Greening the Government: Sustainable Building Solutions for New Public Programs  

At a time when government initiatives are often viewed skeptically and critically by the voting public, it is heartening to know that the green building movement enjoys at least some measure of popular support. Architects and other construction professionals are finding both professional satisfaction and stop-gap work in the recent efforts by local, state and federal leaders to "green up" their facilities and construction projects, especially using energy-efficient materials, products and systems.

Part of the story is stimulus spending, including almost $10 billion set aside in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for work by the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Department of Energy (DOE). GSA's mandate is to reduce the baseload energy needs for federal buildings, while DOE is investigating novel building products and materials as well as "smart grid" technologies, which allow electricity-consuming components and appliances to exchange data with utilities over power lines.

Experts in sustainability point out that this trend reaches far beyond these two federal agencies, reaching to not only throughout the national government but also to state and municipal initiatives, some related directly to ARRA programs. "There's a dramatic widening of the playing field as more agencies are given directives and inducements to green up their buildings and measure their carbon footprints," said Bill Prindle, an expert in federal and state energy-efficiency programs with ICF International, Fairfax, Va.

Despite today's lackluster economy, examples of "green government" programs for building projects and facilities operations seem to hit the news every day. For architects and other building professionals, these initiatives represent a significant opportunity for new billings and construction work. The challenge is to apply sustainable design principles to reduce energy use, conserve natural resources, improve indoor environment quality, and positively impact occupant health as well as experience.

In this educational article, five methods are discussed for architects and other construction professionals to contribute to the greening of U.S. government facilities:

• Product replacement, typically by removing existing building components and installing new similar products.
• Retrofit, by replacing or adding on to existing systems. Green building retrofits boost energy efficiency by upgrading or improving interrelated building components and assemblies. By 2015, this technique could account for 13 percent of the total renovation market, almost double today's level, according to SBI Energy in Rockville, MD.
• Renovation, defined as the replacement and improvement of multiple building systems and components with environmental aims. From a gut rehabilitation to an adaptive reuse, renovations take many forms.
• New construction, a category including additions and major renovations, as well as new freestanding buildings.
• Operations & maintenance, including facility management, occupant behaviors, and janitorial practices, which have significant effects on the sustainability of a given building.

Other decisions and methods adopted by government owners and users impact the environment. In fact, many jurisdictions are today starting with a portfolio or asset management mindset to match their facility needs within existing budgets.

Front-end consulting - often overlooked, yet critical - is helping government owners decide what buildings they really need and which should be upgraded, if at all. "The whole idea of the workplace is rapidly being transformed by mobile communications and other technologies," said Georgia Borden, associate director of DEGW, a consultant working with government agencies on new office approaches. "We have to shift our own understanding of work to accommodate the changing society we live in."

These new ideas are shaping both the facilities that government agencies use themselves - and the ones they provide for public accommodation.

Linden Grove Middle School, Kalamazoo, MI A middle school in Kalamazoo, Michigan, earned a LEED Silver rating in part by using energy-efficient glazing for heat control and daylighting. Photographer: Justin Maconochie Photo courtesy Guardian Industries Corp.

Why a green government?

The timing seems ripe for such thinking. In the fall of 2009, President Obama signed an Executive Order focused on federal leadership in environmental, energy and economic performance. While doing so, he noted, "As the largest consumer of energy in the U.S. economy, the federal government can and should lead by example when it comes to creating innovative ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy efficiency, conserve water, reduce waste, and use environmentally-responsible products and technologies."

President Obama signs Executive Order 13514, on federal leadership in environmental, energy, and economic performance. Photo: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

The "feds" also constitute the nation's largest landlord and top energy user, with more than 500,000 buildings housing many of its 1.8 million-plus workers and budgets adding up to a substantial portion of the $200 billion spent annually on products and services.

Recent news shows that U.S. agencies are acutely aware of the drain on both the environment and taxpayer's wallets, with many showing leadership by reducing fuel use, cutting costs and improving the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) for the nation's workers. Some have a head start: According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. government has been a leader in sustainable building practices since the movement crystallized at least 20 years ago. Many agencies also have a role in fostering the same technologies and practices they adopt to compete in the global marketplace, whether for energy efficiency, water conservation, or the use of renewable power.

