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Sustainable building is the practice of creating healthier and more resource-efficient models of construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and demolition. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal agencies are leading the way to reduce the environmental footprints of their facilities.
Federal agencies are required to prevent waste and recycle as an alternative to disposal. As a facility manager, you play a key role in ensuring that excess materials, including electronic equipment, are reused, recycled, or donated whenever possible.
Under energy regulations, facility managers must purchase a certain amount of renewable energy–wind, solar, geothermal, hydropower and biomass–to light, heat, and cool their buildings.
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In January 2006, EPA and 16 federal agencies signed the Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), committing to design, construct, and operate their facilities in an energy-efficient and sustainable manner. The MOU pertains to planning, acquiring, siting, designing, building, operating, and maintaining buildings, and water conservation, indoor air quality, and materials.
- Executive Order (EO) 13423, Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management, directs federal agencies to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings, promote use of renewable energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use in their buildings. It also addresses water efficiency, waste prevention, recycling, electronics stewardship, and green products and services.
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Under the Significant New Alternatives Policy program (SNAP) and the implementation orders for EO 13423, each agency is required to ensure that it maximizes the use of safe alternatives to ozone-depleting substances.
- The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) has mandates on federal buildings in terms of the waste they produce and other impacts they have on the environment.
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Executive Order 13423 Technical Guidance
 for Implementing the Five Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings includes clarification of requirements; related mandates; additional recommendations and considerations; and resources for implementation, including model contract and specification language per the Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers.
- The Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires federal agencies to reduce energy intensity in their facilities by 2 percent every year beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2006, up to a cumulative 20 percent reduction by the end of FY 2015 (compared to an FY 2003 baseline).
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The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-140, H.R. 6) was signed into law on December 19, 2007. This broad-reaching policy contains many provisions to increase energy efficiency and the availability of renewable energy. The EISA of 2007 New and Enhanced FEMP Responsibilities (8 pp, 440KB About PDF) describes the new and enhanced responsibilities of federal agencies under the act.
- Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies: Energy and Fuel Conservation by Federal Agencies, issued in September 2005, directs the heads of executive agencies to conserve natural gas, electricity, gasoline, and diesel fuel to the maximum extent possible.
- FedCenter.gov’s HVAC Web page describes what is regulated under the Clean Air Act related to operation and maintenance of building heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems.
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FedCenter.gov’s High Performance Buildings Web page provides information on the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System, including case studies of green construction efforts, software and databases to help determine which construction products and processes are the most effective, and assorted high-performance construction guidelines and standards.
- An Environmental Management System (EMS) is required at federal facilities. An EMS includes programs and practices at all federal facilities, such as waste prevention and recycling; buying products with recycled content; contracting services that are environmentally preferable; creating fleets that are energy-efficient and include alternative-fuel vehicles; and buying, maintaining and responsibly disposing of electronic equipment. The practices are often combined with safety and health requirements of a facility's operations and maintenance.
- The Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) can help federal building managers purchase recycled-content goods and environmentally friendly services. Buying carpeting and insulation through CPG, for instance, closes the recycling loop.
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As a manager, you are asked to construct, manage, and maintain your facility according to green building principles. There are numerous actions you can take during design and construction, and operations and maintenance.
- When contracting for facility services, include green cleaning, reduced usage of hazardous products, green landscaping, VOC reductions, waste prevention and recycling, environmentally sensitive pest reduction programs and other environmental provision as possible.
- Install and implement energy- and water-efficient systems.
- Green your cleaning programs.
- Minimize the use of hazardous chemicals.
- Purchase and use recycled materials as directed by the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines and other environmental product preference programs.
- Continually improve your recycling program by adding additional materials and reducing waste.
- Maintain quality indoor air.
- Keep your landscaping water efficient and use native plants when possible.
