Sustainable Facilities Tool U.S. General Services Administration

https://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/pdfs/waterfs_coolingtowers.pdf

Single-pass (or once-through) cooling equipment uses water for only one cycle before subsequently discharging it. Examples of this equipment include...

Water leaves the cooling tower system through evaporation, blow-downdrift, and basin leaks and overflows, and therefore has to be replaced. Since co...

Test, adjust, and balance airside systems to ensure that your system is not over-cooling or under-cooling certain spaces due to improper air volume ...

Prevent scale formation in cooling towers.

Cooling Tower Water Use

Cooling Tower Water Use

Cooling Tower Water Use

Cooling Tower Water Use

If cooling towers are to be used, will they have water-conserving features?

Does the building use once-through water-cooled units?

HVAC components, particularly cooling towers, steam systems, and humidifiers, are responsible for large amounts of water consumption in our building...

Is the building sited and oriented to optimize the effect of microclimatic conditions for heating and cooling?

Use alternate non-potable water sources such as gray water, rainwater, air handling unit condensate, cooling tower blow-down or discharge from other...

Are air intakes located far from sources of pollution such as parking areas, bus stops, cooling towers or stagnant water?

Is there a program of regular maintenance and cleaning of the cooling towers that includes monthly inspection for evidence of mold or slime?

The mechanical engineer will size the heating and cooling equipment based on both internal heat loads and heat loss through the building envelope. ...

Water contaminants in mechanical process equipment can form deposits, scales, or carryover if not properly expelled through blow-down. These deposit...

Finding: $30,000 in reduced wastewater fees from reclaiming cooling pond water.Scope: Pacific Northwest National Lab: BMP 4/5Source: http://energy.g...

Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) for Building Operations and Maintenance (O+M) dedicates certification credits to reducing the b...

Planted roofs reduce building energy use by cooling roofs and providing shading, thermal mass and insulation. Building-Level Energy Reduction The ...

Commercial buildings have significant opportunities to conserve the quantity of water needed for daily operations through thoughtful design of the b...

The most frequently cited measures/opportunities are: Adjust reset and set-back temperatures and temperature settings – Settings are often adjust...

Typical Federal Office Building Potable Water UseA typical Federal office building with 200 employees uses about 3,000 gallons of water in one day...

The mechanical engineer is responsible for sizing the heating and cooling equipment based on both internal heat loads and heat loss through the buil...

The lighting engineer ultimately determines the power used by the lighting system. The engineer’s equipment selection also affects how much of this ...

The Federal Energy Management Program’s guide Operations & Maintenance Best Practices has detailed guidance and checklists on the maintena...

Green Globes for Existing Buildings encourages the proper maintenance of not only HVAC equipment but also building elements that have an impact on h...

A sustainable water system is directly addressed in Green Globes New Construction certification system in the categories of project management, site...

Green Globes for Existing Buildings encourages cognitive implementation and metering of water heating equipment for energy efficiency measures. With...

Green Globes for Existing Buildings addresses a healthy indoor environment through questions pertaining to the ventilation system, filtration system...

Planted roofs contribute to improved air quality by capturing greenhouse gases, particulates, pollens, and molds. The vegetation on a planted roof c...

Large windows can provide daylight to interior spaces, but the daylight can be best used when complementary technologies are employed. Lighting cont...

The architect has as much or more impact on the HVAC system than any other member of the integrative team. An architect’s decisions - the building ...

Providing high quality thermal and ventilation comfort as part of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in commercial offices is a high priority for fe...

Harvesting systems capture alternate water sources, provide adequate treatment typically for non-potable applications to offset the consumption of p...

A “roof over our heads” is an essential part of a building envelope, protecting occupants and building structures and systems from the e...

Fewer emissions and the cooling of ambient air temperatures reduce the potential for ground-level ozone production. Reduced concentrations of pollut...

Alternate water sources are not from freshwater such as surface or groundwater. Alternate water is typically collected and stored on-site and then ...

Leaks in the water system, if left unidentified and untreated, can serve as a catalyst for mold growth within the building space. Prolonged exposure...

On average, ten percent of the total water supplied by utility companies is lost due to leakage within the building.1 Identifying leaks early preven...

While there is no unique credit that specifically addresses the construction of planted roofs, LEED for Building Design and Construction (LEED BD+C)...

If all of the ice located at the poles were to melt today, global sea levels would rise by 220 feet. Although this is unlikely to occur soon, scient...

Lighting Ecosystem Lighting in the workplace can be better understood as an ecosystem that includes lighting design as just one component of a netw...