Recent laws and regulations relevant to the greening of government facilities include the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). The latter was developed to move the United States toward greater energy independence and security and to boost the use of renewables and alternative fuels. Both acts also emphasized energy efficiency.

More recently, the ARRA provides billions of dollars in spending for improvement of buildings owned by the federal government. Spending has begun and will continue for several years. Architects and other building professionals play a key role in this disbursement to agencies, local and state governments, and nonprofit groups. New construction and improved building operations are central components of the new law.

Government Seeks End to "Energy Poverty"

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, commonly known as the stimulus package, contains billions in promised spending and tax credits intended to make existing buildings more green. This includes $5 billion earmarked for the U.S. Weatherization Assistance Program, a DOE program launched in 1976 to reduce the problem of "energy poverty," and funds aimed at reducing the costs of retrofit materials. Energy Secretary Steven Chu remarks, "Programs such as these will decrease barriers to saving money: inconvenience, inertia, and inadequate information. We want to make home energy efficiency upgrades irresistible and a social norm for homeowners." (October 30, 2009 in the Huffington Post) The Recovery Act has also bolstered the GSA's sustainable design program, with $4.5 billion in funds to be spent on converting Federal buildings into "high-performance green spaces" and another billion for other renovations. According to the GSA's Recovery Act spending plan, released in April of 2009, 43 projects will receive full building modernizations, and dozens more will be partially updated. The politics surrounding the stimulus are highly charged and divisive, which means that some of this spending is generating controversy. In Portland, Oregon, for instance, the Wyatt Federal Building will be made over in part with a unique array of tall vegetated fins covering an entire side of the structure, which are intended to reduce the building's energy use. "They will bloom in the spring and summer when you want the shade, and then they will go away in the winter when you want to let the light in," says Bob Peck, commissioner of public buildings for the G.S.A. But some say that the energy savings from such a new strategy are unproven, and the $133 million price tag caused Senators John McCain and Tom Coburn to put the project at number two on their list of the 100 worst stimulus projects. According to SERA Architects who are overseeing the project for the GSA, the project is due to be complete by 2013.

Tall, vegetated fins covering one side of the structure are intended to reduce the building's energy use at the Wyatt Federal Building in Portland, Oregon. Photo credit: Scott Baumberger, Baumberger Studio.

As the nation and the government focus on green buildings, certain materials will be in high demand, since they will not only improve building performance, but may help owners qualify for tax credits: • Low-E and insulated glazing • High performing window and door framing • Weather stripping and caulking • Low VOC emitting insulation • "Cool" (light-colored, reflective) roofing • High-performance and Energy Star rated HVAC systems • Programmable thermostats

The biggest fish in the sea of U.S. public-sector building is the General Services Administration (GSA), which owns and leases more than 354 million square feet of space in 8,600 properties across the country. As a huge stakeholder and the leader on many major construction projects, the GSA has taken a high-profile role in reducing negative impacts on the environment and improving the health and comfort of building occupants. The independent agency developed a Sustainable Design Program that has recently moved to require that all new federal construction projects achieve at least a Silver rating under LEED. (Gold is encouraged.)

Though this work, the GSA develops high-performing government buildings through new construction, renovation and retrofits. Using emerging technologies and cutting-edge design techniques, the GSA's sustainable building program includes such features as sensor-controlled daylighting; natural ventilation in favorable climates; rainwater collection systems to reduce potable water consumption; and an overall emphasis on high-performance buildings that use less energy, consume fewer resources, reduce carbon footprint and maximizing productivity.

"A high-performing green building is not just about energy; it's about the effects on human performance," said Kevin Kampschroer, director of GSA's Office of High-Performance Federal Green Buildings. "We're creating sustainable lifestyles for our employees that use fewer resources and produce less waste and damage to the planet. That's a long way from the old stereotypical perception of a cold, grey government building filled with inefficient bureaucracy."

Government programs and initiatives for green building

On the other hand, GSA and other government building projects face some challenges, not least of which is the politics of the day. High-performing, energy-wise buildings with good IEQ come at a cost. On the federal level, however, bipartisan leadership in advancing green building initiatives, both public and private, dates back several decades, to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970. NEPA required that all agencies considering actions with major environmental consequences − for instance, construction − submit environmental impact statements for review by the then-nascent EPA. In this way, the EPA became an environmental clearinghouse for public building projects with federal funding.

