| LEED Existing Buildings Operations & Maintenance |
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The U.S. Green Building Council has developed a LEED Rating System for Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance (LEED EBOM) which helps building owners and operators measure operations, improvements, and maintenance on a consistent scale, with the goal of maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts and the monetary cost of operating the building. LEED EBOM addresses the same core aspects of energy, water, site development, indoor air quality, and material use as other LEED rating systems, but it does so in a very different way. Instead of being based on green design and modeled assumptions that new construction uses, LEED EBOM addresses actual building performance by looking at metered data. The program requires that the buildings be fully occupied for a minimum of one year so that the true performance can be viewed. Minimum standards and performance goals for building energy and water use are set based on building type. The actual usage is then compared against these standards, and improvements can be made to reduce the operational costs associated with energy and water use. To help insure that the standards are consistently met in a LEED EBOM certified building, a series of policies and procedures are required to be created so that the building is property maintained and operated. Policies can be created to address everything from mechanical equipment maintenance to sustainable purchasing policies, green cleaning protocols, recycling programs, and exterior property maintenance. The creation of policies helps to insure that the buildings are properly operated and maintained even if maintenance personnel or ownership change. Buildings that receive a certification under LEED EBOM must show that the policies and performance standards have been kept up, as buildings must be recertified every 5 years to keep the LEED designation. The intent is to promote high performance, healthful, durable, affordable, and environmentally sound practices in existing buildings. This certification can be applied both to existing buildings seeking LEED certification for the first time and to projects previously certified under LEED programs, excluding residential projects. Green Building LLC can provide and/or manage all aspects of a LEED EBOM certification. Services include:
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