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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 responsibl...

  • 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).

  • 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 barriers and ...

  • 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 Instructionsopens in new window

Determining Compliance with the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildingsopens in new window

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 ...