Federal. The DOE ultimately joined EPA as the most influential agencies on sustainable design. Energy Star, the international energy efficiency standard created by EPA in the early 1990s, expanded from consumer products to include energy performance standards for buildings with DOE involvement. EPA also launched standards for water efficiency more recently under the name Water Sense. DOE's office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) wields great influence on green building policy, working with independent groups like Oak Ridge National Laboratories on the science behind efficiency.

EERE's Building Technologies Program funds the development of strategies to reduce commercial and residential building energy use. "Activity is at an all-time high," said P. Marc LaFrance, an R&D manager. "We'll see more resources allocated to building envelope R&D, which works to develop the next generation of roofs, walls, windows and foundations."

State. Currently, there's no potent federal law setting national codes for building energy efficiency or sustainability at the state level. Many states have been following the federal example for green or high-performance facilities, however.

Rhode Island's new Green Buildings Act, signed into law by the governor in late 2009, requires that all new public buildings achieve LEED certification, or the equivalent. California recently became the first to adopt a statewide mandatory Green Building Code, which goes into effect in January 2011. The code specifies constraints for new buildings, including water-saving plumbing, low-VOC materials and inspection regimens for energy systems like water heaters. "This is going to change the whole way that buildings are conceived and constructed," said David Walls, executive director of the California Building Standards Commission. "Other states will try to mimic what we're doing."

Other state-level strategies focus on energy use. Arizona adopted energy conservation standards in 2008 requiring its state and university buildings to cut their energy use by 15 percent below 2001-2002 levels by July 2011. Some employ tax incentives: the Maryland Energy Administration offers a credit of up to 8 percent of the total cost of a building over 20,000 square feet constructed within a "priority funding area." New York's environmental department offers similar breaks. Other state programs offer direct financial assistance to green building projects, like the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust and New Jersey's Smart Future Planning Grant Program.

County and local. At the municipal level, fierce competition for economic development drives financial incentives to build sustainably - and equally lax environmental rules meant to attract business. A number of towns and counties, however, are banking on the long-term benefits from sustainable development to outweigh any potential short-term losses and upfront costs. Hennepin County, MN, has established its own sustainability rating system for building projects receiving state bond funding. Cities with their own comprehensive Green Building Programs include Austin, Texas, and Scottsdale, Arizona.

The survey shows that the city of Los Angeles is a clear winner in the "IBM Smarter Buildings" (PDF) study, which surveyed 6,486 office workers in 16 U.S. cities on issues ranging from office building automation and security to elevator reliability and conservation issues. Source: Environmental Leader

Portland, OR, and Seattle, two of the first to have a local green ordinance, claim that green rules actually attract investment and tax revenues. San Francisco recently made headlines by adopting the nation's strictest commercial green code and city officials expect it to be a success. "Consider what the voluntary system created. LEED square footage has increased more than four-fold in 2009 alone," said Barry Hooper, a green-building specialist for the city and county.

Existing state laws often prohibit local governments from adopting strict green building standards. In Massachusetts, legislators have been slow to adopt a statewide green building code, so city leaders in Boston adopted a creative solution, a green zoning rule called Article 37, which required municipal projects to achieve LEED Silver and applied stringent rules for commercial projects over 50,000 square feet.

Techniques and options for greening

In general, however, green is growing in the public sector. Adding more detail on today's green building methods, government greening initiatives can be parsed into five project categories. While the lines between the approaches may blur - and they are not treated uniformly in terms of procurement - these categories are a valuable way to establish goals and benchmarks for sustainability in the public sector.

Product replacement. Simply by swapping out building components and consumables, government facility managers are able to make significant environmental strides, according to the DOE's Energy Star and advocates such as Environmental Working Group, Washington, D.C. Project planners can begin with "drop-in" replacements, such as light-emitting diode (LED) and compact-fluorescent lamp (CFL) packages that work in existing light fixtures, or refrigerants rated as low global-warming potential (GWP) that are compatible with current chiller plants. Sources of waste, such as paper towel dispensers in restrooms, may be replaced with new high-efficiency hand dryers.

