The GSA has generated a great tool for Federal employees to use as a resource when targeting high-performance green facilities. The Sustainable Facilities Tool (SFTool) provides a guide for “where to begin” when making facilities more environmental:
Environmental Building Materials & Products
Material and product selection can be one of the most challenging aspects of designing high-performance green buildings. The following links can provide assistance with the selection of environmentally-friendly materials and products:
Guiding Principles
The Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued the following six Guiding Principles that apply to existing buildings and new construction or modernization:
- Employ Integrated Design Principles
- Optimize Energy Performance
- Protect and Conserve Water
- Enhance the Indoor Environment
- Reduce the Environmental Impact of Materials
- Assess and Consider Building Resilience
Third-Party Certification
Third-party certification uses an external standard to assess NIH facilities, primarily using the LEED standard or the Green Globes standard. The NIH currently has 5 facilities registered as LEED-New Construction Buildings and has 26 existing buildings being assessed to meet the current Guiding Principles. Here's more information on each certification:
LEED:
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) created LEED as a rating system for green building. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health. This is done by rating different building credits and assigning points. Certification levels for LEED range from Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The John Edward Porter Neuroscience Research Center (PNRC II) is the only building on the Bethesda campus that is LEED certified and Green Globe certified.
Green Globes:
Green Globes is a web-based program for green building guidance and certification that includes an onsite assessment by a third party. Green Globes offers a streamlined and affordable alternative to LEED as a way to advance the overall environmental performance and sustainability of commercial buildings. The process utilizes third-party assessors with expertise in green building design, engineering, construction and facility operations. These professionals’ interface with project teams and building owners to review documentation and conduct onsite building tours. Those buildings that achieve 35% or more of the 1,000 points possible in the Green Globes rating system are eligible candidates for a certification of one, two, three, or four Green Globes. The Green Globes system provides higher levels of achievement based on the number of points a building acquires.