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Learn & Plan Topics

  • Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)

    Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) is most simply described as the conditions inside the building. It includes air quality, but also access to da...

  • Materials & Resources

    In the construction and day-to-day operations of buildings, many materials and resources are used and a great deal of waste is generated. The m...

  • Energy & Atmosphere

    Buildings and facilities rely on the operation of mechanical systems and electrical systems to maintain a high level of indoor environmental qual...

  • Water Efficiency

    Buildings are significant users of the Earth’s freshwater supply. The goal of a responsible building operator should be to encourage a sma...

  • Sustainable Sites

    Choosing a building's site and managing that site during construction are important to ensure a project’s sustainability. Environmentally r...

  • Buildings' Energy Use

    Buildings represent about 76% of electricity use and 40% of U.S. primary energy use, making it essential to reduce energy consumption to reduce cost...

  • Buildings' Water Use

    Water use in commercial and institutional facilities, such as office buildings and hospitals, acc...

  • U.S. Waste and Recycling

    The U.S. generated approximately 251 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) in 2012. Almost 87 million tons were recycled and composted, whi...

  • Time Indoors

    People in the U.S. spend about 90% of their time indoors.

    Source: Environmental Protection Agency (1987). The Total...

  • Occupant Comfort

    Comfortable workers are more likely to be productive and engaged with their work than those who struggle to work in spaces that create barr...

  • Integrative Design Process

    Integrative thinking looks for synergies among strategies - strategies that enhance one another. It also looks for strategies that, taken together, ...

  • Space Reconfiguration and Renovation Projects

    As needs change over time, tenants often need to convert space or phase the conversion of individual space or rooms to meet these changing needs....

  • Under 10,000 SF Interiors Gut Rehab Project

    This page provides Sustainable Strategies to consider as a space has or will undergo a major tenant gut rehab for projects under 10,000 SF.

  • Building Systems Upgrades

    This page details Sustainable Strategies to consider as your space undergoes a building system upgrade to improve energy, water use, and occupant co...

  • Building Operations and Maintenance Services

    Follow these sustainable strategies as your space renovations are complete and the building and interiors are operated in an environmentally sustai...

  • Policies & Strategies

    This section is devoted to the broad policies and strategies covering the whole government or entire agencies, services or bureaus, which set the co...

  • Tools & Training

    This section covers and links to systems, methods, databases, calculators, checklists, etc. designed to help Federal officials and their partners ac...

  • Best Practices & Case Studies

    One of the best ways to learn and make the case for high-performance building innovations is to point to others’ experience in implementing th...

  • Responsible Business Conduct

    This responsible business conduct module provides a framework for how best practices and resources for improving business conduct can be incorporate...

Green Products

Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings

The Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings are a set of sustainable principles for integrated design, energy performance, water conservation, indoor environmental quality, materials, and climate change adaptation aimed at helping Federal agencies and organizations:

  • Reduce the total ownership cost of facilities
  • Improve energy efficiency and water conservation
  • Provide safe, healthy, and productive built environments
  • Promote sustainable environmental stewardship

Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings and Associated Instructions

Determining Compliance with the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings

Whole Building Systems

Materials

  • IT Equipment

    Office equipment, such as computers and display monitors, can be energy intensive. Many newly manufactured computers and monitors are ENERGY STAR...

  • Entrance Mats

    Entrance Mats located at the main doors of the building, either on the exterior or interior, trap the contaminants from foot traffic. Dust, dirt ...