For Universities, Greener Washrooms

Due to recent upgrades at several of the Student Union buildings at California State Northridge, the university can boast as one of the most hands-free, green, state universities in the country. Due to renovation projects with sustainability, water conservation and energy savings in mind, the university has found new ways to save money and help save the environment. In addition to waterless urinals that allow unobstructed flow down the drain without wasting water (accounts for a 35 percent reduction in domestic water intake and saved the university about $10,000 to $15,000 per year) and hands-free faucets and soap dispensers, the university also looked to hand dryers, hoping to reduce the $21,000 spent annually on paper towels, installation labor and trash hauling fees. The university liked what they saw. The new hand dryers they installed blows water off hands using a focused high-velocity air stream and a specially designed nozzle. The high-velocity air also breaks up the layer of water vapor between the air and the skin. This causes the thin water film to evaporate more quickly than conventional dryers. Skin is dried in about 15 seconds and uses 8 percent less energy than other dryers. Other green features at the 248,000 square foot Student Union include the use of only biodegradable toilet paper, energy watt and compact fluorescent lighting, and motion- and photo-sensored air conditioning and lighting. Gary Homesley, assistant director of facilities and maintenance at the Student Union estimates that no-flush urinals and the hand dryers alone save the Student Union more than $30,000 per year. "We had a lot of success retrofitting the older buildings, once we tested and implemented suitable products; I expect to continue with this trend."

California State Northridge is one of the most green universities in the country due to recent washroom upgrades in the Student Union buildings. Photo: Excel Dryer, Inc.

Such silver bullets are rare, however, leaving many government building groups to contemplate more complex replacement options. For example, significant environmental benefits can be gained by replacing façade glazing with new low-emissivity (low-E) glass panels. "Energy-saving coatings applied to the glass affect the amount of light that is transmitted, measured as visible light transmittance or VLT, as well as the U-factor or thermal performance of the glass," explained Chris Dolan, director of commercial glass products for Guardian Industries Corp., Detroit. "Another measure is the solar heat-gain coefficient or SHGC, which tells you how much heat stays out."

Retrofit. Similar to replacements, retrofit describes the upgrade of entire building systems, such as the multiple, related elements of a roofing system or HVAC plant. While replacing dark roofing materials with white or light-colored membrane or other so-called "cool roof" materials, a tear-off roof retrofit adding more insulation and an air barrier can do even more to reduce cooling loads and urban heat-island effects. This can be highly cost-effective for greening public-sector buildings, though it requires project coordination and funding, often covered through operating budgets and procurement channels.

Recognizing the potential, last September the DOE selected 25 states and communities to receive up to $452 million under its "Retrofit Ramp-Up" program. The large-scale initiatives mainly target neighborhoods where similar system upgrades can improve a swath of houses and buildings. The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA), for example, earned a $20 million award for energy-efficient retrofits for public and private buildings across 30 municipalities. DOE has said that Retrofit Ramp-Up will save at least $100 million annually on operations costs while producing a library of best-practice guides to instruct similar efforts across the country.

Renovation. An order of magnitude greater, renovations tend toward big-ticket projects addressing multiple building systems and materials at once and significantly affecting operations and performance. These projects may include structural changes, enclosure assemblies, MEP plant additions and extensive finish material changes. They can also simply address a tenant installation (TI) project, which is the focus of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) program; in this case, a property's overall operations may not be materially improved, but a single occupant zone is made substantially greener.

Green building renovations are becoming "the new normal," according to SBI Energy, largely due to rising energy costs. "The majority of the world's buildings are old and waste energy. We anticipate the building industry will see a significant increase in green building renovation to make structures more energy efficient, particularly since these types of retrofits pay for themselves after only a few years," said Bernie Galing, an SBI analyst who authored the recent report,Global Green Building Materials and Construction, 2nd Edition.

New construction. Larger renovation projects may be so extensive as to be considered new construction, according to the USGBC. LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) includes "major renovations," which the group views with the potential to create high-performance commercial and institutional projects. Additions, expansions and other extensive facility changes should be treated as new construction projects in terms of sustainability.

