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This publication was made possible by the support of people like you through the IFMA Foundation. I F M A F O U N D AT I O N
Established in 1990 as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation, and separate entity from IFMA, the IFMA
Foundation works for the public good to promote priority research and educational opportunities for prepared by the Leonardo Academy Inc.
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DELIVER the GREEN
IFMA FOUNDATION CORPORATE CIRCLE OF CONTRIBUTORS
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This report sponsored by
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Stephen Olson, Director of Finance and Operations, Leonardo Academy Inc. Sheila Sheridan, CFM, CFMJ, CPM
Jenny Carney, LEED-EB Program Manager, Leonardo Academy Inc. Sheridan Associates
Michael Arny, President and Executive Director, Leonardo Academy Inc. Sheila Sheridan retired from Harvard University as Director of Facilities and Services at the
John F. Kennedy (JFK) School of Government. She has over 25 years experience in the facilities
profession and provided great assistance in the development of this white paper. She helped to
This project supports Leonardo Academy’s mission of improving the environment through sustainable
identify leading facility managers in sustainability actions to include in the survey, follow-up
actions. Leonardo Academy focuses on using integrated thinking to promote environmental interviews and data collection. She also helped guide and review the white paper materials to
sustainability. We develop innovative, outcome-focused products and resources that facilitate make sure they are on target for facility managers.
sustainability by integrating economics, policy and ecology. We produce rating systems, certification
programs, educational resources and other tools that make practicing sustainability practical. Lisa Matthiessen
Leonardo Academy is a charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Senior Associate (Sustainable Consulting), Davis Langdon Seah International
Lisa Matthiessen has extensive experience in design and construction with an emphasis in
sustainabledesign. She directs Davis Langdon’s Sustainable Design department which provides
Leonardo Academy wishes to express their great appreciation to the IFMA Foundation for their
full sustainable design and LEED services for major institutional projects. Lisa assisted with
generous funding of this white paper. developing best ways for LEED building projects to analyze financial information and decision
making during the LEED-EB Certification Process.
Leonardo Academy Inc.
T: (608) 280-0255
F: (608) 255-7202 Additional Contributors
info@leonardoacademy.org
1526 Chandler Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53711 First, we would like to thank Stu Carron, Global Facility Manager for JohnsonDiversey, and Patrick
www.leonardoacademy.org Okamura, Manager of Scottsdale Facilities Operations for General Dynamics C4 Systems, for taking
the time to share their experiences with the LEED-EB certification process and helping us to create
the Case Studies based on these experiences.
We would also like to thank the facility managers who participated in our survey of sustainable
building best practices. We are especially grateful to the facility managers who took the extra time to
share their own sustainable building best practice stories, photos and ideas in addition to completing
the survey.
Additional copies of this report are available for sale from the IFMA Foundation, 1 E. Greenway Plaza, Suite 1100,
Houston, TX 77046-0194; (281)974-5600; also available on line at www.ifmafoundation.org.
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers
Table of Contents
Introduction 2
Operational and Economic Cost/Benefits of Sustainable Building Practices 3
Sustainable Building Rating Systems as a Framework for Successful Facility
Operation and Upgrades 5
Pursuing LEED-EB Certification 8
Operational and Maintenance Opportunities and Implementation Strategies 26
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Introduction
Facility managers frequently implement energy and water efficiency and waste reduction
measures in their buildings. Now, these same facility managers have the opportunity to
incorporate sustainability into the mix. Sustainability is defined by the World Commission on
Environment and Development as “meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs.” Whether it comes from a top-down directive
from upper management or bottom-up from facility managers looking to improve their facility,
sustainability is a word that captures the attention of upper management including CEOs and
CFOs.
A 2003 PricewaterhouseCoopers’ survey of nearly 1,000 CEOs from 43 countries showed that
79 percent of CEOs agreed that sustainability is vital to the profitability of any company, and
that the main factor driving sustainability is concern about reputation and brand. In addition, 71
percent of CEOs said they would sacrifice short-term profitability in exchange for long-term
shareholder value when implementing a sustainability program.1 Many companies have also
included corporate sustainability commitments within their annual report.2
This white paper provides an overview of the best opportunities for incorporating sustainability
principles into existing buildings, the costs and benefits of doing so, insights from facility
managers practicing green O&M in their buildings, and the process for achieving recognition for
these actions from the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC’s) LEED®-EB (Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings) program. LEED is a voluntary
program of the USGBC that establishes standards for evaluating and certifying the sustainability
of buildings through a series of green building rating systems.
We surveyed top facility managers (Surveyed FMs) from organizations that we believe operate
and maintain their buildings in a sustainable fashion. We qualitatively identified the operation
and maintenance (O&M) best practices that have been embraced at these facilities.
1
Pricewaterhouse Coopers 6th Annual Global CEO Survey, Leadership, Responsibility, and Growth in Uncertain
Times, January, 2003. 14 July 2006 <http://www.pwcglobal.com/gx/eng/ins-sol/survey-
rep/ceo6/pwc_6_ceo_survey.pdf>
2
Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes web site. 26 May 2006 <http://www.sustainability-
index.com/htmle/sustainability/corpsustainability.html>
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Surveyed FMs indicated adopting green practices not only improves buildings for their
organizations, but can also provide professional benefits to them. These benefits include:
Increased skills and responsibility as sustainability becomes a growing part of facility
management practices
Increased recognition of the economic significance of facility management practices for the
organization
Increased status and profile within the organization
Increased career mobility and opportunities through demonstrated sustainability skills
Increased communication, dialogue and educational opportunities with building occupants,
CEOs and other top level managers in the organization and with people outside the
organization
Increased external professional networking opportunities
Sustainable building practices help facility managers upgrade and operate their buildings in a
sustainable way over the long term, yielding a variety of benefits. Financial, environmental and
social benefits result from:
Lower energy and water costs
Lower waste disposal costs
Lower environmental and emissions costs
Lower operations and maintenance costs
Increased productivity of building occupants
Increased health of building occupants
Higher building valuation (Rule of Thumb: Buildings increase in value eight to ten times the
operational savings3)
Positive impacts on the local and global environment from reductions in resource use,
emissions, water use, and waste disposal
Despite myriad long term benefits, incorrect assumptions about the cost of greening buildings
remains an obstacle to widespread sustainable building adoption. This remains true even
following the emergence of numerous studies indicating that cost premiums for new sustainable
building are minimal if not nonexistent. Survey results show that total long-term costs are lower
than perceived, yet a lack of awareness and misperception that construction costs are higher for
new sustainable buildings are still primary hurdles to green building.4 For existing buildings, the
cost of implementing sustainability can be managed to fit organizational financial constraints.
3
Cooper, Glen. Valuation Rules of Thumb, Why and how they are used. BizBuySell article, 2002. 14 July 2006
<http://www.bizbuysell.com/guide/b_value_1.htm>
4
Turner Construction. “Turner Green Building Survey Reveals that More than 70 percent of Executives Believe that
Green Buildings Enhance Student Performance and Ability to Retain Teachers.” Press Release, October 26, 2005.
14 July 2006 <http://www.turnerconstruction.com/corporate/content.asp?d=4919&p=4008>.
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There are many low cost and no cost sustainable actions available and any higher cost actions
can be scheduled to coincide with equipment and facility upgrades whenever these actions occur.
An economic analysis study, The Costs and Financial Benefits of Building Green,5 concludes
that sustainable design can be incorporated into a new structure with little or no increase in
construction costs, and that the financial benefits of green buildings are over ten times the
average initial investment. The study states that industry perception of green new building costs
are considerably higher than the actual cost premiums and that in practice premiums are slightly
less than 2 percent, or $3 to $5 per square foot. The cost increase is attributed mainly to
increased architectural and engineering design time, modeling, and time needed to institute
sustainable building practices. As green design becomes more embedded in these professions,
the cost for doing these services should decrease. It was also shown in the study that higher
upfront costs for high-efficiency lighting, window, and mechanical systems are outweighed by
reduced life cycle costs. Energy savings alone often exceed the average increased cost associated
with constructing new green buildings.
In another study, Matthiessen and Moris selected 45 library, laboratory, and academic classroom
projects that were designed with a goal of meeting some level of the USGBC’s LEED-NC
certification, and compared them to 93 non-LEED buildings with similar program types.6 Their
comparison found that although the standard deviation in dollars per square foot cost for each
category (LEED-seeking and non-LEED) was quite high, since there is such a wide variation in
building costs, there was no significant difference in the construction costs for LEED-seeking
versus non-LEED buildings in any of the categories. The data also showed that a majority of the
LEED-seeking buildings had original budgets that were set without regard to sustainable design,
and yet received no supplemental funds to support sustainable goals. LEED projects that
received additional sustainable goal funding usually provided only for specific enhancements or
requirements, such as photovoltaic systems, typically in the range of 0–3 percent of initial
budget. Matthiessen and Moris concluded that many projects can achieve sustainable design
within their initial budget, or with very small supplemental funding.
Sustainable building performance in existing buildings can also be achieved at reasonable costs.
Many changes consist of improved operations with little or no capital costs. If needed, system or
building upgrades can be spread out over time and implemented when capital dollars become
available. Employing an integrated approach, a central element of green building philosophy,
allows high benefit at low cost by achieving synergies between disciplines and between
technologies. A June 2000 Study by Xenergy, Green City Buildings Applying the LEED Rating
System, for the City of Portland found a 15 percent life-cycle savings associated with bringing
three existing standard buildings up to LEED certification levels.7 Direct life-cycle cost savings
5
Kats, Greg, et al. The Costs and Financial Benefits of Building Green: A Report to California’s Sustainable
Building Task Force. Sustainable Building Task Force, 2003. 14 July 2006
<http://www.usgbc.org/Docs/News/News477.pdf>.
6
Matthiessen, L. F. and P. Moris. Costing Green: A Comprehensive Cost Database and Budgeting Methodology.
Davis Langdon Adamson Report, 2004. 14 July 2006
<http://www.davislangdon.com/pdf/USA/2004CostingGreen.pdf>.
7
Green City Buildings Applying the LEEDTM Rating System. Prepared for the City of Portland by Xenergy Inc. and
Sera Architects, June 13, 2000. 14 July 2006 <http://www.nwalliance.org/resources/reports/00-062.pdf>
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of 13 to 16 percent resulted from increased productivity of building occupants, energy and water
efficiency cost savings, and cost savings from use of salvaged material.
