May 8, 2013

LEED Recertification Part II of III: What to do Now for Smooth Recertification

by Kim Kuettel in Green Building, LEED No Comments

In our previous post on LEED EBOM recertification, we outlined the steps you must take to achieve recertification:

1. Perform audits, surveys and testing at least once every five years to track the ongoing performance of policies established during initial certification
2. Policies must be updated to meet the current EBOM rating system requirements: currently LEED EBOM v2009, and LEED V4 in 2014
3. New credits being pursued through recertification follow the same establishment and performance periods as initial certification

Now we’ll talk about some tips and tricks for making recertification smooth, while you reap the efficiency benefits.

Ongoing Tracking

By certifying your building, you’ve already showed the USGBC that you have policies and programs in place, such as waste diversion, public transportation policies, purchasing policies, green cleaning plans, sustainable landscaping, etc. The most important method for keeping on top of these policies is to continuously perform audits, surveys, testing and check-ins on your LEED policies. Ongoing tracking ensures that your policies are functioning as designed and you’re reaping the maximum efficiency, operational and cost savings benefits. Tracking your policies also provides the documentation you need to comply with building codes and regulations.

While most of the tracking burden falls on the property and facility managers—such as submitting energy use to ENERGY STAR and tracking water and waste—several tracking responsibilities fall on other building team members.

Tracking Responsibilities for General Contractors during Tenant Improvements

• Track construction/demolition waste for building improvement projects
• SMACNA Plan tracking – LEED indoor air quality standards require flushing out the space between construction & occupancy
• Source and track sustainable materials for TI projects, such as paint, carpet, drywall and furniture

Hint: The best way to achieve all 3 of these recertification credits is through tenants pursuing LEED CI certification within your LEED EB building. As these credits overlap in the two rating systems, they will count towards both CI and EB Recertification.

Tracking Responsibilities for Janitorial Vendors

• Track LEED compliant green cleaning policy
• Train employees on the proper handling and disposal of chemicals
• Perform Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA) Audit every 1-5 years to maintain Green Cleaning credit
• Track materials and cleaning purchases: implement the policy and start early so you don’t have to backtrack and dig for information!
• Sustainable cleaning equipment: keep monthly logs to verify regular maintenance schedule; track exterior use

Other Tracking Responsibilities

• Pest management – implement an integrated pest management policy; track pesticide use and lessen usage of toxic pesticides
• Landscaping – implement a sustainable landscape policy and lessen usage of chemical landscaping solutions; use electric powered landscaping equipment and monitor equipment maintenance
• Glass Cleaning – utilize a green seal window cleaning solution
• Paints, Sealants and Finishes – use Low VOC paints and track how many chemicals are used

Keep your Ducks in a Row with Contracts and Technology

Recertification requires the tracking of many moving parts, and oftentimes multiple third party vendors. The best way to ensure that your facilities manager and vendors comply with your LEED policies is by drawing up a contractual agreement that outlines policy, operating and reporting procedures. In addition, assigning a designated person or team to oversee your LEED policy implementation will help ensure they are carried out properly for smooth recertification. Whether it be an internal champion or an ongoing relationship with your LEED consultant, it’s critical that ownership is taken over LEED policies so they don’t go forgotten.

In addition to contractual agreements, technology can be leveraged to help you stay on top of tracking your LEED policies. Process management tools like iLiv (great for ongoing communication related to LEED) and Angus Anywhere (a powerful preventative maintenance tracking software) are very useful for tracking data and gathering metrics over time. Sustainability consulting firms like EBS can also help you track your initial LEED policies, as well as new systems you’ve implemented since initial certification.

If you’re reading this post, realizing that you’ve let your policies go unmanaged, and you foresee that obtaining the required information will be an extreme hassle, it may be more practical to pursue initial certification again. In this case, we recommend obtaining a LEED GAP analysis to see what the costs will be to achieve your desired certification level vs. the costs required to gather the information you need for recertification.