Building operations and maintenance (O&M). The USGBC's LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (LEED-EBOM) was introduced as a pilot in 2002 and served as a formal codification of a long held belief: That even the greenest building designs could be subverted by poor O&M. LEED-EBOM provides a benchmark for building owners and operators to compare their practices in whole-building cleaning and chemical agents, recycling, exterior maintenance, and systems upgrades. LEED-EBOM is just one way to ensure O&M practices are best-in-class, but building design and construction professionals need to be aware of this system as it has been adopted by countless municipalities and agencies.

Greening through Product Replacement

The idea of product replacement as a strategy for greening government buildings runs counter to a few common preconceptions about sustainability, including the focus on source reduction, life-cycle impact and durability. One's intuition says it's greener to use what we already have − yet in practice, the opposite may be true.

Newly installed hand dryers in New York City's Department of Parks and Recreation have reduced energy needs by 80 percent and cut down on paper waste. Photo: Excel Dryer, Inc.

This conclusion occurred to New York City's Department of Parks and Recreation, which has adopted green building practices through a citywide initiative called PlaNYC, which includes building green roofs, purchasing more fuel-efficient vehicles, and pursuing alternative energy projects. Recent work in Central Park and other area public restrooms included the replacement of existing paper towel dispensers and old electric hand dryers with high-speed dryers bearing the parks department logo. The benefits, according to parks officials, include paper waste reduction and about 80 percent reduced electricity needs because the dryers take only 10 seconds or so per visitor.

"Life-cycle assessment studies show a reduction of up to 70 percent in the hand-drying carbon footprint," says Bill Gagnon of Excel Dryer, Inc., East Longmeadow, MA, a company now working with the DOE's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) to establish a category for high-efficiency hand dryers. "A single facility can use millions of paper towels each year - it's amazing how much trash can accumulate - and government agencies says that's where they can make the biggest impact."

Beyond one-to-one appliance replacements, product add-ons also offer a low-cost, low-impact way for government owners to address underperforming existing components or systems. Examples include power monitors, occupancy sensors or timers for automatic shut-off of lighting and computers, a strategy used by the Internal Revenue Service at its new, LEED-rated St. Louis facility. According to Joseph R. Campfield, IRS director of building operations, the seasonal nature of the facility and resulting flux in staffing levels made it essential to use motion sensors not only to save energy, but also to allow for reconfiguring of ambient lighting in affected office areas. This is accomplished by adjusting how the sensors are connected within overhead fixtures.

While green buildings depend on products to last as long as possible − ideally for reuse after they are removed, too − clearly governments can get greener in some cases by replacing existing underperforming assets.

Green Retrofits

Simply put, retrofits add new technology to older systems. Considering that government projects will rarely start from scratch - even new construction will often have to conform to older, "grandfathered" codes and policies -retrofitting will often be the simplest approach to greening. Additionally, a thoroughly developed retrofit strategy will save energy and construction costs associated with full renovation or with new construction.

Retrofits may come with a hefty price tag, too. But the result can be high impact, achieving cost benefits as well as potential health and environmental benefits. In a 2008 survey on green retrofits by Deloitte and Touche, 75 percent of respondents in the commercial sector who had implemented green retrofits said they were "very satisfied," while the remaining portion said they were "somewhat satisfied." About 63 percent of respondents said that they had spent at least 5 percent more than they would have on conventional − that is, non-green − retrofits. About 83 percent said that they were "very likely" to implement further green retrofits in the future, although their motivations to do so varied widely.

Among reasons to undertake a green retrofit project, indoor air quality is a leader, according to a survey by Deloitte & Touche. Source: Deloitte & Touche

Almost any building system can be retrofitted to be greener and better performing, including HVAC, facade systems, roof systems, fenestration and glazing. The original 1950s brick façade of the Dover Air Force Base Medical Group building in northeast Delaware, for example, had been suffering from a poor design without weepholes. Moisture accumulated behind the masonry, leading to spalling and pushing the brick exteriors outward.