In addition to economic and environmental benefits, green buildings provide safe, healthy places
for people to work, study, and live. Numerous daylighting studies have established links between
facility features and improved student health and performance.8, 9, 10 Positive productivity
benefits have also been shown in other building types. The Center for Building Performance at
Carnegie Mellon University – Building Investment Decision Support (BIDS) program reviewed
over 1,000 studies that relate technical characteristics of buildings to tenant responses to identify
approximately 90 of the most rigorous studies on the productivity impacts from green and high
performance building designs. Increases in tenant control over ventilation, temperature and
lighting resulted in indoor environmental quality (IEQ) health and productivity cost benefits
ranging from 0.5 to 34 percent in green certified buildings.11 Certified building owners also
expect that sustainable operations influence occupant recruiting and retention:
“When Medtronic built the World Headquarters campus six years ago we focused on
energy conservation and energy assets, rather than ‘green’ or ‘LEED’ per se. We
received an award from our local utility company (Xcel Energy) for our efforts,” explains
Sharon Harrington, CFM, Process and Quality Manager, Medtronic, Inc.
“Our driver for following the LEED guidelines now, in building our next major campus,
is that it is the right thing to do. It supports one of our corporate mission statements, ‘To
maintain good citizenship as a company.’ We also believe that building in accordance
with LEED may improve recruitment and retention, recognizing the increasing
importance of the environment to the next generation of workers.”
The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED-EB and other third-party environmental certification
programs have emerged as important roadmaps for steering environmental sustainability efforts.
By presenting clear guidelines, sustainable building rating systems aid facility managers by
8
Nicklas, Michael H. and Gary B. Bailey. Student Performance in Daylit Schools; Analysis of Performance of
Students in of Daylit Schools. Raleigh, NC. Innovative Design Report, 1996. 14 July 2006
<http://www.innovativedesign.net/pdf/studentperformance.pdf>.
9
Heschong Mahone Group. Daylighting in Schools, Additional Analysis, Detailed Report. Fair Oaks, CA: New
Buildings Institute, 2001.
10
Hathaway, Hargreaves, Thompson, and Novitsky. A Study Into the Effects of Light on Children of Elementary
School Age – A Case of Daylight Robbery. Alberta, Canada: Jan. 1992. Policy and Planning Branch, Planning and
Information Services Division, Alberta Education.
11
Carnegie Mellon University Department of Architecture. Building Investment Decision Support Tool. 2002. 14
July 2006 <http://www.arc.cmu.edu/cbpd/>.
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providing a framework for improving operations and upgrades and documenting the sustainable
performance of their buildings.
Surveyed FMs indicate that the key benefits of using green building rating systems, such as
LEED-EB, as a sustainability framework are:
Making operation/upgrade decisions based on integrated, whole building principles
Encouraging benchmarking and goal setting for building operations and performance and
process improvements
Developing short-term and long-term strategies for continually maintaining and gradually
improving building performance
Standardizing sustainable actions across multiple buildings within a portfolio
“Using these types of data and informational forums allow us to shortcut the time needed
to research sustainability and quickly implement new initiatives that improve our
programs as well as fit into a long range plan of integration,” says George Skeeters III,
Director of Facilities at the Christian Academy School System.
Additional key benefits of using green building rating systems as sustainability frameworks, as
indicated by Surveyed FMs, include:
Accessing resources and project management tools
Identifying inefficient and wasteful practices
• Energy management, water use, and other operating systems are evaluated during the
certification process
• Certification process provides an increased awareness of building operations
• Facility managers become familiar with best practices used across the industry
Validating savings objectively
• Provides the ability to measure actual performance against operating and process
improvement benchmarks
• Provides proof to stakeholders of sustainability commitment
• Helps facility managers upgrade and operate their buildings in a sustainable way over the
long term
Reducing operating costs
• Lowers energy and water costs
• Lowers waste disposal costs
• Lowers environmental and emissions costs
• Lowers operations and maintenance costs
Increasing customer loyalty through demonstrated corporate responsibility
• Using third-party review process and public commitment ensures follow through on
sustainability goals
• Good public relations arise from the positive impacts on the local and global environment
from reductions in resource use, emissions, water use, and waste disposal
• Provides positive information for inclusion in company product marketing materials
Increasing value of buildings
• Improves equity and debt borrowing capacity
• Improves organization credit rating
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Released in October of 2004 after a three year development and piloting phase, the U.S. Green
Building Council’s LEED for Existing Buildings V2.0 program provides a roadmap for
addressing sustainability issues in all existing buildings, even those not initially designed with
high efficiency systems and features. Expanding on the success of LEED for New Construction
(LEED-NC), which has certified nearly 400 buildings since its launch in 1998, the LEED-EB
program shifts attention towards the operational phase of buildings’ life cycles. With focus on
existing building commissioning, operating and maintenance procedures, upgrades, controls, and
integrated approaches, this new program promotes sustainability in buildings in a comprehensive
yet flexible manner. For facility managers, LEED-EB provides resources and a clear path for
operating buildings sustainability. And though formal third-party certification keeps projects on
track and verifies their sustainability achievements, LEED-EB is a valuable facility management
tool, even if certification is not the final outcome.
In just a few years since its release, LEED-EB has been successfully applied to a variety of
building types. The flexibility built into the rating system allows project teams to pursue
sustainability actions that are viable in their unique building and consistent with larger
organizational goals and priorities. The table below gives an indication of the broad diversity of
buildings that have registered for LEED-EB and achieved certification. Registration entails
formally enrolling in the LEED-EB program and paying a registration fee. Certification means
that a project has successfully completed the LEED-EB process by submitting an application to
the USGBC demonstrating compliance with LEED-EB requirements.
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Commercial Buildings
Commercial buildings comprise the largest category of LEED-EB certified facilities. The rating
system is very adept at serving this sector, due to the relatively standard array of functions and
features seen in these buildings.
Industrial Facilities
Industrial facilities may face special challenges in gauging the performance of their buildings,
but the USGBC’s commitment to make LEED-EB applicable to a broad range of building types
means that USGBC staff and the certification review team are available to help determine how
best to adapt LEED-EB performance metrics to these facilities. A number of industrial facilities
have received LEED-EB certification, including General Dynamic’s C4 Systems Facility in
Scottsdale, AZ (see Appendix A, General Dynamic Case Study) and Knoll’s Lubin
Manufacturing Facility in East Greenville, PA.
Nonprofit Organizations
The challenges faced by nonprofit organizations in pursuing LEED certification typically stem
not from unique building types and uses (since most function as office buildings), but in resource
and funding obstacles. However, an array of low cost and no-cost actions, such as green cleaning
practices, can help earn LEED-EB points and make certification accessible to most
organizations. The National Geographic Headquarters Complex in Washington, D.C. was among
the first LEED-EB certified buildings. The CCI Center, which houses a number of nonprofit
organizations and serves as an environmental resource center in Pittsburgh, PA, is another
example of the successful adoption of LEED-EB by nonprofits.
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Though managing a LEED-EB project is a fluid, dynamic process, certain concrete steps help
ensure success. Though these steps may in practice resemble integrated, concurrent cycles of
assessment, goal setting, resource gathering, implementation of operations and equipment
improvements, and reassessment, it can be helpful to consider each component as a separate
phase, especially when first attempting to get a handle on the LEED-EB process.
Prior to investing large amounts of staff time and other resources in pursuing LEED-EB
certification, gaining organization support for the project is critical. Oftentimes, a single person
within the organization initiates consideration of LEED-EB and advocates for its adoption by
educating others about the opportunities and costs associated with certification. This can come in
the form of an upper management member championing sustainability and LEED-EB by issuing
a directive to facility management staff to acquire LEED certification for the building.
Conversely, a facility manager can work to convince key decision makers to adopt LEED-EB by
demonstrating the importance and benefits of facility management practices and the value of
using LEED-EB to guide them.
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Regardless of where the enthusiasm for LEED-EB is originating, proponents should prepare
themselves by learning about the USGBC and the LEED program, considering specific reasons
why LEED-EB will yield opportunities and value in the building, crafting a plan for gaining
support from key players, and setting preliminary goals for sustainable achievements in the
building.
The USGBC web site (www.usgbc.org) hosts resources that can be used to orient colleagues and
help make the case for LEED-EB in your building. These include:
LEED-EB Informational PowerPoint – offers a visual overview of the USGBC, green
buildings and the LEED-EB program that can be downloaded and presented to colleagues or
clients
LEED-EB Brochures – printable documents that provide a succinct summary of the program
Case Studies – examples of certified projects, including information about strategies and
successes in implementing LEED-EB
LEED-EB Project Check List – an Excel spreadsheet that lists all LEED-EB prerequisites
and credits, and helps you track opportunities for earning credits in your building
Searchable database of LEED Accredited Professionals – find local individuals with proven
knowledge of LEED
Contact information for regional USGBC Chapters – tap into regional resources, learn about
Chapter presentations and events, and make contact with other members of the LEED
community
Lists of Certified and Registered Projects – learn of other buildings in your area or similar
building types that are pursuing LEED
Frequently Asked Questions – get answers to basic questions about LEED-EB
Industry Publications – access research about the green building movement, the economics
of green building, productivity benefits in green spaces, and more.
Integration of all aspects of building features, systems, and process is a central tenant of LEED.
For this reason, it is not surprising that successful project teams are typically comprised of
collaborators with diverse responsibilities and areas of expertise. When forming your team,
consider including:
Representatives of all groups affected by changes to the facility
Individuals with expertise in areas addressed by the LEED-EB prerequisites and credits you
are planning to pursue
A LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) – LEED APs with a specialization in LEED-
EB will become available in the fall of 2006 when new specialized LEED Accreditation
exams are made available by the USGBC
Team Constituents
Typical teams include 8-10 core members, with facility managers and LEED APs being among
the most common participants. It is common for a team to consist of several internal staff
members involved in the regular maintenance and operation of the building and a smaller
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number of external resources brought in to help manage the process or provide expertise in a
specific area not covered by internal staff. Team leaders should communicate with the Human
Resources Department to help identify and secure the services of internal and external parties.
The feasibility and potential cost impact of a number of LEED-EB points can be significantly
increased or decreased based on whether team members are familiar with sustainable practices,
and willing to commit to following established protocols and procedures. LEED APs
experienced with LEED-EB are a valuable resource for demystifying the LEED-EB process,
helping integrate efforts and identify synergies between sustainability actions, and facilitating
steady progress. The LEED AP for your project can be either someone on your staff or a
consultant. If you are planning to use a consultant on your project team, ask representatives from
LEED-EB certified buildings for recommendations. Also, the USGBC web site hosts a database
of LEED APs, searchable by name and location.
Teams of LEED-EB certified projects have included individuals in the following roles:
Facility Manager
LEED Accredited Professional / Environmental Advisor
Owner or Owner’s Representative
Project Manager
Engineer
Environmental Health & Safety Director
Recycling/Waste Manager
Property Manager
Commissioning Agent
Custodial Manager
Architect
Financial Manager/CFO
Environmental Affairs Director
Procurement Official
Site and Grounds Manager
HVAC Specialist
Assigning Responsibility
Once internal and external team members have been identified, the next challenge is assigning
responsibility for each LEED-EB prerequisite and credit being pursued. For each prerequisite
and credit, designate a team member to oversee the assessment, planning, implementation, and
documentation of LEED-EB actions. Assignments should reflect team members’ areas of
expertise and interest. It may be helpful to group like prerequisites and credits and assign a single
person responsibility for the group.
