easy-to-navigate resource.
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. Currently organized into two major categories--Design Guidance and Project Management. Development of the WBDG is a collaborative effort among federal agencies, private sector companies, non-profit organizations and educational institutions.
|
A Guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers This guide provides practical suggestions on preventing, identifying, and resolving indoor air quality (IAQ) problems in public and commercial buildings.
This document was designed to meet the needs of building owners and managers who want an easy-to-understand path for taking their building from current conditions and practices to the successful institutionalization of good IAQ management practices.
The starting point for EPA's Indoor Air Quality Program.
Includes the best practices for design, construction, and commissioning of new non-residential buildings. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and an industry consortium developed this reference.
EPA website devoted to IAQ in large buildings such as office buildings.
This ASHRAE guide is designed for architects, design engineers, contractors, commissioning agents, and all other professionals concerned with indoor air quality.
|
EPA has partnered with the Federal Environmental Executive and the Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) to develop the Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers. The intent of the document is to address the need for a comprehensive guide for procuring green building products and construction services within the Federal government.
This document was developed to assist and educate field workers, supervisors and managers in making decisions that help the project team meet sustainable project goals. The field guide is designed to fill a significant void in available information for sustainable construction methods. It systematically draws together and organizes information on many aspects of construction that can assure the sustainability of a facility. Simple methods and suggested practices are presented for the major phases of construction in the field guide.
Green infrastructure is an approach to wet weather management that is cost-effective, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. Green Infrastructure management approaches and technologies infiltrate, evapotranspire, capture and reuse stormwater to maintain or restore natural hydrologies.
This January 2017 EPA publication outlines more than 70 policies local government officials, staff, and boards can consider to help adapt to current or projected flooding and extreme precipitation, sea level rise and storm surge, extreme heat, drought, and wildfire. These policies range from modest adjustments to wholesale changes, giving communities a range of options to consider depending on their needs and context. The publication includes examples of communities implementing these policies, resources for more information, and metrics that communities could use taken from three community-scale sustainability rating systems.
Building owners, architects, and engineers can use the charrette process to save time and money by identifying and solving design problems before design and construction begin. A charrette is an intensive workshop in which various stakeholders and experts are brought together to address a particular design project. It is the mechanism that starts the communication process among the project team members, building users, and project management staff.
LID is an approach to land development (or re-development) that works with nature to manage stormwater as close to its source as possible.
|
Back to Top
|
Offered as part of the Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) Continuing Education Courses, this course will provide an introduction to the concepts and technologies of low impact development, with an overview and emphasis on strategies for protecting and conserving water on site. If you don't have a WBDG account, you will have to register (for free) before gaining access to the courses.
The focus of this 2-hour EPA course is retrofitting stormwater management practices into watersheds that have already been developed. This approach can help restore watersheds by providing stormwater treatment in locations it was not originally included.
An overview of commissioning information, guidance, and resources is presented under three broad principles, including Determine Project Performance Requirements, Owner's Role and Responsibilities in the Commissioning Process, and Commissioning Document Compliance and Acceptance. All three principles are applied over the life-span of a capital design and construction project, and that it takes a multi-disciplined effort involving owners, design professionals, construction managers, and commissioning providers to achieve optimal results from the commissioning process.
This course is offered by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The purpose of this course is to enable you to reduce operating cost and provide energy savings to the building a student is responsible for. Students will learn the initial steps involved in re-tuning a building controlled via a building automation system (BAS). Interactive exercises are included to provide students "hands-on" practice of the re-tuning process within a virtual building. Students will practice identifying opportunities for energy improvement and then deciding how to re-tune for more efficiency. The intended audience for this course is onsite employees responsible for day-to-day building operations; offsite contractors (retro-commissioning agents or control vendors) hired to improve a building's energy efficiency; and college students interested in entering this field. The focus is on large (100,000 sq. ft.) commercial buildings (office buildings, malls, and schools), but the concepts and techniques presented can be applied to any type and size of facility that has a BAS.
This course is designed for Energy and Facility Managers who manage commissioning processes for existing Federal buildings. Focusing on proven strategies in the Federal sector, the training is designed to achieve the maximum benefits of commissioning efforts. Specific Federal applications such as laboratories and data centers are discussed within the overall context of helping Federal staff maximize operational efficiencies including cost and energy savings. There is an emphasis on employing best practices to select and execute improvements that incorporate processes to ensure the persistence of the efficiency outcomes. This course is offered through the Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) through a partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) and the National Institute of Building Sciences.
The focus of this 2-hour EPA course is how to develop an effective SWPPP. IT includes a discussion of common problems found on construction sites.
This webinar series, hosted by EPA's Indoor Environments Division, features presentations on a variety of scientific and technical issues related to indoor air quality delivered by widely-recognized experts.
Facility managers, energy managers, contractors, and others need to understand the latest information about energy and water management in order to help the Federal government be save energy and money and meet energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation goals. With targeted and up-to-date courses, FEMP helps Federal energy managers become more proficient in energy management and learn about alternative forms of financing energy-saving projects. Additional classes are listed also.
