Children / Schools

Green Certification

Indoor Air Quality

Environment / Conservation / Sustainability

Green Cleaning

LEED

1.

What is LEED, and what are the different LEED versions?

Question #1: What is LEED, and what are the different LEED versions?

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System was developed and launched in March 2000. The
LEED program consists of five major categories: energy, indoor environmental quality, materials, siting, and water conservation, as
well as a special category on innovation and design.

It began with just one version, and subsequent versions of the rating system have evolved, applicable to different buildings, items used to construct and furnish buildings, and stages in a building’s life cycle. These versions include:

• LEED-EB for existing buildings focuses on building operations and was developed for facility management professionals and
  tenants.
• LEED-CI for commercial interiors deals with the selection of such items as carpets and upholstery that are more environmentally preferable.
• LEED-CS for core and shell projects has been developed to help precertify developers’ intents so they can effectively
  market their buildings to investors and tenants as certified projects.
• LEED-H for homes and LEED-ND for neighborhood development integrate the principles of smart growth, urbanism, and Green building into the first national standard for neighborhood design.
• LEED-NC for new construction and major renovations was designed to guide and distinguish high-performance commercial and institutional projects, with a focus on office buildings.

For up to date information on the LEED program, visit http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19

Question #2: Our office building would like to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. How many points can we earn through our Green cleaning and related programs?

Altogether, a facility needs 26 to 32 points in order to become LEED certified. For Silver certification, the numbers jump to 33 to 38 points, for Gold 39 to 51 points, and for Platinum certification more than 52 points must be earned.

Although there is no definitive number, the incorporation of Green cleaning and similar measures can contribute from 13 to as many as 17 points, making this a significant contribution. How this breaks down is as follows:

• Using sustainable (Green) cleaning products and materials: 1-3 points
• Planning for a Green building site and building exterior management (considered part of overall building maintenance): 1-2 points
• Recycling: 1-3 points
• Placing high-performance matting systems at entries: 1 point
• Isolating janitorial closets: 1 point
• Establishing a low-impact environmental cleaning policy: 1 point
• Establishing a low-impact environmental policy regarding pest management: 2 points
• Providing innovations in upgrades, building operations and maintenance: 1-4 points

We should note that the LEED guidelines and standards may change in 2008. Like other aspects of Green cleaning, the products, procedures, and certification processes are becoming higher as more advances are made in Green technologies. Essentially, the bar is being raised to better protect cleaning workers, building occupants, and the environment.

You can also download a free copy of the LEED standards and more information on certification by visiting http://www.usgbc.org/

Question #3: A facility manager recently took charge of a newly built, LEEDNC certified building. How can she make sure the maintenance and operations of the new building continue to be Green and sustainable?

LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) is an excellent reference tool for operating and maintaining a Green, high-performance building, and it has just been updated. Visit the LEED Web site and go to LEED Resources for more information.

http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=75

A key part of maintaining a LEED-certified building, whether new or existing, and one of the easiest and quickest to change, involves the cleaning chemicals selected for the facility. Check to see that they are GreenSeal or EcoLogo Certified. There are other certification bodies as well, but these two are the best known and most respected; bust most importantly are also accepted by LEED.

Recently, EcoLogo has developed a searchable database that can make it even easier for managers to find Green cleaning products. But their jansan distributor is still usually their best source of information on Green products. Why? Distributors work with these products every day. They know which are good in certain settings and which are not. Their knowledge can prove invaluable. This is why the decision of which distributor select is likely the most important decision, not which particular brand of product.

Another step involves training, not only of cleaning workers but of all building staff and occupants. It takes a team to keep a facility Green and that means involving everyone in the building.