Grouping strategies will vary depending on the organizational structure and skill sets of
individual team members. See Appendix D for a list of all LEED-EB prerequisites and credits,
grouped by both credit category (Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere,
Materials & Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality) and by job function. Based on the
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ideas presented in Appendix D and the particular characteristics of your organization, develop a
grouping strategy that works best for your organization.
Management of the project team is extremely important to a successful project. This includes
providing appropriate resources, communicating goals and progress, and keeping team members
motivated.
Evaluating your building and identifying opportunities for improvement involves the following
activities:
Benchmarking current building performance and practices against LEED-EB prerequisite
and credit requirements
Pinpointing LEED-EB prerequisite requirements and credits that are currently met or can be
easily met in less than 6 months through building operations improvements or upgrades
Identifying short term (6 months to 1 year), mid term (2 to 5 years), and long term (beyond 5
years) goals and strategies for achieving unmet LEED-EB prerequisites and additional
LEED-EB credits
A critical early step in any LEED-EB project is to conduct an assessment of current building
performance and operating practices (policies, procedures, etc.). Whether the building
performance audit is performed internally or with outside help is dependent on your budget and
level of in-house expertise. The assessment should include discussions with building
management team representatives responsible for each aspect of building operations covered by
LEED-EB to identify present practices, current building improvement plans and how they can
help with additional achievements. This assessment will reveal how close the building is to
meeting LEED-EB standards, and help you identify and prioritize operating improvements and
equipment upgrades. This action will also assist you in defining the target certification level for
your project, determining which individuals within or outside of the organization might be
valuable participants on your LEED-EB team, and developing initial estimates of the budget
needed to complete your project.
In conducting an initial audit, perform a quick review of LEED-EB prerequisite and credit
requirements as defined in the LEED-EB Rating System to create a draft LEED-EB Project
Checklist. Pay particular attention to the building’s performance relative to LEED-EB
prerequisites. Because meeting prerequisites is compulsory for LEED-EB certification,
understanding the scope of changes necessary for compliance is a critical first step.
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Following the building audit, you will be well-positioned to understand the scope of changes that
must happen within the building to meet LEED-EB prerequisites and credits. In most cases
buildings already meet a number of the requirements and can meet additional requirements with
minor adjustments to equipment and practices. Some buildings will require major capital
investments to meet other requirements or credits. Based on the desired certification level and
the sustainability goals of the organization, you may use the audit results to map out desired
changes to the building and its operation. For upgrades that require significant investments,
evaluating the returns on investment that each provides can be a useful tool for prioritizing
changes to the building.
Once your project team is in place, revisit the initial draft LEED-EB Project Checklist generated
during the audit with them. Go over the LEED-EB requirements for each identified credit and
assess their potential for success and the time frame in which success can be achieved. Attempt
to earn at least two or three points above the desired certification level. This will give the team a
cushion in case during the certification application review process it is determined by the
USGBC that some of the expected credits have not been achieved.
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Register Project
Registering your project with the USGBC gives you access to a variety of project management
and application development tools. Resources included with registration include:
Access to LEED-Online and the Letter Templates that comprise the foundation of your
LEED-EB application (see the Develop and Submit Application section below for more
information about these tools).
Access to Credit Interpretation Rulings (CIRs). These rulings are issued by the USGBC in
response to requests from registered project teams to clarify the appropriate method for
applying prerequisite or credit requirements to a specific project.
Registration is done online through the USGBC web site (www.usgbc.org). Registration fees are
$450 for USGBC members and $600 for non-members (as of June 2006). Check the web site for
the most current information about fees.
It is essential to align the budget with the sustainability goals during the auditing and planning
phase of the project. This is done by:
Establishing team expectations and expertise
Identifying specific green goals and planned actions
Developing a schedule
Aligning the budget with the planned actions and schedule
Staying on track through the project
If there are insufficient funds to fulfill the sustainability goals, planned actions or schedule, either
the goals must be revamped, the schedule adjusted, or the budget increased. Too often projects
move forward with a mismatch, either because the project team is unaware of the mismatch, or
more often, due to wishful thinking that something will turn up to resolve the problem.
In order to align the budget with planned sustainability actions and schedule, compare the costs
of actions with the expected stream of funds available to support their implementation. Also
explore the availability of utility, public benefit funds or government tax benefits for planned
actions to see if this can help advance the implementation of desired building upgrades. If there
are insufficient funds for all scheduled actions defer some measures until the funds become
available. For example, if you have planned to replace a chiller before its end of life to increase
building energy efficiency, defer this upgrade until its end of life. Also include in the criteria for
the chiller and any other future equipment upgrades that they must meet the requirements of the
relevant LEED-EB prerequisites or credits to assure that these opportunities are not missed when
they occur.
Once the planned upgrades are adjusted to fit within the expected stream of funds available for
these purposes, the project budget provides a communication tool for the project team, allowing
a clear understanding of the budget limitations for planned actions and the schedule.
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In order to align your planned building upgrades with your schedule and budget:
Prepare a budget, list of upgrades and schedule for the greening of the building
Adjust the schedule for the planned upgrades so they fit within the expected streams of
funding available for these actions
Make all team members aware of the budget, the planned actions and the schedule
The overall cost of doing LEED-EB is dependent on many variables, such as the current state of
the building, project goals, schedule and the scope of desired changes. Understanding the
implications of certain choices or practices will help you minimize costs and get the most value
out of your sustainability dollars. The sections below provide an overview of different areas of
expenditure associated with LEED-EB projects and strategies for minimizing costs.
Certification Fees
The USGBC’s fee structure for project registration and certification is dependant on the size of
the building and membership status. The table below shows current fees. Because fees are
subject to change, visit the USGBC web site for the most up to date information. USGBC
members are offered reduced rates for both registration and certification fees, so weigh the cost
of membership to the fee savings; in most cases, becoming a member prior to registration is
economically advantageous.
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when rooms are unoccupied or facility managers can reduce space conditioning during off-hours.
These scenarios all result in lower energy consumption, but the lowest cost options can only be
achieved when the core values of the facility occupants are aligned with the goal of
sustainability.
Depending on the building’s existing characteristics and operating procedures, your building
likely already qualifies for number of LEED-EB prerequisites and credits. The number of
points you are close to earning, or already have earned, minimizes the need to fund changes
to building equipment or operating practices. In determining which points to pursue and how
to obtain them, it is important to look for LEED strategies that capitalize on the project’s
existing strengths. For example, an existing laboratory building may have a fairly
sophisticated building management system in place. While this system may not include all
the monitoring required to earn a LEED point, the effort and cost associated with
supplementing the current equipment with the needed additions might be reasonable.
Similarly, if an existing building’s facilities management team has already developed long-
range planning tools, achievement of credits that require such planning will be a matter of
simple adjustment.
In addition to LEED-EB prerequisites and credits that are already achieved or nearly
achieved in your building, implementation of certain credits generally require low cost or no
cost actions. For most buildings, these include the credits related to green site management,
green cleaning, and green procurement.
The first step towards effective cost control for a LEED-EB project will therefore be to
review the entire LEED Checklist against the building’s existing characteristics and practices
to determine which LEED points are within closest range.
Capital Improvements
Major building changes are generally carried out on the owner’s schedule for ongoing major
maintenance actions and capital improvements, and are not necessarily mandated or driven
by LEED-EB. LEED-EB, however, is a valuable tool for making these upgrades in a
sustainable way and prioritizing scheduled improvements. Aligning future capital
investments with LEED-EB prerequisites and credits will keep LEED-specific costs to a
minimum while ensuring gradual improvement towards greater sustainability. For example,
replacing a roof before its normal end of life just for the purpose of earning a LEED-EB
point for having a high-emissivity/ high reflectance roof makes little sense. But committing
to using sustainable roofing materials over the normal replacement schedule will contribute
to the building’s overall sustainability without requiring large additional capital investments.
The LEED-EB team should consider the appropriate procurement process for each point and
tailor the process to the particular strengths and weaknesses of the project and organization.
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For LEED-related services, it may be cost effective to develop the capacity to perform
certain LEED-related tasks in-house, especially if the building is one of many owned by a
single entity. By providing commissioning and other services internally, there is a greater
chance for communication and collaboration with the staff responsible for ongoing
maintenance and operations. This allows knowledge of the LEED process to become
institutionalized in a way that can be applied to multiple buildings within the same portfolio,
and will save money in the long run. Some buildings may elect to bring in outside help to
certify the first few projects, with the goal of training internal staff to manage the greening of
other buildings in the future. On the other hand, for a single building, it may be more cost
effective to procure these services from an outside consultant.
In procuring goods and equipment related to LEED-EB, researching options and choosing
cost-effective strategies and technologies are important. For example, in order to achieve
IEQc5.2: Indoor Chemical and Pollutant Source Control, a project team may choose to invest
in floor-to-floor separations and dedicated exhaust at printing rooms, or can decide it is more
cost-effective to send copying and printing jobs to an outside firm. In the case of purchasing
alternative materials instead of conventional products, being familiar with green product
lines and vendors that cater to the LEED market can minimize costs and make product
comparisons and LEED-EB documentation easier.
Personnel
Expenditures on personnel are driven in part by the availability of in-house resources, current
practices, and the scope of changes need for LEED-EB certification. Personnel time is needed
both to manage and maintain changes to the building, and also to document building
performance and prepare the LEED-EB certification application. One way to reduce the burden
of developing a LEED-EB application is to ask service providers to prepare documentation for
the LEED-EB credits associated with what they do for your building. For example, a growing
number of cleaning service providers offers this documentation as part of their services. If you
use third party providers, communicate your LEED-EB documentation needs and ask them to
assume responsibility for preparing portions related to their products. When rebidding for
services, consider adding responsibility for LEED-EB documentation to the RFP.
Some organizations manage LEED-EB projects by doing all work internally with existing staff,
and therefore incur in-kind costs for staff time reallocation but not for outside consultants. In this
instance, it is important to consider how additional effort by internal staff affects their other job
tasks. Other organizations hire consultants to support the development, implementation and
documentation of LEED-EB. Either scenario can lead to good results, though it is vital for team
members to collectively hold the expertise and motivation for accomplishing project goals. If
internal resources are not available to cover all aspects of the project, hiring a consultant can
save time and money in the long run. If consultants are a part of the project team, it is beneficial
to require that their expertise is transferred to internal personnel as much as possible.
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If you hire external personnel, it is recommended that you use a competitive process to select
your consultant. Important things to consider in your selection process are:
Recommendations from representatives of LEED-EB certified buildings.