To stabilize the envelope and make it more energy efficient, the project team replaced all windows and doors and then overclad about 60,000 square feet of leaky brick with an exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS) on top of a new spray-applied air barrier and waterproofing membrane. The resulting façades received a textured finish with self-cleaning properties to ease facility maintenance. "Wrapping the building with a lightweight product sealed it for moisture protection and gave us the flexibility of design that we needed," said Lyndon Brown, project leader for the architect, Davis Stokes Collaborative.

A brick building on the Dover Air Force Base was stabilized and made more energy efficient with an overcladding of an exterior insulation-and-finish system (EIFS). Photo: Sto Corp.

A retrofit can also yield aesthetic benefits, even as it delivers the desired increases in performance. The Art Gallery of Ontario, a quasi-public Canadian facility, recently underwent a major renovation by Frank Gehry, whose design included a unique glazed façade retrofit. The retrofit called for 70,000 square feet of a high-performing clear glass that transmits 68 percent of light while reducing solar heating indoors. By making use of natural light and reducing cooling costs, the façade retrofit achieved significant energy savings. A newspaper critic lauded the change also for its aesthetic merits, saying, "Its billowing glass facade, which evokes a crystal ship drifting through the city, is a masterly example of how to breathe life into a staid old structure."

The Frank Gehry-designed Art Gallery of Ontario features a unique glazed façade retrofit. Photo: Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Renovating for Sustainability

Full-scale renovations of existing government facilities can include the retrofitting of multiple systems such as lighting, HVAC, enclosures and the like. The aim is often to resuscitate older and often historic buildings that have become outmoded or inefficient,allowing for a recycling of their useful features, such as the structural frame, foundations, footings and caissons. The result can be a sustainable design that rivals new construction projects, with reductions in life-cycle costs, carbon emissions, and square footage required for equivalent uses. Improvements to IEQ and occupant performance often accompany the projects, too.

Government facility renovations are often driven by changes of occupancy along with laws or initiatives that require minimum standards of energy efficiency or sustainable design. For the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building in Detroit, the GSA had identified it as one of 42 federal properties meeting their criteria for "transforming Federal buildings into high-performance green buildings," even though its own 2008 tenant satisfaction survey showed 81 percent of occupants "very satisfied" with their workplace. Still, the FBI had considered moving to a more suitable location, feeling they had outgrown their offices. Plans were cancelled for a new $100 million, eight-story building. "It was frustrating," said Andrew Arena, the special agent in charge.

However, having seen plans for a renovated interior and an expanded FBI workspace with dedicated lobbies and elevators, Arena agreed that the 100,000-square-foot, $40 million renovation and expansion "may be the most viable option." Paid for with ARRA funding, the design by project architect SmithGroup of Detroit created a new dedicated entry to FBI offices and "a building within a building," said the firm. By staying put, the FBI helped eliminate the impact of a new construction effort and its associated resources, while earning a potentially LEED Silver home. New insulation around lobbies and entryways stem energy loss, and low-flow plumbing fixtures minimize water consumption. New high-efficiency lighting on occupancy sensors further improve energy savings. "I think this is going to work out for us," said Arena.

Greening New Government Buildings

The bar is raised even higher for new construction projects. The EPA has defined green building as "the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction." For public-sector project teams, which typically own their properties, that definition means beginning a new construction project by considering the full useful life of the building in addition to disposition alternatives. Put simply: Governments rarely walk away from their buildings.

The EPA criteria begin with siting and orientation, which can dramatically affect the life-cycle and sustainability of a building. Details on how these affect environmental performance are outlined in the LEED criteria and resources such as the Whole Building Design Guide (wbdg.org), a collaborative online effort among federal agencies, private-sector companies, non-profits and educational institutions that offers initial guidance on sustainable design. Design solutions flow from these initial decisions, with significant variation depending on local climate and building use and occupancies.

For the 21,200-square-foot Appaloosa Branch Library, located in an arroyo in Scottsdale, AZ, siting was critical to mitigate desert heat and sun as well as occasional flooding. According to design principal Jeremy Jones of Phoenix-based DWL Architects, the facility is oriented for optimal sun angle to maximize both shading and indirect daylighting. Storm water is retained and filtered to reduce flooding and pollution, and the landscaping requires minimal irrigation.

