• Geography Credits. The term "master site" sends an accurate signal as to the ease with which credits based on the physical geography and functional infrastructure of a campus can be documented on a campuswide basis. When credit documentation is based on a site map or relatively fixed physical features of a campus, which are unlikely to vary within building-specific performance periods, it's a good bet campuswide documentation is viable. Examples include Sustainable Sites Credit 5 Open Space & Habitat and Sustainable Sites Credit 7.1 Non-Roof Heat Island Reduction.
• Policy Credits. There's no reason the green cleaning policy developed and implemented at one building can't be adopted at several others as well; in fact, USGBC would love green cleaning to be standard operating procedure at every building on campus. And they would happily ensure a more efficient and predictable review process by reviewing that policy once in a master site application rather than over and over again. Policies that can be adopted campus-wide are a perfect fit for the master site model. Examples include Indoor Environmental Quality Credit 3.6 — Indoor Integrated Pest Management and Materials & Resources Prerequisite 2 — Solid Waste Management.
• Systems Credits. Credits based on technologies or tools implemented throughout the campus are the third category of potential master site credits, and arguably the ones least likely to be earned campuswide. A small number of campuses, particularly those constructed or comprehensively upgraded more recently, do have universal building automation systems, for example, that allow for campuswide documentation that every building on campus meets the credit requirements.
Day Cleaning Aids LEED Efforts on CampusOne of the prerequisites for LEED-EBOM certification is a green cleaning policy. At the University of Washington, that goal is accomplished by combining aspects of green cleaning with a day cleaning program. The day cleaning program started in 1997, and over the course of the next 13 years, the facility department moved cleaning of more than 10,000 offices, classrooms, lecture halls and laboratories in 173 buildings to day cleaning. Gene Woodard, the university's director of custodial services, and recycling and solid waste facilities services, says the day cleaning program has helped the university's sustainability efforts in a number of ways. Although the university is still in the process of upgrading its electrical system to allow for building-by-building metering, electricity use has gone down since day cleaning started. Projects such as retrofitting lights have contributed in that area. But, Woodard says, "it is highly likely that not having the lights on in buildings from 5 p.m. to midnight so that custodians can clean," has contributed to the energy savings. Another benefit that doesn't necessarily show up on the bottom line is a reduction in the number of cars coming to campus every day. "The early day shift is far more conducive to employees forming vanpools and carpools," Woodard says. "We have created 10 new vanpools with approximately 90 (cleaning) staff who used to drive in a car alone when they worked evening shift." In addition to day cleaning, the university uses other green tools, including walk-behind floor scrubbers that use only water; Green Seal-certified floor finish remover; micro-fiber wet mops; and even thinner trash can liners. Woodard says that the green cleaning program has helped the university earn LEED for New Construction Gold certification on every new building completed since 2006. And there's more on the way. The university currently has more than 25 ongoing LEED projects across various rating systems, including LEED-EBOM. — Casey Laughman, managing editor |
FMs Can Roll Out LEED-EBOM Across the Campus
LEED-EBOM 'Master Site' Credits Categorized in Three General Groups
Facility Managers Can Use LEED-EBOM Categories as Conceptual Tools