Experience with LEED-EB project development and certification application preparation
LEED Accreditation with a LEED-EB Specialization – in October 2006 a new LEED
Accreditation exam specific to LEED-EB will be available
Set a Timeline
To a large degree, the amount of time it takes to complete a LEED-EB project depends on the
scope of changes needed. Because equipment upgrades and changes to organizational policies
and operating practices are often necessary, pursuing LEED-EB certification can be a multi-year
process. Setting a realistic timeline for progress will help keep the project on track and help
manage expectations. The timeline should reflect the project goals and desired schedule while
being mindful of operational and budget limitations. Though steady progress is important for
sustaining interest and momentum, setting a timeline that is unrealistically ambitious can prove
frustrating for team members and other stakeholders. Because O&M is ongoing over the life of
the building, the primary goal in establishing a project timeline should be to make changes in a
way that will last, even if it requires a substantial amount of time to do so.
On average, it takes projects about one year from the time they register their project until they
submit a completed application to the USGBC, though some projects have done so in both half
and twice as much time. Taking a longer time is not a problem. Some buildings are using LEED-
EB as a guide on the path to sustainability and will not reach the point where they can apply for
certification for a number of years. All along the way, each additional implemented LEED-EB
action increases the sustainability of the building.
Once the USGBC receives an application, certification is typically awarded within 3-4 months,
though the process can take longer if the preliminary review reveals that further modification to
the building or operating practices is needed to meet LEED-EB prerequisite requirements or
achieve the desired level of LEED-EB certification.
Implement Changes
Because of the inherent flexibility of picking and choosing which credits to pursue, and because
LEED-EB requirements are focused on performance outcomes rather than specific avenues to
achieving those outcomes, project teams have great freedom in determining which changes best
fit their building. Once the team has decided to pursue a certain credit, an analysis of options for
achieving the credit must be undertaken. For example, a decision to reduce fixture water use
might take the form of adding aerators to lavatory faucets, replacing conventional urinals with
non-water using models, or installing a graywater collection system that is then used to flush
toilets. It is up to the project team to select changes that meet the LEED-EB performance
requirements while also meeting the needs of building users and the project budget. Changes
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made for LEED-EB might range from equipment retrofits to policy revisions or new operating
procedures.
Develop and follow an action plan that outlines, for each prerequisite and credit, the scope of
changes needed, options to investigate, timeframes for choosing and committing to strategies,
and the steps needed to make the desired changes.
Each application for LEED-EB certification must include building performance data collected
over the Performance Period. For first time applicants, the Performance Period must be at least
three months long. It is up to the project team to determine the timing and duration of the
Performance Period. If possible, a longer Performance Period (one year, for example) will
provide a more robust picture of the building’s performance, as it covers seasonal variations in
resource consumption (irrigation rates, heating and cooling loads, etc.) and occupant behavior
(commuting choices).
The USGBC recently launched its new, paperless, online tool for submitting LEED-EB
applications. LEED-Online accommodates completion of Letter Templates, upload of additional
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documentation, and an online payment system for certification fees. It also serves as a helpful
project management tool. All project team members have access to the system, and credit
responsibility and progress can be assigned and tracked in a central location.
The LEED-EB Letter Templates (now integrated into the LEED-Online tool) form the core of a
LEED-EB application. They serve as a tool for performing calculations, tracking quarterly
reporting results, and providing evidence of compliance to LEED-EB requirements. In addition
to the completed Letter Templates, common submittal requirements include copies of
organizational policies, site drawings and photographs, manufacturer’s data for products used
within the building, and building performance data such as utility meter readings. Strategies for
compiling an application include:
Understanding the submittal requirements for each prerequisite and credit prior to the start of
the Performance Period. It is far easier to collect the needed information continuously rather
than assembling it retroactively. This is especially true for Materials & Resources credits that
require tracking purchases in various categories.
Typically, team members are responsible for collecting submittal information for the
prerequisites and credits assigned to them, though it is helpful to have a single person in
charge of reviewing all documentation for completeness prior to submitting your application
to the USGBC, as missing documentation can delay the review process.
Including a narrative overview of each prerequisite and credit that tells the story of what is
happening in your building aids the review team in understanding the other submittals, and
can help avoid delays or requests for clarifying information.
USGBC staff work with application review contractors to assess applications and, based on the
outcome of those assessments, award LEED-EB certification. After you submit your application,
the USGBC reviews it for completeness and requests any missing components. Following
administrative approval by the USGBC for application completeness, the review team prepares,
within 30 days, a Preliminary LEED-EB Review document detailing anticipated achieved,
pending, and denied credits and prerequisites, as well as requests for corrections/supporting
documentation for all pending items. Upon receiving the Preliminary Review, your project team
has unlimited time to prepare a supplementary submittal that includes the items requested by the
review team. Within 30 days of receiving the completed supplemental submittal, the USGBC
conducts a Final Review and alerts the project contact of the project’s certification status.
Projects then have the option of accepting the results of the final review, or appealing their rating
at the cost of $500 per appealed credit (as of June 2006).
Overcoming Hurdles
As with any project, the process of greening your existing building will likely require navigating
both expected and unexpected hurdles. Anticipating issues ahead of time and proactively
addressing them, building a network of experienced sustainable O&M practitioners to call on
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when you run into trouble, and remaining flexible about the strategies and technologies you
employ to meet your sustainable goals are good general practices.
Below are descriptions of some of the most common hurdles, with tips for addressing them:
Funding
Funding is one the primary concerns all projects share. Organizations with adequate resources
want to be sure that they are spending their money wisely, and those that are more financially
strapped want to be sure that certification is possible without making large expenditures beyond
planned budgets.
Even organizations without expendable capital can successfully manage LEED-EB certification.
For example, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, part of the California State University System,
had only a $7,000 project budget. Despite this, the lab managed to certify its facility and score
LEED-EB Gold. Though unable to make immediate capital improvements, the process of getting
certified revealed the strengths and weaknesses of the building, which is aiding the lab managers
in making decisions about system upgrades once capital does become available.
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develop plans for building improvement and speed the LEED-EB review process. In many ways,
this documentation process is no different from that of an already well-run building.
Tips for gathering and organizing information for a successful LEED-EB application include:
Start by getting a handle on how information about building performance and policies are
currently being managed. This includes the collection and storage of building system trend
data, utility bills, procurement logs and receipts, building operating procedures, building
policies, etc. If formal policies and procedures do not exist, you may need to create them for
the purposes of LEED-EB. A great place to start is to ask groups responsible for each area to
simply write down what they actually do for each relevant task. If they do exist, review them
to ensure that they reflect current practice and comply with LEED-EB requirements, and if
necessary make changes.
Keep a list of people within your organization who are responsible for managing facility
information, and make sure those parties understand how their roles as data managers are
relevant to that LEED-EB process.
Call on product and service providers to lighten your documentation burden by requiring
them to compile and submit product information needed for inclusion in your application.
In preparing your application, include brief narrative descriptions that supplement data in
order to help fully tell the story of what is happening in the building, explain anomalies, and
describe how data is collected (measurement points, equipment, etc.). This will help speed
the review process in addition to the internal benefits gained by fully documenting and
understanding building performance.
Develop or use existing software to manage quarterly reporting schedules. Integrating
quarterly reporting into work calendars will keep you on schedule, and help you plan for and
minimize the additional work burden.
Familiarize yourself and your team with the LEED-EB documentation requirements, the
LEED-EB Letter Templates and LEED-Online
Understanding Sustainability
Though increasingly mainstream, the ideas of green building and sustainability are still relatively
new. LEED-EB is also a new program, so lack of exposure to LEED or sustainability in general
may be a barrier to LEED-EB success both within and outside of your organization.
Become familiar with the general concept of sustainability and the LEED-EB program by:
Attending a LEED workshop (www.usgbc.org/workshops)
Connecting with local USGBC chapters (www.usgbc.org/chapters)
Reviewing the numerous Internet resources that provide information about sustainable
building practices (see Appendix C: Resources )
Reading Case Studies of LEED-EB certified buildings (see Appendix A: Sustainable
Existing Building Case Studies and Appendix C: Resources for links to additional available
LEED-EB Case Studies)
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Organizations with portfolios of multiple buildings can reap the benefits of sustainability again
and again. The following strategies can guide you in applying LEED-EB across building
portfolios:
Start by employing LEED-EB in a single building. This experience will yield an
understanding of the LEED-EB requirements and process, and give you a feel for the best
strategies for broadly adopting LEED-EB. It will also help build internal expertise,
minimizing the need for outside consultants to certify additional buildings.
Implement a mechanism such as monthly meetings or conference calls for Facility Managers
and Staff to share lessons learned and success stories across the organization and multiple
facilities.
Based on what is learned in the first LEED-EB Building, standardize as many sustainable
actions across the buildings within your organization’s building portfolio. Many of the
practices and policies required by LEED-EB, such as green purchasing and green cleaning,
can be adopted in the same way in different buildings. Identify which items can be
standardized and which are better tailored to each unique building.
Though LEED-EB provides a venue for ALL buildings to become more sustainable, an optimal
time to start planning for green O&M is at the earliest stages of a building’s life, as it is designed
and constructed. A building designed and built to achieve a high score in both LEED-NC and
LEED-EB will be a building that is ready to deliver actual sustainable performance over the long
term. Since LEED is a life cycle program, LEED-NC certified buildings will become the LEED-
EB buildings of the future. The ongoing re-certification offered by LEED-EB promotes a long-
term view of building O&M, with the goal of maintaining and improving buildings over their
entire life.
Whenever possible, facility managers should advocate for consideration of LEED-EB in all new
construction and major renovation projects your organization undertakes. This will ensure that
sustainable building operation features are incorporated into the design and construction, such as
efficient lighting ballasts and fixtures that accommodate low mercury lamps, entryway features
that minimize tracking of dirt and other contaminants into the building, and adequate recycling
facilities. The design and construction phase is also the best time to incorporate green features
that are part of the building structure or base systems and are more costly to add at later stages of
the building’s life. These include daylighting and view features, isolated and separately
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ventilated copy rooms and janitorial closets, high-efficiency water fixtures, and lighting and
thermal comfort controls.
Below are strategies for keeping the practices employed for LEED-EB going over time:
Use the tools embedded within LEED-EB such as quarterly reporting templates as a roadmap
for steering continuous building improvements
Encourage benchmarking and goal setting for ongoing building operations and performance
and process improvements
Develop short-term and long-term strategies for continually maintaining and gradually
improving building performance
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Sustainable building operations offer many opportunities and benefits, but implementing
sustainable measures also requires knowledge and integrated strategies. Based on input from top
facility managers (Surveyed FMs), this section offers advice on best sustainable practices to
consider and the best ways to implement them.
Survey respondents were asked to report on the best sustainable opportunities in the following
areas:
1 Using sustainable building rating systems as a framework for successful facility operation
and upgrades (See the Introduction Section of this paper)
2 Implementing energy and water conservation measures
3 Creating healthy indoor environments
4 Purchasing sustainable products
Green purchasing and/or green procurement programs and policies
Green product certification programs
Sustainable product and service vendor/provider education
5 Practicing preventive maintenance
6 Managing, documenting and reporting of sustainable building operations
7 Communicating sustainability goals, procedures and achievements
Best sustainable building practices identified by Surveyed FMs are highlighted in the discussion
that follows.