The 21,000-square foot Appaloosa Branch Library in Scottsdale, AZ made LEED Gold, and features photovoltaic cells, illumination by daylighting and sustainable building materials, systems and finishes. Photos: Bill Timmerman Courtesy DWL Architects + Planners Inc.

For selecting building materials, systems and finishes, green government projects often employ EPA's Energy Star program for product ratings but also for best-practice policies. Another group, the independent GreenGuard Environmental Institute (GEI), establishes standards for building materials, interior furnishings, and cleaning products in terms of controlling mold, moisture and indoor pollutants.

For the Scottsdale library, only low-emitting sealants and adhesives are allowed, and dust during the construction phases was carefully controlled. "Air-quality control starts before official occupancy by having a ‘blow-down' for several days using 14,000 cubic feet of air per square foot of building to clear out all remaining exhaust vapors, fumes, off-gassing and contaminates and then controlling airflow for the following month," says Jones.

Unusual among government bodies in the United States, the city of Scottsdale has made LEED Gold mandatory for all city facilities, and the Appaloosa Branch Library is no exception. The facility uses less than half the water needed for a typical library of similar size, and about 75 percent of public areas and workspaces have outdoor views and illumination by daylighting. Photovoltaic cells provide some of the building's electricity, while a white roof reduces the heat-island effect. These and other features helped the facility earn the title "Most Sustainable Project" in Arizona for 2010 from the magazine AZRE − which covers commercial real estate.

Green Operations for Public Buildings

The Appaloosa Branch Library also serves as a model for green building operations, which the LEED ratings help advance. For example, building systems are continually monitored to verify proper and optimal performance - including air quality conditions. Light trespass onto adjacent properties is controlled, and full-cutoff lighting fixtures ensure that light pollution is eliminated. Janitorial and maintenance procedures have been thoroughly documented to allow only selective use of chemicals.

This long list of O&M practices reflects two facts about government buildings: First, that any building's long-term environmental impact is related primarily to operational phase, not its construction phase, and second, that government buildings are typically occupied for the long term. According to theSustainable Building Technical Manual, over a 30 year period initial building costs account for only about 2 percent of the total lifetime cost, while O&M is much higher at about 6 percent. The balance? Personnel costs, at about 92 percent.

"Leading government groups like the GSA recognize that having a sustainable and innovative workplace is more than energy reduction - it's also about boosting employee health, satisfaction and productivity," said DEGW's Andrew Laing, adding that GSA and others are increasingly using mobile and "virtual officing" tools to reduce personnel costs and improve morale. "Today's technology supports a distributed workforce, which reduces commuting and also energy use, but they also allow employees flexibility and improve the overall lifestyle of the average government worker."

After that, facility managers need to adopt best practices to reduce energy use, instill good occupant behaviors - such as commuting by mass transit and turning off computers - as well as ensure good maintenance protocols and benign cleansers.

Areas of Focus: Mind the "Gap"

According to the USGBC, a good first step in greening an existing building is conducting an audit of the building's purchasing, housekeeping, grounds keeping, and waste management practices. After that, says the group, compare the existing MEP systems against LEED requirements - often called a "gap analysis" - to identify systems, operations and policies that need to be revised to achieve certification.

While the gap analysis may identify many systems and operations for improvement, a few common themes emerge in a look across the universe of government facilities. Among the top issues:

HVAC upgrades. Many government buildings, including schools, are challenged by variations in air-conditioning loads and the need to improve fresh outdoor air delivery. At the Chisolm Trail Middle School in Richardson, Texas, for example, the goal was to increase the fresh air intake to conform to the 15 cfm per student required by ASHRAE 62.89. The school, upgraded from noisy, corroded water-source heat pumps to a distributed approach: individual dehumidifier units in each classroom. This obviated the need for new PVC piping throughout the facility, and now helps control humidity and improve comfort when internal loads are not sufficient to create a cooling demand, improving air quality.

Lighting upgrades. With lighting systems contributing to up to 40 percent of a commercial building's electrical load, the reduction obtained with a lighting upgrade can be very significant − both fiscally and environmentally. For Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma, lighting played a key role in reducing energy use by 35 percent, as was mandated by federal rules. Altus replaced old T12 fluorescent lamps on magnetic ballasts - as well as inefficient incandescent and HID fixtures - with energy-efficient T8 and T5 fluorescent lamps driven by high-efficiency electronic and dimming ballasts, in 93 buildings. About 250 exit signs were also converted to LED technology.