Find more information on managing your facility at EPA’s Green Building Web site and follow the implementing instructions for Executive Order 13423. [back to top]
To address the need for a comprehensive guide for procuring green building products and construction services within the federal government, EPA has partnered with the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive and the Whole Building Design Guide to develop the Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers.
In addition, the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) is a Department of Energy program that works to reduce the cost and environmental impact of the federal government by advancing energy efficiency and water conservation, distributed and renewable energy, and utility management decisions at federal sites. Highlights of FEMP resources include:
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Effective Operations and Maintenance of Energy-Using Systems provides an overview of maintenance strategies and effective maintenance for various technologies—such as boilers, fans, motors, pumps, and air compressors.
- Utility Management Web site provides up-to-date information about energy markets, utility restructuring, renewable power purchasing, demand response, and state energy efficiency funding opportunities.
- Access Software Tools help facility managers choose conservation measures that are most cost effective and environmentally friendly.
- Financing Mechanisms determine whether to fund energy improvements through energy savings performance contracts, utility energy service contracts, efficiency and renewable energy incentive programs, or some combination of these.
- EPA Green Buildings describes typical green building features and gives an overview of EPA's green buildings.
- Greening EPA features EPA's strategies to reduce the environmental impact of its facilities and operations, from building new, environmentally sustainable structures to improving the energy efficiency of older buildings.
- EPA Construction and Demolition Waste provides information on EPA's efforts and other opportunities to reduce construction and demolition materials.
- Guidance for Presidential Memorandum on Environmentally and Economically Beneficial Landscape Practices on Federal Landscaped Grounds.
- EPA's Indoor Air Quality in Large Buildings provides information on the indoor air problems and solutions for large facilities.
- EPA’s Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines list the recovered content material products requirements for facilities' managers to purchase.
Other Federal Resources
FedCenter.gov Resources
Department of Defense
The Joint Service Pollution Prevention and Sustainability Technical Library is supported by the Joint Services, the Defense Logistics Agency, and the U.S. Coast Guard and includes several useful pages:
Deparment of Energy
- Department of Energy's
Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Initiative (or Commercial Building Initiative) encompasses all activities that support this goal including industry partnerships, research, and tool development.
- The Department of Energy's Sustainable Building Assessment Tool assists its sites and programs in implementing and documenting compliance with the Guiding Principles for High Performance and Sustainable Building, for both new construction and existing buildings.
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FEMP's High-Performance Building Design, Operations and Maintenance section helps federal agencies think through questions involved in new construction and renovation projects, including how to leverage sustainable design principles, evaluate the life-cycle costs of investments, implement energy-savings projects, select an energy-wise design firm, and ensure energy security and continuity.
- Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability is software for selecting cost-effective, environmentally-preferable building products measured by environmental performance using the life-cycle assessment approach.
General Services Administration
- General Services Administration (GSA) Energy, Environmental, and Sustainable Design in Lease Acquisition provides language changes for GSA's standard Solicitation for Offers (SFO) implementing EO 13123, Greening the Government Through Efficient Energy Management, and EO 13101, Greening the Government Through Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Federal Acquisition.
- GSA Sustainable Design Web site features ways of incorporating principles of sustainable design and energy efficiency building projects.
General Green Building Resources
Water Conservation Resources
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- The Greening
EPA Web site provides an overview of the extensive work the
Agency is doing to continually improve the environmental performance
of its facilities. Visit the site for updates on:
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Energy conservation
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Green buildings
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Water conservation
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Stormwater management
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- EPA’s goals under Executive Order 13423 include targets for green buildings, janitorial and maintenance services, fleets, landscaping, and power.
- EPA’s new offices were built at Potomac Yards in Virginia as one of the first green speculative building projects in the Washington, DC area. The project has won LEED Gold certification.
- The Agency implements a range of strategies to reduce the environmental impact of its facilities and operations, from building new, environmentally sustainable structures to improving the energy efficiency of older buildings.
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Agency-Specific Information
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