Energy Conservation
Energy efficiency actions offer one of the best opportunities to reduce facility operating
expenses. In addition to reduced operating costs, energy efficiency actions reduce pollution such
as greenhouse gas emissions and enhance the comfort of building occupants. Because of the
rising cost of energy, most energy efficiency investments have a rapid payback period due to
lower energy use over the building’s lifetime, downsized equipment, and reduced space needs
for mechanical equipment and utility rebates.12
Energy conservation strategies should begin with a facility wide energy efficiency assessment or
energy audit. Use audit results to implement an energy management program. Energy
management should include continuous review of building energy use and development/
execution of energy saving opportunities with FM staff:
Identify systems and operations that are good candidates for energy efficiency and heat waste
minimization improvements
Plan and implement specific energy and cost-saving projects
12
•Energy Efficiency, Water and Waste-Reduction Guidebook for Manufacturers, Proven Ways To Reduce Your
Costs and Improve Operations, A National Association of Manufacturers publication, Mar. 2005.
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If you do not have the capital dollars to implement desired capital improvements consider
using an energy service company (ESCO) to implement the improvements under an energy-
savings performance contract.
Energy efficiency retrofits, effective building and equipment maintenance, and other energy-
saving techniques are all strategies for reducing energy use on an ongoing basis. Many utilities
and state sponsored energy programs offer financing assistance or perform actual energy audits
for building owners. If your building audit uncovers significant facility upgrade opportunities, it
may be possible to implement and finance your facility improvements through an energy savings
performance contract (ESPC). ESPCs are unique contracts through which private energy service
companies (ESCOs) perform the facility upgrades and provide a guaranteed level of savings to
support paying for these improvements. These arrangements are frequently structured so that the
guaranteed level of savings is sufficient to pay off the loan to pay for the improvements.
Exploring a performance contract is low risk because the building owner is only responsible for
the cost of the building energy audit if they decide not to proceed with the project.
“The one thing I don't see as much emphasis on as I think it deserves is energy
management” observes Richard Pierce, Director of Facilities at the University of
Wisconsin, “all the ‘Green’ initiatives are great but when it comes to really
making an impact on the environment there is no other opportunity to save more
for the long term viability of the planet, to save more natural resources and costs
like what can be achieved through effective energy management.”
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The Harvard Green Campus Loan Fund (GCLF) was created in 2002 to provide interest-free capital
for high performance campus design, operations, maintenance and occupant behavior projects. The
model is simple: GCLF provides the up-front capital interest-free. Applicant departments agree to
repay the fund via savings achieved by project-related reductions in utility consumption, waste
removal or operating costs. This formula allows departments to upgrade the efficiency, comfort, and
functionality of their facilities without incurring any capital costs.
Through June 2006, the fund has loaned over $6,536,170 to 92 projects across campus. Projects
average a simple payback of 3 years and a return on investment of 33%. Environmental savings
include over 66.7 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions reductions, 12.7 million gallons of
water savings, and elimination of 200,000 pounds of solid waste per year.
In addition to funding the green campus projects with the GCLF, the Harvard Green Campus
Initiative provides staff support to the various Harvard schools and departments for developing and
implementing green campus projects. To overcome time limitations of building managers, the
Harvard Green Campus Initiative provides a range of supplemental services such as building
assessments, project research and identification, project costing, rebate assessments, project
management and oversight.
“The Green Campus Loan Fund has made it possible for the Harvard Green Campus Initiative to
prove once and for all that addressing sustainability makes good business sense in the short-,
medium- and long-term. The moral imperative of addressing our global environmental issues can
work hand in hand with the business imperative of running our organizations optimally. I would
recommend that all organizations take a critical look at the role of their accounting and financial
structures to ensure that they effectively drive good business practice. A revolving Loan Fund is one
good way to provide the right incentive and life cycle costing is yet another,” says Leith Sharp,
Director of the Harvard Green Campus Initiative.
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Water Conservation
Water is a finite resource and only 0.3 percent of the planet’s supply is available for the world’s
population to share for agricultural, residential, manufacturing, community, and personal needs.
While both world population and the demand on freshwater resources are increasing, supply
remains constant.13
Although action initiated by the Clean Water Act and the Energy Policy Act have created cleaner
water supplies and greater water use efficiencies in the United States, there are still large
opportunities for increased sustainable water harvesting, use and discharge. Efficient building
water use reduces operating costs, water use fees, wastewater treatment expenses and energy
costs for heating, chilling and pumping. Additionally, minimizing water volumes reduces
maintenance and life-cycle costs of building equipment, helps meet drought allotments and
lessen burdens on community water supplies and treatment facilities.
There are a number of water-efficiency actions that can easily be incorporated into facility
operations and maintenance. The USGBC estimates that 30 percent indoor and a 50 percent
outdoor water savings are possible and commonly achieved.14 Equipment and practices that use
less water or recycle water through capture and reuse can be introduced to existing building
processes. Electro-chem water treatment systems for cooling towers can reduce chemical use and
costs and drastically reduce water consumption through higher cycles. Other strategies for
conserving water can be implemented throughout the building, such as low-flow fixtures and
automatic controls in lavatories.15
“By far one of the largest infrastructure systems where you can conserve energy is through your cooling
towers.” states John Carrillo, Director of Corporate RE Property Management for AT&T - Western Region,
“You can reduce your recurring operational expenses associated with mechanical cooling by installing
controller technology and by investigating and taking advantage of the many rebate programs. Modification to
your system starts with the installation of a controller where you can treat and balance the water (cycles of
concentration) with the appropriate chemicals, along with water flow meters that will allow you to measure
and control water consumption onsite or online. You can typically achieve a less than one year pay back by
reducing water consumption, pursue energy rebates and evaporation credits from the utility companies."
13
U.S. EPA Water Efficiency Program web site. 14 July 2006 <http://www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency>
14
Costing Green: A Comprehensive Cost Database and Budgeting Methodology; Lisa Fay Matthiessen and Peter
Morris; Davis Langdon; July 2004.
15
Energy Efficiency, Water and Waste-Reduction Guidebook for Manufacturers, Proven Ways To Reduce Your
Costs and Improve Operations, A National Association of Manufacturers publication, March 2005.
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Effective waste stream management can significantly reduce waste disposal costs, create revenue
streams and improve the environment by conserving natural resources and reducing the pollution
associated with transporting waste and disposing of it in landfills and incinerators. The best
approach to managing solid waste and reducing costs is to avoid creating it in the first place.
Source reduction and waste prevention (e.g., reuse) reduce the amount of trash discarded without
the additional energy investment required for recycling activities.16
16
Energy Efficiency, Water and Waste-Reduction Guidebook for Manufacturers, Proven Ways To Reduce Your
Costs and Improve Operations, A National Association of Manufacturers publication, Mar. 2005.
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Many organizations and facilities have established green purchasing programs, or green
procurement, for products and services. Green purchasing programs highlight products and
services that reduce the environmental and human health impacts created by product
manufacture, delivery and use. Environmental impacts of product manufacturing and distribution
stretch across a broad number of categories, including resource consumption, water quality
degradation, waste disposal, air quality, and other environmental impacts. A product might be
environmentally preferable if it contains a higher percentage of recycled content, is more energy
efficient, or contains fewer toxic chemicals than its conventional counterparts.
As interest in green procurement grows, opportunities for easily identifying and purchasing
green products are also expanding. A number of product vendors, distributors and providers now
offer green product lines, making it possible for customers to purchase an array of products from
the same vendor, and work to educate consumers about the value of using these alternative
products. The emergence of respected green product certification programs has also fueled the
advancement of green procurement, making product decisions easier by providing third-party
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verification of their effectiveness and sustainability. Online product listings help users compare
products and select those that meet sustainability criteria. Examples of items that might be
included in a green product purchasing program include paper, wood and plastic products,
cleaning products and services, paints and sealants, textiles, vehicles, landscape management
chemicals, and appliances.
The rising popularity of green building certification programs such as LEED-EB, California’s
Collaborative for High Performance Schools and the Green Guide for Health Care is driving
green purchasing. These building rating systems establish sustainability criteria for procurement
of goods within buildings, often citing green product certification programs such as GreenSeal,
Environmental Choice or the equivalent
Green product certification programs can help facility managers more easily identify products
that have a reduced environmental impact as compared to other products that serve the same
purpose. Certification programs combine specifications on a variety of the environmental
attributes, as well as third party verification that these environmental claims are credible. These
programs give manufacturers an easy way to market their products to environmentally conscious
customers, and allow environmentally conscious consumers to easily identify green products.
Although Surveyed FMs recognized the value of green product certification programs, several
respondents commented that not all of the green product certification programs are currently at a
level of development that guarantees performance and environmental friendliness and that it is
currently difficult to sort the truly valuable information from that which is being produced
because it is the “thing to do” currently. One remedy to this dilemma is to review the standards
of several established product certification program to see which ones best fit your
organization’s sustainability objectives. Use an open specification approach for your green
17
Guide to Sustainable Procurement for Paper Tissue and Towel Products. A Leonardo Academy White Paper,
May, 2006.
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procurement program that allows certification under any of several product certification
programs. This approach should also allow for third party verifications that a product meets your
organization’s sustainability objectives or the equivalent to one of the certification programs you
reference. This will result in more potential suppliers and a more competitive procurement
process that will help drive down green product prices.
Energy Star is the green product certification program most utilized by surveyed FMs. Other
common responses included GreenSeal, Greenguard, CRI Green Label and the Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC). The Chlorine Free Products Association, Environmental Choice and
Green-e were also noted. See Appendix C: Resources for the online listings for these and other
established green product certification programs.
Many product vendors, distributors and providers offer green product lines and provide
education to support consideration of green alternatives or support preparation of LEED-EB
documentation. Vendors/Distributor/Provider product and service areas most engaged in
providing green education services are:
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Carpeting/Flooring
Cleaning/Janitorial
Lighting
Building System Maintenance
Energy Management Systems
HVAC
Furniture
Surveyed FMs also mentioned receiving green educational outreach from architectural,
landscaping, construction, office supplies, roofing and irrigation product and service providers.
Furniture vendors, architectural support firms and construction sub-contractors that lack
awareness of specific LEED-EB requirements were cited by FMs as less accommodating of
requests for LEED-EB documentation support.
Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is one of the most significant factors in keeping building
occupants comfortable and healthy. Indoor environmental contaminants can originate within the
building or be drawn in from outdoors. Poor indoor air quality can increase occupant illnesses,
absenteeism and health care costs. A lack of natural lighting and views to the outdoors can
negatively affect productivity and health.18 Maintaining optimal IEQ reduces liability for
building owners, increases building valuation and improves the health and productivity of
building occupants. Because employee salaries and benefits represent a significant portion of
operating costs, actions that improve employee attendance and productivity are highly beneficial.