Now that we’ve covered initial certification vs. recertification, and what to do now for smooth recertification, the final step to understanding LEED recertification is knowing what credits you must obtain to comply with the most recent rating system. Stay tuned for an overview of updated and new credits contained in LEED EBOM v2009 and LEED EBOM v4 in our next post, “How to comply with LEED EBOM v2009 and LEED EBOM v4 for Recertification.”

Questions on LEED Recertification? Get in touch with us!

April 25, 2013

LEED Recertification: What you need to know (Part I of III)

by Kim Kuettel in LEED No Comments

Part I: Initial Certification vs. Recertification

Did you know that LEED EBOM Recertification is required at least every 5 years to retain LEED EBOM certification? It requires collaboration from all the same players that worked together to achieve initial certification—building owners, property and facility managers, general contractors and vendors—so leaving it to the last minute can cause logistical headaches and possible loss of certification. On the flip side, a well-planned recertification process opens the opportunity to increase your building’s certification level, yielding greater operational savings and demonstrated commitment to sustainability.

Drawing from the lively audience Q&A during EBS’ LEED Recertification presentation at the Building Owners and Managers Association of San Francisco (BOMA) Energy & Environment Committee meeting, we felt like this topic could use a little more attention. Over the next few days, we’ll be posting a three-part series on what you need to know to pursue LEED recertification:

1. Initial Certification vs. Recertification
2. What to do now for smooth recertification
3. How to comply with LEED EBOM v2009 and LEED EBOM v4 for recertification

Certification vs. Recertification: What’s the Difference?

LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (EBOM) sets performance standards for the operation of existing buildings that are not undergoing major renovations. It differs from the other LEED rating systems in that it documents the actual building performance, rather than estimated performance based on design. Credits pursued in initial certification undergo a two-phase process:

• 6 month establishment period to assess the building, conduct cost/benefit analyses for proposed sustainability policies, and adopt new policies
• 4 month performance period to implement new policies and building changes, as well as track ongoing building performance

Any first-time application for LEED EBOM certification—including buildings that have achieved certification under another LEED Design & Construction rating system—must undergo the initial certification process to achieve LEED EBOM status. LEED EBOM is the only LEED rating system under which buildings are required to recertify (source).

LEED EBOM recertification verifies facility operations with the goal of maintaining and improving its performance over time. Once a building receives initial EBOM certification, its recertification process begins. But don’t fret—recertification does not mean that you have to redo the entire establishment and performance periods that initial certification requires. Recertification automatically takes into consideration the building systems, infrastructure, practices, and policies that you put in place to achieve initial certification.

Requirements for Recertification

Here’s what you need to do to recertify:

1. Perform audits, surveys and testing at least once every five years to track the ongoing performance of policies established during initial certification.
2. Policies must be updated to meet the current EBOM rating system requirements: currently LEED EBOM v2009, and LEED V4 in 2014.
3. New credits being pursued through recertification follow the same establishment and performance periods as initial certification.
4. Re-submit documentation from previous LEED EBOM certification that is still relevant, and submit new establishment documentation if major changes have been made

Over the years, there have been three iterations of the LEED for Existing Buildings—EB, EBOM and EBOM v2009—and LEED v4 is on the horizon for 2014. Many of the credits between these systems overlap. For credits earned under the previous version that have analogous credits in LEED EBOM v2009 / v4, minor updates, documentation and data tracking will need to be made to bring your existing policies up to speed with current requirements.

However, LEED EBOM v2009 and LEED v4 also contain credits that do not have analogous credits in the previous rating system versions. In order to maintain your current certification level or reach further to obtain a higher certification level, additional policies must be pursued to achieve the new credits. As mentioned, new credits are earned the same way as in initial certification—a 6 month establishment period and 4 month performance period.

Now that you’re familiar with recertification, stay tuned for our next post: What to do now for smooth recertification. Also stay tuned for our final post of the series, How comply with LEED EBOM v2009 and LEED EBOM v4 for recertification.

For more detailed information about Recertification, please refer to theUSGBC’s guidance document.

Questions about LEED Recertification? Get in touch with us!