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Green Building @ EPA

EPA Kansas City, KS Science & Technology Center: 

LEED Gold, Federal Energy Saver Showcase Facility

Ken Sandler, US EPA

NACEPT Meeting

March 25, 2009
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Why EPA Is Concerned With 

Buildings & Development

• Buildings in the U.S. are responsible for 

– 39 % of our energy use

– 69 % of electricity consumption 

– 38 % of carbon dioxide emissions 

– 12 % of fresh water consumption 

– Urban runoff = a major threat to water quality

– Over 2/3rds of non-industrial secondary materials

• We spend 90% of our time indoors, where air is 

2-5x more polluted than outdoors

– Serious health and productivity impacts
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How EPA Defines Green Building

• Maximizing the efficiency with which 

buildings use resources:

– Energy

– Water

– Materials

• and minimizing their impacts on human 

health and the environment

• through how we design, construct, operate 

maintain & reuse buildings and their sites
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Selected EPA 

Green Building Programs

• Energy & Atmosphere:

Energy Star Green Power

• Water:

Watersense Green Infrastructure

• Indoor Air Quality:

Tools for Schools Radon

• Land:

Brownfields Smart Growth

• General or Sector-Based:

Sustainable Healthcare Healthy Schools 

Greening EPA Sustainability Research
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Putting The Pieces Together

• A unique effort to take a holistic view, bridging the 

stovepipes

• EPA Green Building Workgroup

– Cross-EPA group formed 2003 for green building coordination, 

communication & planning. Includes ~30 programs with 100+ 

members.

– Website: www.epa.gov/greenbuilding

• EPA Green Building Management Steering 

Committee

– Senior management group formed 2007 to provide cross-EPA 

management support and direction on green building. Includes 

all major HQ program offices and 7 of 10 Regions.

• EPA Green Building Coordination Team

– Small dedicated team formed 2008 to support these efforts
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Green Building in the Marketplace

EPA Region 8 HQ building, Denver: 

LEED Gold
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Green Building Rating Systems

• Major green building rating systems include:

• US Green Building Council www.usgbc.org

– LEED (Leadership in Energy & Env. Design)

• Programs cover New Construction, Existing Buildings, 

Core & Shell, Commercial Interiors, Homes, 

Neighborhood Development

• Green Building Initiative www.thegbi.org:

– GreenGlobes for Commercial Buildings

• Natl. Assn. of Home Builders 

(NAHB)/International Code Council (ICC) 

http://nahbrc.org/technical/standards/greenbuilding.aspx :

– ANSI National Green Building Standard
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The Green Building Explosion

0

5000

LEED Mil. Reg. Sq. Ft.

2001 2005 2008

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

USGBC Member 

Organizations

2001 2005 2008

0

5000

LEED Certified Buildings

2001 2005 2008
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Green Building Standards 

Development Efforts

• American Society of Heating, Refrigeration & Air 

Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)

– Standard 189: Standard for the Design of HighPerformance Green Buildings http://spc189.ashraepcs.org

• ASTM:

– Minimum Environmental, Social & Economic 

Requirements for a Building Promoting Sustainability 

http://www.astm.org/COMMIT/SUBCOMMIT/E60.htm

• Various green product standards and rating 

systems also relevant
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Other Federal Agencies Involved

• Whole Building Design Guide

– Federal sustainable design guidance: 

http://www.wbdg.org/design/sustainable.php

• U.S. Department of Energy

– Energy Efficiency and Renewables: 

www.eere.energy.gov

• General Services Administration

– Office of Federal High Performance Green Building 

http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/channelView.do?pageTypeId=

17109&channelId=-24331
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EPA’s Green Building 

Strategy (2008)

EPA Potomac Yard, Arlington, VA: LEED Gold, 

ENERGY STAR
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Goals & Objectives

• Goal: Facilitate the mainstream adoption 

of effective green building practices

– Sub-goal 1: Strengthen the scientific, 

technical, economic & institutional foundations 

of green building 

• Advance knowledge & overcome barriers through 

research 

• Inform building decisions with better standards 

and metrics
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Goals & Objectives, cont’d

• Sub-goal 2: Engage with stakeholders & the 

public to facilitate adoption of effective green 

building practices 

– Lead by example with the Agency’s own facilities 

– Expand public understanding of green building

– Increase adoption of green building practices in

sectors where progress has been more limited

• Focus on existing commercial & public buildings & 

homes
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Filling Research Gaps

• Issue: Major scientific, technical & economic 

barriers remain, yet green building research = 

0.2% of Federal research funding

• Support for USGBC Research Agenda 

and promotion

• Participating in OSTP Research Agenda

• ID EPA’s role in filling key research gaps
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Supporting Development of 

Standards & Metrics

• Issue: Questions of green building performance, 

competing rating systems and remaining market 

challenges call for robust standards & metrics

• Upgrade EPA participation in standards 

development processes

• Identifying metrics and gaps in them

• Help identify and disseminate best 

practices in greening the codes
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Enhancing EPA 

Leadership by Example

• Issue: EPA already has 8 LEED buildings, but 

needs to stay at the cutting edge, including 

greener O&M at existing buildings

• Examine & advance metrics and 

communication of results of EPA buildings

• ID opportunities to green O&M practices
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Expanding Public Understanding

• Issue: There is increasing public interest in 

green building, but insufficient understanding by 

consumers of fundamental issues

• Develop green homes website

• Executive speeches & other opportunities
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Partnering to Boost Adoption of 

Green Practices in Key Sectors

• Issue: Green building has shown more progress 

in public & commercial new construction, less in 

homes and existing buildings

• EPA will target industry groups in existing 

buildings & homes sectors for partnerships 

to improve green performance
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For More Information...

EPA New England Regional Lab, Chelmsford, MA: LEED Gold
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Ken Sandler 

Co-chair, US EPA 

Green Building Workgroup

sandler.ken@epa.gov

202-566-2202

www.epa.gov/greenbuilding