Effective air filtering and ventilation, along with pollutant source control, go a long way towards
solving IEQ issues in buildings. In addition to protecting occupant health and aiding occupant
productivity, preventing IEQ problems is less costly than resolving IEQ problems after they
develop.20
Two major sources of indoor air quality problems are heating, ventilation and air conditioning
(HVAC) systems, and contaminants. If poorly ventilated or seldom cleaned, HVAC systems can
pump contaminants through a building again and again. One of the most common building
pollutants is mold, which can significantly impact health and also contributes to building bio-
18
Heschong Mahone Group, Inc. 2003. Daylighting and Productivity – CA Energy Commission PIER Program
Reports. 14 July 2006 <http://www.h-m-g.com/projects/daylighting/projects-PIER.htm>.
19
Energy Efficiency, Water and Waste-Reduction Guidebook for Manufacturers, Proven Ways To Reduce Your
Costs and Improve Operations, A National Association of Manufacturers publication, Mar. 2005.
20
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Indoor Air Quality Backgrounder: The Basics. 14 July 2006
<http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/tfs/pdf_files/backgrounder.pdf>.
IFMA Foundation 35
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers
Not surprisingly, strategies for maintaining good indoor air quality generally involve a two-
pronged approach involving both HVAC systems and pollutant source control. Designing and
constructing buildings with adequate HVAC systems that effectively ventilate all occupied airs
and minimize the collection of dirt, moisture and microbial growth is a critical first step. Once
occupied, operation and maintenance procedures of the HVAC system should be consistent with
the original design specifications. Other building features and operating procedures within the
building can help with pollutant source control, such as entryway systems designed to capture
dirt and particles on the shoes of occupants entering the building, placing air intakes well away
from areas where buses and other vehicles might be idling, or using safe cleaning chemicals and
other green products instead of conventional, harsher chemicals.21, 22
21
U.S. Department of Energy. Get Smart About Energy: Save Money. Create Better Places To Teach and Learn,
Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs (BTS) Energy Smart Schools Program Folder
(Revision) - DOE/GO-102002-1524; NREL/BR-810-31606, 2001.
22
Collaborative for High Performance Schools Web Site. 2003. Collaborative for High Performance Schools.
<http://www.chps.net/>.
IFMA Foundation 36
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers
practices. This service also provides an interactive library for our facilities staff and
customers where historical and current project documents and reference materials can be
stored, viewed and shared with others. Live document archiving is also provided within
this library, so multiple users can check out, edit/update and return the document to the
library for all to then reference and keep current. This part of the library is where we
maintain our LEED EB tracking documents needed for continued certification.”
”The Graph below represents survey results over a three year period which was gathered,
and collated by our contracted management service to provide us with customer feedback
in one of our focus areas. The annual surveys help us determine our strengths and
weaknesses as well as needed focus and budget allocation for the upcoming year.”
IFMA Foundation 37
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers
Preventive Maintenance
Preventive Maintenance (PM) programs are an important sustainability opportunity for facility
managers. PM benefits include cost savings, extended equipment lifetimes, increased equipment
energy efficiencies and resulting environmental benefits.
IFMA Foundation 38
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers
Many facility managers have a management program in place for scheduling, tracking and
documenting their facility’s sustainable operation actions and achievements. Documenting and
reporting your sustainable building operations is important for improving the effectiveness of
your current management practices and overall facility management. For example, tracking
building performance allows facility managers to discover energy and water use spikes and make
IEQ control adjustments before they become problems. Documenting and reporting your
sustainable building operations can also encourage the establishment of goals and policies for
making continuous and ongoing sustainability improvements.
Documenting and reporting programs have increased the effectiveness of Surveyed FMs
overall building management practices by:
Increasing awareness by keeping goals in the forefront of operating processes
Helping to set goals and strategies for achieving them
Providing stronger accountability of maintenance issues
Helping to identify areas of high performance and areas where improvement is needed
IFMA Foundation 39
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers
“Energy and water usage are documented at our facility, as well as all waste
streams and recyclables. Awareness and measurement are the key to reducing all
of the above,” explains Mike Spishock, Manager of Facilities at Johnson and
Johnson. “If you can’t determine how much you’re using, you can’t begin to
reduce.”
Documentation has been integrated into Surveyed FMs current practices through:
Automated work order systems
Policies and procedure that follow the ISO 9001 format. Operations cost, property portfolio
management and project scheduling is automated.
ISO 14001
EPA Performance Track program
Integrated safety management systems
Monthly FM staff team meetings to review current reporting and opportunities for
improvements
Quarterly written reports required across all LEED-EB requirement areas in operations,
procurement, construction activities with the goal of documenting ongoing operations to
support LEED-EB re-certification
Decisions on future products and programs are made based upon past performance. This
information is incorporated into standards programs.
Contracted third party, work order management & 24/7 call center companies provide an
interactive library and live document archiving services
Department of Energy Volunteer Protection Program
IFMA Foundation 40
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers
Communication plays a valuable role in the process of moving a building and its occupants
toward sustainability. It is important for facility managers to develop strategies for
communicating sustainability goals, procedures and achievements with staff, management,
building occupants, public, peers, and others. Building occupant buy-in and involvement are
critical components of creating successful sustainability programs. To develop successful
sustainable building communications:
Establish a program for communicating your building’s environmental achievements to
upper level management, employees, community members and customers
Educate and engage staff, management, and building occupants in participating in sustainable
programs and practices
Encourage further suggestions for improving the sustainability of your facility from staff,
management, building occupants
Adopt a comprehensive plan for making continued improvements in facility sustainability by
identifying opportunities, setting target goals and implementing practices and improvements
that achieve those targets
Investigate environmental certification and award programs, such as those listed below, that
will recognize the achievements of your facility
o U.S. Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org) LEED Green Building Rating Program
o Collaborative for High Performance Schools (www.chps.net)
o Green Guide to Healthcare (www.gghc.org)
Encourage the release of an Annual Corporate Environmental Report that includes highlights
of your facility’s environmental performance and improvements
Other targeted groups included community and general public, customers and clients,
environmental groups, local USGBC Chapters and IFMA, BOMA and other professional
associations and their members.
Surveyed FMs also cited press releases, corporate sustainability reports, Earth Day and Energy
Day events, building tours, employee handbooks and carpool message boards as effective
communication vehicles.
IFMA Foundation 41
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers
Training programs, business and strategic plans, email or desk drop flyers, Intranet sites, service
level agreements, frequent client reviews, and client satisfaction surveys can also be used as
communication strategies.
Recycling
Use recycled content furniture components
Use 30 percent recycled content paper and other office supplies
Highly successful and on-going office recycling program that includes: office paper, lamps/ballasts,
carpet, cardboard, batteries, wood pallets, construction debris, computers, coffee grounds, glass,
plastic and aluminum
Installed 250,000 SF of sustainable “Cool” (zero percent greenhouse gas emission) carpet tiles as our
new office standard and recycled the old carpet
IFMA Foundation 42
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers
IFMA Foundation 43
APPENDICES
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers Appendices
JohnsonDiversey Headquarters
Table of Contents
Introduction to JohnsonDiversey...................................................................................................3
History of Sustainability.................................................................................................................3
Introduction to JohnsonDiversey
History of Sustainability
JohnsonDiversey’s interest in LEED-EB came about as a result of ongoing discussions with their
maintenance subcontractor, Johnson Controls, about the LEED for New Construction (LEED-
NC) program. The JohnsonDiversey Headquarters was completed just before LEED-NC became
available to the public.
Johnson Controls advocated for LEED certification from the start of their relationship with
JohnsonDiversey. The building was built with sustainability principles integrated into its design
and construction, but Stu Carron, Director of Global Facilities and Real Estate, determined that
LEED-NC certification simply did not fit JohnsonDiversey’s organization goals, nor did it reflect
its operation practices adequately. The development and availability of the LEED-EB Pilot
Program opened a new door for JohnsonDiversey to participate in a LEED program.
LEED-EB represented a logical, sustainable approach to building operations that “made total
sense” for JohnsonDiversey. Realizing the linkages between JohnsonDiversey’s business and
LEED-EB certification, Carron believed that EB not only fit the Headquarters building
exceptionally well, but it also made business sense. Because many of JohnsonDiversey’s
products are environmentally friendly and can be used to meet a number of LEED-EB Rating
System standards, LEED offers JohnsonDiversey a long-term business growth opportunity.
Carron took the lead in presenting LEED-EB to senior management by developing a white paper
that analyzed LEED-EB and its potential impacts on JohnsonDiversey and the marketplace. As
he puts it, his paper was intended to demonstrate “Here’s what USGBC is, here’s the program,
here’s the growth and potential impact. We need to get involved in the pilot.”
JohnsonDiversey agreed that LEED-EB offered an important opportunity. Carron describes the
company’s motives for pursuing LEED-EB:
Achieving Certification
Assembling Teams
Stu Carron’s ‘white paper’ describing LEED-EB solidified the support of senior management at
JohnsonDiversey. The next critical step was working with Johnson Controls to enlist a LEED
Accredited Professional (LEED AP) to assist in the certification process. The LEED AP, Jeff
Furness, reviewed facility operations and practices for a preliminary LEED-EB scoring of the
facility. Based on his review, Furness and Carron identified the most achievable and cost-
effective opportunities for change, and developed a list of recommendations for achieving
LEED-EB Prerequisites and Credits.
Using this recommendation as a strategic road map, Carron assembled his project team. Because
JohnsonDiversey out sources almost all of its facility management, maintenance, and cleaning
tasks, this team included key contractors from those elements of the operations team.
The project team responded enthusiastically to Carron’s plan to achieve LEED-EB certification.
As longtime partners with JohnsonDiversey, the subcontractors were committed to meeting
JohnsonDiversey’s needs and operational priorities. Each team member was assigned a set of
Credits to document and work towards, and asked to work closely with Stu Carron as challenges
and opportunities arose. The contractors were motivated to meet LEED-EB goals to maintain
their successful relationship with JohnsonDiversey, and also because, according to Carron,
“These are individuals who genuinely want to do the right thing.”
Implementing Changes
LEED has now become part of the JohnsonDiversey corporate facility management program on
several levels. First, it is their plan to re-certify the HQ facility within the next two years, and
this objective has made it clear to the entire FM team that LEED is the basis for the on-going FM
program. Second, they have extended the easy-to-implement LEED operations practices (such as
green cleaning, low-mercury lighting, and other procurement practices) to additional corporate
facilities, and will look at certifying additional facilities in the future. Third, the LEED program
is used as a basis and rationale for 3rd-party certification of the company's cleaning products,
and the company's development of the cleaning program it calls 'Healthy High-Performance
Cleaning' aligns to LEED-EB requirements. Fourth, the LEED program contributes to the
company's overall environmental message and commitment to its stakeholders, and is featured in
the company's annual sustainability report.
