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5 Findings and Recommended Approaches for DOD's Consideration
Pages 69-77

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From page 69...
... DOD and other federal agencies were early adopters of LEED and other green building certification systems as a tool to help design buildings to limit their environmental impact. Legal requirements for the use of green building certification systems, to meet goals for multiple objectives related to high-performance buildings and for the training of federal building managers, were subsequently enacted through the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, and the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010.
From page 70...
... Instead, they looked at the cost-effectiveness of green buildings compared to conventional buildings. The DOD consultant's report did conduct a traditional benefit-cost analysis for the specified building standards and green building certification systems.
From page 71...
... The study with the largest sample size indicated that, on average, the incremental first costs of green buildings are within 2 percent of the costs of conventional buildings. During the life cycle of a building, design and construction costs typically range from 5 to 10 percent of total costs, while operations and maintenance costs account for 60 to 80 percent of total costs.
From page 72...
... The use of data from such different sources makes it difficult to compare the cost-effectiveness of the ASHRAE standards to the cost-effectiveness of the LEED and Green Globes green building certification systems. The lack of actual incremental cost data calls into question the consultant's calculations for incremental costs and, therefore, it calls into question the consultant's findings related to NPV benefits.
From page 73...
... The research studies speculated about reasons why this was so but did not provide sufficient evidence to draw generalizations regarding why some high-performance or green buildings significantly outperformed conventional buildings and why others did not, although building type was clearly a factor. Another factor was the type of technologies employed to reduce energy or water use.
From page 74...
... Effective operation of high-performance buildings requires well-trained facilities managers who understand the interrelationships among building technologies, occupant behavior, and overall building performance, as recognized through the enactment of the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010. The actual performance of green buildings also depends on the actions of building occupants, who can easily undermine effective building operations by bringing in additional appliances and equipment, by leaving computers and lights on, and similar practices.
From page 75...
... If the calculated NPV benefits are greater than 1 when incremental costs, energy costs, and water costs are included, then the use of building standards and green building rating systems will be cost-effective. The limited evidence available indicates that the majority of LEED-Silver-certified buildings studied used less energy and water than conventional buildings, although some LEED-Silver-certified buildings did not outperform conventional buildings.
From page 76...
... As DOD's buildings are metered, DOD should gather data on the use of energy, water, and wastewater to establish baselines for conventional buildings and to determine how well green buildings are performing in comparison to baselines and in comparison to predictions associated with design models. Where building performance falls well below expectations, DOD should examine the reasons why and determine if the causes are systematic.
From page 77...
... Implementation of the Federal Building Personnel Training Act of 2010 should help to ensure that DOD facilities managers are certified in the required competencies and skills. Facilities managers also need to understand how the behavior of occupants can affect effective facility operations and, in turn, how facility performance can affect occupants' health and productivity.


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