This course is intended for design and construction professionals interested in green building rating systems. It provides an overview of the Green Globes rating system with a primary focus on the Sustainable Interiors (SI) program, which is based on an ANSI Standard (ANSI/GBI 01-2010: Green Building Assessment Protocol for Commercial Buildings). This is a free, 90-minute webinar approved for 1.5 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare credits.
Historic property management combines preservation maintenance with modern systems management. Learn how to read your building, search for solutions, and then care for the building envelope by maintaining its historic materials. Explore how to balance the environmental needs of the building with its users. Understand the impacts on historic properties of pest management practices and mechanical building systems--HVAC, plumbing, fire, security, and lighting. Discuss how to train in-house staff and when to hire a specialist to identify a problem or a contractor to handle a specific task.
Sponsored by the Energy & Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA), this 1-day workshop includes information on the EEBA, building science principles, window and door systems, foundations, mechanical systems, and the case for green buildings in general. This course does offer CEU credits.
This FEMP webinar was originally presented 12 July 2012. Implementing Deep Retrofits: A Whole Building Approach fosters competency in developing retrofit solutions that demonstrate integrated, holistic, and synergistic approaches to energy-efficient retrofits. The goal is to yield higher performance results than are achieved with standard, individual, and routine energy conservation measures. Develop skills in scoping opportunities and drafting a statement of work; building system synergies and areas of technology integration; and selecting a contractor. Success stories will also be reviewed.
Advanced building controls and energy management strategies could result in an average of nearly 30% energy savings. Unfortunately, there is an industry-wide knowledge gap on how to utilize advanced controls to capitalize on energy savings and to ensure that buildings run at peak performance. The objective of this ESTCP-funded technology transfer project is to develop and deliver a comprehensive training and education platform for disseminating building controls basics and advanced building controls concepts to Department of Defense (DoD) stakeholders and decision-makers including energy managers, engineers and building operators.
First presented in May 2015, this webinar uses of real world examples and an enhanced understanding of the design process to empower project managers and design team members to utilize energy modeling on their projects. From contract language to communications, the webinar will address the key components you need to understand in order to successfully incorporate energy modeling into the design process.
Replacing lighting with efficient LEDs continues to result in substantial savings for commercial buildings. Join this webinar to hear from three ENERGY STAR partners who have installed LED lighting and realized savings.
This course outlines federal requirements and drivers for metering, and provides best practices
for selecting and prioritizing metering projects. This course is the first in a three-part series on the topic of advanced metering for federal facilities
This seminar provides an overview of operations and maintenance best practices with a focus on corrective, preventive, and predictive infrastructure requirements and commissioning for existing buildings.
Earlier this month, more than 2,000 people attended this year's Virtual Leadership Symposium. Leaders from across the U.S. shared their expertise, insight, and experience as they engaged with attendees on topics including workforce development, healthy buildings, project financing, resilience, and more. View your favorite sessions from the 2020 Summit – or check out one you may have missed. Each recording is accompanied by a downloadable slide deck and transcript.
Throughout this course, you will learn the initial steps involved in re-tuning a building controlled via a building automation system (BAS). Interactive exercises are included to provide you "hands-on" practice of the re-tuning process within a virtual building. You will practice identifying opportunities for energy improvement and then deciding how to re-tune for more efficiency. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has developed a Building Re-tuning approach to detect energy savings opportunities and implement improvements.
The purpose of this course is to enable you to reduce operating cost and provide energy savings to the building you are responsible for. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has developed a Building Re-tuning approach to detect energy savings opportunities and implement improvements.
Offered as part of the Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) Continuing Education Courses, this course will provide you with an introduction to the Historic Preservation process with a special focus on how to balance sustainability goals and operations and maintenance practices with preservation solutions. If you don't have a WBDG account, you will have to register (for free) before gaining access to the courses.
In this training, FEMP Expert Sarah Jensen provides training to optimize building technologies, avoid the costs of waste and inefficiency, and create productive, comfortable, and healthy work environments. She addresses O&M practices; the application of tools to baseline, benchmark, and audit facilities to comply with the Guiding Principles for High Performance Sustainable Existing Buildings; how to implement sustainable strategies, and engaging an organizational team.
This 2-hour EPA training includes guidance on conducting a program self-assessment, developing effective stormwater management criteria, and incorporating credits for LID and runoff reduction.
Simply click on the Search button for a complete list of workshops that are currently open for registration or enter specific search criteria for a filtered list. Please note that our calendar is frequently updated, so continue to check back to find upcoming workshops. After clicking the Search button, the page will refresh and you will need to scroll down to see the workshop listings.
|
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 17, 2020
Dec 16, 2020
Nov 06, 2020
Jul 22, 2020
Jul 16, 2020
Jul 01, 2020
Apr 15, 2020
|
|
Executive Order 13834
(Until 05/20)