One of the most significant indicators of the company's on-going commitment to LEED as a
basis for its facility operations is their corporate philosophy of using LEED as a design and
operations basis for any new building construction. The company has recently planned a new
550,000 ft2 distribution center and has committed to achieve both LEED-NC and LEED-EB
certification in the facility, scheduled for construction in 2007. This simultaneous certification
plan indicates that JohnsonDiversey takes facility operations and maintenance into consideration
as part of the design process and will maximize benefit by properly maintaining the designed-in
efficiencies over the long-term.
The key motivator for Carron and his team is achieving success in the eyes of their customers –
the occupants of their buildings. JohnsonDiversey believes that LEED-EB certification is a big
part of improving workplace productivity, and intends to measure that with a series of employee
and occupant surveys. Achieving occupant satisfaction is the benchmark by which company
success is measured.
CONTENTS
The General Dynamics C4 Systems facility has been involved in conservation efforts for over 15
years. The Facilities Operations department historically had monitored and tracked energy and
water use, managed equipment efficiency and had an established campus-wide recycling
program. Documenting the ongoing sustainability efforts to meet cost savings and cost avoidance
goals in key operational areas put the General Dynamics facility on a path toward LEED-EB
certification, because the documentation provided a fitting backdrop for articulating General
Dynamics’ environmental leadership. Some obtainable measures included the ability to use a
Computerized Maintenance Management System that tracks HVAC maintenance to maximize
equipment performance and efficiency. General Dynamics also realized benefits in establishing
an indoor air quality program, related metrics and integrated best practice maintenance
techniques. Other initiatives were to reduce potable water consumption and the loads on the
municipal water treatment infrastructure.
The General Dynamics C4 Systems Roosevelt Road facility in Scottsdale has about 1,800 users
and 750,000 ft2, accommodating a mixed use of company business areas. The facility supports
office, manufacturing, laboratory, warehousing and data center users. The corporate-owned
building is in a suburban area in Scottsdale. Although constructed in 1982, some green features
were incorporated into the building design/construction by the architect such as natural lighting
along the perimeter corridors, central air conditioning and high R value roofing systems. Over
the years, General Dynamics had upgraded the building controls and automation systems to
maximize equipment efficiency and energy management opportunities. In addition, the company
also initiated and maintained an aggressive predictive maintenance program which included an
extensive integrated air handler system for indoor air quality.
workshop, was held to review and validate what existing data and records could be applied to
certain LEED credits and prerequisites. Once the team identified they had data to fulfill nearly
40% of the required credits, their enthusiasm increased. The team also discovered they had
collected significant data through performance metrics for an additional 25% in credits and
prerequisites. Overall, the team had data to support 65% of the prerequisites and/or credits need
to meet their certification goal.
Evolving Attitudes
Once the team discovered the benefits associated with obtaining LEED-EB status and how a
facilities management organization could optimize sustainability efforts, the excitement of
achieving certification drove the group’s momentum. The team’s attitude toward achieving
certification evolved from skepticism and resistance to determination and confidence. Several
key team leaders went a step beyond and invested time in educating contractors at the General
Dynamics facility, who then became supporters of LEED and advocates for its benefits. In a
short time, the contractors understood that supporting General Dynamics in achieving
certification not only would enhance the organization’s value, but could be leveraged to educate
a broader audience of clients in support of their facilities, as well.
Realizing that nearly 65% of the data had already been tracked and monitored within the
organizations’ metrics and performance goals, each team focused on its individual site expertise.
One example was the Energy Team. This team was comprised of both O&M and engineering
and construction professionals. Their consolidated knowledge allowed the team to support the
LEED certification data requirements without extensive research and blaze a new trail in energy
management. The team partnered with the Leonardo Academy, a non-profit agency that uses an
interdisciplinary approach to addressing sustainability issues, to develop a new energy analysis
model for industrial sites energy consumption. The new model now serves as an option for
industrial sites to meet criteria for the Energy and Atmosphere Prerequisite 2: Minimum Energy
Performance of LEED EB. “By collaborating with our vendors and contractors to retrieve the
needed data, we developed a team dynamic that was amazing and continues to yield best
practices,” Okamura commented.
Sustaining Change
One of the most challenging effects of pursing LEED certification was the need to continually
motivate and encourage the team. Each success, such as a completed credit, was celebrated. They
kept a scoreboard of each credit/prerequisite completion and placed it on their completion goal
metric. In some instances, teams interpreted the credit information incorrectly, increasing their
frustration. This was concerning to the LEED committee, since each employee also needed to
maintain their daily work tasks as well. LEED required many of them to manage their time and
work activities concurrently, which led some of the team members to drop out of the certification
activities. However, several team members exhibited their leadership and talent to motivate their
peers, focus on the goal and complete their extracurricular assignments.
The average tenure of a facilities management worker at the Scottsdale site is 22 years. LEED
was a concept many never dreamed would become part of their roles and responsibilities. “The
certification process enabled the team to search for and consider opportunities otherwise thought
irrelevant in the past,” Okamura said. For those who embraced the challenge, they were inspired
to search for and initiate other related sustainable goals. One example was the organizations’
layout and programming team. Composed of an industrial engineer and plant layout specialists,
the team developed a process to minimize wall demolition. This was achieved by educating their
customers on the value of preventing wall demolition and new wall construction by initiating
innovative approaches to utilize their existing space. To date, over 5,500 linear feet of wall
demolition has been prevented. This in turn, also supported the efforts of the engineering and
construction team. By reducing the scope of existing and new wall construction activities during
the construction, significant savings in building infrastructures such as HVAC, fire protection,
electrical and lighting modifications
were achieved.
Being in the Facilities Management profession for over 25 years, I have to say that the
certification process provided me with both the most incredible challenge as well as one of the
most inspirational feelings of accomplishment I've ever known. The entire process served several
purposes in addition to demonstrating how significantly the Facilities profession impacts
sustainability. The process provided the nucleus for my entire staff and LEED Committee to
bond and learn the benefits of LEED together. From a personal prospective, achieving the
certification process as well as my LEED AP designation has distinguished me as a leader in
educating FMs on the concepts and benefits of LEED. LEED benefits not only the bottom line,
but the employees each FM is responsible for as well as the surrounding community.
Being active with LEED has exposed me to other organizations such as the USGBC, AIA,
ASHRAE, NREP and the AEE. I truly believe that although a Facility Manager can become
extremely proficient in the profession by obtaining specialized designations such as the CFM,
FMP, RPA and the FMA, understanding and applying LEED initiatives polishes the FMs
repertoire of skills and knowledge and places them on a higher playing field. My level of
dialogue when meeting with members of other relevant associations has enabled me not only to
distinguish myself as an experienced FM, but as an FM who's educated in applying the benefits
of LEED into his organization in support of our environment.
How I Felt About the LEED-EB Certification Process
The certification process strained and challenged my tenacity, determination and organizational
leadership skills to continually motivate the LEED-EB Team for over 12 months. The team
adjusted their schedule to support our LEED-EB certification tasks while continuing to
orchestrate and accommodate our day-to-day plant operations responsibilities such as Crisis
Management, engineering & construction, space allocations, maintenance and project
management. Although the process allowed our Facilities organization to demonstrate our
existing resource conservation efforts, construction waste reductions and improved indoor
environmental quality, the certification process also distinguished our organization as proponents
in sustainability.
LEED-EB provided a multitude of ideas, goals and initiatives which have been applied to our 5-
year strategic plan to achieve additional cost savings and sustainability initiatives in the future.
The certification process is laid out extremely well with completely defined and understandable
descriptions for achieving perquisites and certification points. Leonardo Academy and USGBC
staff were exceptionally supportive and helpful with answering all of our questions. Facilities
Management is continually being challenged to demonstrate value and benefits to a company's
stake holders. Investigating and applying the appropriate LEED concepts provide an FM the
opportunity to achieve this.
From a Facility Managers viewpoint, I've been involved with and supported other organizations
certification efforts such as ISO audits. Although the organizations pursuing these certifications
acknowledged Facilities Operations as domain experts, we took a "back seat" and "behind the
scenes" prospective. Leading and coordinating the LEED-EB Certification process established
my organization as the driving element and leader in demonstrating value, improving the quality
of the work place for our employees and showcasing how Facilities supports our surrounding
community. LEED-EB allowed Facilities to apply and demonstrate our core competencies of
guiding, recruiting and educating other internal organizations to support and understand the
benefits of LEED.
Certification Application
Documentation, calculations and other related materials that must be submitted to the USGBC via
LEED-Online to demonstrate that the requirements of LEED prerequisites and credits have been
met.
Charrette
A meeting where all the parties affected by a planning or decision making process work together to
develop integrated solutions. The term “charrette” is frequently used in the LEED-NC rating system
to describe a meeting early in the design process used to set goals for the green design and
construction of a building project, and may be employed by members of the LEED community in
reference to project planning sessions.
Credits in LEED-EB
Optional components of the LEED-EB Rating System that reward exemplary policies, practices and
levels of performance with points towards certification. Projects must earn at least 32 points (out of
85 total) and meet all prerequisites (mandatory elements of the Rating System) in order to become
LEED-EB certified.
Greenwash
Inaccurate environmental claims disseminated by an organization so as to present an
environmentally responsible public image.
ISO 9001
Management-system standards that are primarily concerned with "quality management" developed
by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
ISO 14001
Management-system standards that are primarily concerned with "environmental management" and
used as a model for implementing an Environmental Management System (EMS) developed by the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
LEED-EB Commissioning
Process of earning EA Prerequisite 1 by developing a building operation plan that identifies current
building operating requirements and needs, conducting tests to proactively determine if the building
and fundamental systems are operating in accordance with the building operations plan, and making
necessary repairs identified from testing.
LEED-Online
An Adobe based LEED project management and application development tool that consists of PDF
templates for each LEED prerequisite and credit that can be downloaded by project team members
and then uploaded when complete. LEED Online also manages key project details, allows customer
service contacts and accommodates communication with application reviewers throughout the
review process.
Letter Templates
A LEED project management and application development tool that incorporates integrated
calculators and prompts for correct and complete documentation for each LEED prerequisite and
credit. Earlier Excel file versions of Letter Templates have now been integrated into LEED Online.
Performance Period
A period of time over which building performance is measured in buildings applying for LEED-EB
certification. The performance period is a minimum of 3 months for first time certifications under
LEED-EB. For subsequent re-certifications under LEED-EB, the performance period is 1 to 5 years.
Prerequisites in LEED-EB
Mandatory elements of the LEED-EB Rating System that establish minimum policies, practices,
and levels of performance in areas vital to the achievement of overall sustainability. Prerequisites
represent a minimum level of performance and do not earn points towards the project score.