As a result of the upgrade, lighting quality has improved dramatically, the base's energy consumption has been reduced by over 6 million kWh annually, and the base will recoup its investment in just four years, reflecting an attractive return on investment (ROI) of 25 percent. "The energy savings will enable the base to make necessary capital improvements without impacting the operating budget," said Warren Howard, the energy manager for Altus.

Daylight upgrades. In a related issue, green building projects are often spurred to use passive solar strategies, including more natural light. For Linden Grove Middle School in Kalamazoo, MI, for example, a major expansion project was developed with more glazed façades to help students learn better - and to cut electricity costs. The school earned LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in part due to the use of the clear insulating glass, which contributed to points for building materials and daylighting strategy because of its high visible light transmission and low solar heat-gain coefficient.

The use of clear insulating glass contributed to LEED points for building materials and daylighting strategy at the Linden Grove Middle School in Kalamazoo, MI. Photos: Kalamazoo Public Schools (left); Kalamazoo Gazette (right)

"Several studies have been done that show a strong correlation between natural daylighting in schools and improved educational performance," said Guardian's Chris Dolan. Examples include the well-regarded study, "Daylighting In Schools," by Fair Oaks, California-based Heschong Mahone Group. According to The National Center for Education Statistics, 72 percent of the energy expenditures for operating educational buildings are for electricity, added Dolan, and much of that goes to lighting. By using more natural light, schools can save on operating costs and put the money saved to better use.

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Washroom upgrades. Other government owners focus on areas of frequent use and potential waste, such as washrooms. At facilities like the 30,000-square-foot Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine, operations manager Jim Leo oversaw upgrades to six large restrooms including low-flow plumbing, efficient lighting with occupancy sensors, and high-performance fixtures. Reduced paper consumption was another goal, said Leo, but time-consuming repairs of the facility's 21 hand dryers, "which had only been installed for three years, had become a maintenance nightmare." Leo selected to stick with electric, replacing the appliances. "These dryers draw an average of 1,500 watts per use, compared to the traditional 2,300 watts, and shut off just two seconds after hands are removed from the sensor," he said.

Low-flow plumbing, efficient lighting with occupancy sensors and electric hand dryers were some of the upgrades made at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine. Photo: Excel Dryer, Inc.

New government programs and policies for green building

The greening of America is no small task, but federal and state working groups are establishing new initiatives and policies to inform methods and provide incentives for going green. Leading by example is the best way to form synergy, and projects by GSA and other top agencies are at the forefront. Recently, GSA partnered with the DOE and Department of Defense through a so-called Interagency Sustainability Working Group to mandate the incorporation of sustainable designs.

In October 2009, President Obama signed the related Executive Order 13423, requiring that 95 percent of all applicable contracts meet new sustainability requirements. Sustainable Federal building locations must be developed according to the "Livability Principles" written by EPA with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation. Obama's sweeping order also mandated a raft of energy, water, and waste reduction targets, including:

• 26 percent improvement in water efficiency by 2020.
• 50 percent recycling and waste diversion by 2015.
• Implementation of the 2030 net-zero-energy building requirement.
• Implementation of EISA storm water provisions.
• 95 percent of all applicable contracts will meet sustainability requirements.

"As the largest consumer of energy in the U.S. economy, the Federal government can and should lead by example," said President Obama. "This Executive Order builds on the momentum of the Recovery Act to help create a clean energy economy."

With steps like these, the U.S. government has become a major force in the global green movement. It is only right that it starts at the executive branch: In 1979, President Carter installed a $28,000 solar water heater on the roof of the White House, which was later removed and then replaced - in spirit - by a grid of photovoltaic cells ordered by President George W. Bush in 2002. These symbolic efforts to build a sustainable future for America are major steps to improving the way America uses energy and other natural resources.

C.C. Sullivan is principal of a marketing and content agency that specializes in the architecture, design, and construction segments. He is former editor-in-chief of the magazines Architecture and Building Design + Construction.