Project Checklist
An Excel spreadsheet that lists all LEED prerequisites and credits and helps track opportunities for
earning credits. Also referred to as the LEED Scorecard. (See sample in Appendix D).
Rating System
A set of performance standards that guide and reward sustainable upgrades and operations of
existing buildings.
Reference Guide
A resource offered by the USGBC for a fee that supplements the LEED-EB Rating System by
providing detailed information about LEED-EB requirements, strategies for achievement, and other
resources.
Appendix C: Resources
Appendix C: Resources 1
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers Appendices
Metrix – (www.abraxasenergy.com)
Stark – (www.stark.co.uk)
Utility Manager Pro – (www.savemoreresources.com)
Appendix C: Resources 2
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers Appendices
USGBC Tools
The USGBC (www.usgbc.org) has generated a variety of tools and resources to help promote
sustainability through their LEED-EB program. USGBC Resources that can aid you include:
LEED-EB Project Checklist – tool for tracking LEED-EB prerequisites and credits that are
earnable in your building, giving you an indication of potential point totals and certification
levels (available free from www.usgbc.org/leed/eb)
LEED-EB Rating System – provides requirements for earning and documenting LEED-EB
prerequisites and credits (available free from www.usgbc.org/leed/eb)
LEED-EB Reference Guide – offers strategies and techniques, standards, synergies and
tradeoffs, and lists of topic-specific technical resources for implementing sustainable facility
improvements and earning LEED-EB prerequisites and credits. Purchase a LEED- EB
Reference Guide from the USGBC web site ($150 for USGBC members and $200 for non-
members as of May 26, 2006) early in the process to assist you with evaluating prerequisite
and credit requirements.
Appendix C: Resources 3
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers Appendices
Once internal and external team members have been identified, the next challenge is assigning
responsibility for each LEED-EB prerequisite and credit being pursued. For each prerequisite and
credit, a team member is designated to oversee the assessment, planning, implementation, and
documentation of LEED-EB actions. Assignments should reflect team members’ areas of expertise
and interest. It may be helpful to group like credits and assign a single person with responsibility for
the group.
Grouping strategies will vary depending on the organizational structure and skill sets of individual
team members. Traditionally, LEED-EB prerequisite and credit responsibility assignments have
been accomplished by sitting down with the team and the LEED-EB checklist and penciling in the
responsible team member next to each prerequisite and credit that is being pursued. The LEED-EB
Project Manager then uses the LEED-EB checklist assignments to complete the Team Admin
section of LEED Online.
The LEED-EB checklists are in MS Excel format and can therefore always be modified to better
meet your project needs. You can add a column for inserting the team member assignments or insert
additional check box columns to the left side of the checklist for planning purposes. Instead of just
yes, no and maybe columns, teams can add short, medium and long term credit goals to the column
mix.
LEED-EB prerequisites and credits can also be reorganized to match the job functions of
individuals responsible for building operation. An example of how credits can be organized by work
area is presented after the LEED-EB Checklist below.
Appendix D: Team Strategies for Organizing and Assigning LEED-EB Prerequisites and Credits 1
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers Appendices
LEED-EB Checklist
Appendix D: Team Strategies for Organizing and Assigning LEED-EB Prerequisites and Credits 2
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers Appendices
Appendix D: Team Strategies for Organizing and Assigning LEED-EB Prerequisites and Credits 3
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers Appendices
Many organizations have found that reorganizing LEED-EB prerequisites and credits to match the
job functions of individuals responsible for building operation makes managing a LEED-EB project
easier. If this seems helpful for your organization, use the following groupings as a starting point for
aligning LEED-EB prerequisites and credits with the job functions of your project team. Because
each organization has different internal structure, it may be necessary to rearrange these groups to
fit your organization’s needs. Also, please note that some prerequisites and credits might commonly
fall under the jurisdiction of more than one type of job function. For this reason, some prerequisites
and credits are listed under more than one job function (these are noted with an *). Project teams
will still need to select one person as the Responsible Party for LEED-EB Online documentation for
each of these credits.
Cleaning
MRc4.1-4.3* Sustainable Cleaning Products and Materials
IEQc10.1 Green Cleaning: Entryway Systems
IEQc10.2 Green Cleaning: Isolation of Janitorial Closets
IEQc10.3 Green Cleaning: Low Environmental Impact Cleaning Policy
IEQc10.4-10.5 Green Cleaning: Low Environmental Impact Pest Management Policy
IEQc10.6 Green Cleaning: Low Environmental Impact Cleaning Equipment Policy
Site Management
SSp1 Erosion and Sedimentation Control
SSp2 Discharge Water Compliance
SSc1.1-1.2* Plan for Green Site and Building Exterior Management
SSc4.1-4.2 Reduce Site Disturbance: Protect or Restore Open Space
SSc5.1-5.2 Stormwater Management: Rate and Quantity Reduction
SSc6.1 Heat Island Reduction: Non-Roof
SSc7 Light Pollution Reduction
WEc1.1-1.2 Water Efficient Landscaping: Reduce Irrigation Water Use
Appendix D: Team Strategies for Organizing and Assigning LEED-EB Prerequisites and Credits 4
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers Appendices
Waste Management
MRp1.1 Source Reduction & Waste Management: Waste Management Policy and Waste
Stream Audit
MRp1.2 Source Reduction & Waste Management: Storage & Collection of Recyclables
MRp2* Toxic Material Source Reduction: Reduce Mercury in Light Bulbs
MRc1.1-1.2 Construction, Demolition and Renovation Waste Management
MRc5.1-5.3 Occupant Recycling
MRc6* Additional Toxic Material Source Reduction: Reduced Mercury in Light Bulbs
Purchasing
MRp2* Toxic Material Source Reduction: Reduce Mercury in Light Bulbs
MRc2.1-2.5 Optimize Use of Alternative Materials
Appendix D: Team Strategies for Organizing and Assigning LEED-EB Prerequisites and Credits 5
Deliver the Green for Facility Managers Appendices
Transportation Management
SSc3.1 Alternative Transportation: Public Transportation Access
SSc3.2 Alternative Transportation: Bicycle Storage & Changing Rooms
SSc3.3 Alternative Transportation: Alternative Fuel Vehicles
SSc3.4 Alternative Transportation: Car Pooling & Telecommuting
Human Resources
EAc3.1 Building Operations and Maintenance: Staff Education
IEQc4.1 Documenting Productivity Impacts: Absenteeism and Healthcare Cost Impacts
IEQc4.2 Documenting Productivity Impacts: Other Impacts
Other
SSp2 Age of Building
SSc2 High Development Density Building and Area
IEQp2 Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
IEQp3 Asbestos Removal or Encapsulation
IEQp4 PCB Removal
IEQc5.2 Indoor Chemical and Pollutant Source Control: Non-Cleaning – High Volume
Copying/Print Rooms/Fax Stations
IUc1.1-1.4 Innovation in Operations & Upgrades
IUc2 LEED Accredited Professional
Appendix D: Team Strategies for Organizing and Assigning LEED-EB Prerequisites and Credits 6
DELIVER the GREEN
Stephen Olson, Director of Finance and Operations, Leonardo Academy Inc. Sheila Sheridan, CFM, CFMJ, CPM
Jenny Carney, LEED-EB Program Manager, Leonardo Academy Inc. Sheridan Associates
Michael Arny, President and Executive Director, Leonardo Academy Inc. Sheila Sheridan retired from Harvard University as Director of Facilities and Services at the
John F. Kennedy (JFK) School of Government. She has over 25 years experience in the facilities
profession and provided great assistance in the development of this white paper. She helped to
This project supports Leonardo Academy’s mission of improving the environment through sustainable
identify leading facility managers in sustainability actions to include in the survey, follow-up
actions. Leonardo Academy focuses on using integrated thinking to promote environmental interviews and data collection. She also helped guide and review the white paper materials to
sustainability. We develop innovative, outcome-focused products and resources that facilitate make sure they are on target for facility managers.
sustainability by integrating economics, policy and ecology. We produce rating systems, certification
programs, educational resources and other tools that make practicing sustainability practical. Lisa Matthiessen
Leonardo Academy is a charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Senior Associate (Sustainable Consulting), Davis Langdon Seah International
Lisa Matthiessen has extensive experience in design and construction with an emphasis in
sustainabledesign. She directs Davis Langdon’s Sustainable Design department which provides
Leonardo Academy wishes to express their great appreciation to the IFMA Foundation for their
full sustainable design and LEED services for major institutional projects. Lisa assisted with
generous funding of this white paper. developing best ways for LEED building projects to analyze financial information and decision
making during the LEED-EB Certification Process.
Leonardo Academy Inc.
T: (608) 280-0255
F: (608) 255-7202 Additional Contributors
info@leonardoacademy.org
1526 Chandler Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53711 First, we would like to thank Stu Carron, Global Facility Manager for JohnsonDiversey, and Patrick
www.leonardoacademy.org Okamura, Manager of Scottsdale Facilities Operations for General Dynamics C4 Systems, for taking
the time to share their experiences with the LEED-EB certification process and helping us to create
the Case Studies based on these experiences.
We would also like to thank the facility managers who participated in our survey of sustainable
building best practices. We are especially grateful to the facility managers who took the extra time to
share their own sustainable building best practice stories, photos and ideas in addition to completing
the survey.
Additional copies of this report are available for sale from the IFMA Foundation, 1 E. Greenway Plaza, Suite 1100,
Houston, TX 77046-0194; (281)974-5600; also available on line at www.ifmafoundation.org.
IF YOU FIND THIS PUBLICATION USEFUL, THERE IS SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW
This publication was made possible by the support of people like you through the IFMA Foundation. I F M A F O U N D AT I O N
Established in 1990 as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation, and separate entity from IFMA, the IFMA
Foundation works for the public good to promote priority research and educational opportunities for prepared by the Leonardo Academy Inc.
the advancement of facility management. The IFMA Foundation is supported by the generosity of the
FM community including IFMA members, chapters, councils, corporate sponsors and private
contributors who share the belief that education and research improve the FM profession.
By increasing the body of knowledge available to facility professionals, the IFMA Foundation advances
your profession and career potential.
Without the support of workplace professionals, the IFMA Foundation would be unable to contribute to
the future development and direction of facility management. That’s why we need your help. If you are
concerned with improving the profession and your career potential, we encourage you to make a donation
or get involved in a fund-raising event. After all, isn’t the future of facility management and your career
worth your support?
DELIVER the GREEN
IFMA FOUNDATION CORPORATE CIRCLE OF CONTRIBUTORS
To learn more about the good works of the IFMA Foundation, visit www.ifmafoundation.org.
This report sponsored by
IFMA Foundation
1 E. Greenway Plz, Suite 1100
Houston, Texas 77046
281.974.5600
foundation@ifmafoundation.org
© 2006 IFMA Foundation All rights reserved. ISBN 1-883176-65-4: Because this report is copyrighted, one must obtain permission to copy from the Copyright
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