November/December 2009
Best Practice Guide
C O N T E N T S
Homes: Greening the MLS, By Glen Girard, USGBC CO Communications Chair
Project Highlight: Housing Resources Office Building Achieves LEED Certification- First Existing Building to Achieve Certification in Grand Junction, By Elaine Matthews, Ryan, Sawyer & Associates
REGREEN: Workshop October 28-29, taught by Annette Stelmack and Pete Yost
Membership: Recap of Our 2010 Annual Membership Event, By Barb Josey, USGBC CO Membership Chair
Colorado Building Green is the official newsletter of the U.S. Green Building Council – Colorado Chapter, and is published bi-monthly. If you are interested in submiting a story, ideas or other information for publication, please contact the editor at sarah@usgbccolorado.org
K-12 Sustainable Operations Best Practice Guide: Where the Stakes are High and the Fruit Hangs Low
By Ben Stanley, YRG Sustainability
Within each of these sections, best practices are outlined for specific sub-categories related to the section topic. For example, Section 2: Alternative Transportation includes sub-categories that outline best practices for Alternative Fuels, Bus Maintenance and Operations, Non-Fleet Vehicles, and Bicycle and Pedestrian Access. In addition to best practices, each section provides references for established curriculum related to the section topic, lists LEED for Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance credits and prerequisites that are directly related to the best practices included in the section, and provides key process steps to take in addressing sustainable operations for the section topic.
Some of the highlights
Bus Idling Reduction - Many of the best practices in the guide highlight low or no cost measures. For example, unnecessary bus idling at our schools is a health concern for our children and the community, wastes fuel and money, and can cause premature wear and tear on the bus engine. However these concerns can be mitigated by adopting a policy to limit bus idling. A link to the EPA’s sample idling policy is provided along with other best practices that schools can adopt toward this end.
EPA Climate Check – Lots of people care about schools and the children that occupy them. Consequently, there are tons of sustainability related tools and resources that have been developed specifically for schools. A great example is the EPA’s Climate Check which is a climate change emission calculator and program that helps schools educate students about climate change and GHG emissions, estimate the schools emissions by performing an emission inventory, and develop and implement a GHG reduction plan.
Energy Star Portfolio Manager – Efficiency people love to say “if you can measure it, you can manage it”. Indeed, monitoring a building’s energy use is the starting point to increased efficiency (if only I could apply that discipline to my checking account). Good news is that Energy Star wants to help buildings monitor their energy use and have developed the free tool, Portfolio Manager. The best practice guide makes an attempt to streamline the process even further by walking users step by step through the benchmarking process on Portfolio Manager and letting them know up front what information they need to do it.
Source Reduction – Not all worthy sustainability strategies are recognized by programs like LEED and source reduction for the building’s waste streams is a great example of that. Who needs recycling when you can eliminate waste? The guide provides tips for users to implement no-brainer waste reduction strategies related to landscape operations, packaging, food services, janitorial supplies, and school supplies.
Curriculum – Lastly, one of the best opportunities for schools and what makes a school so unique is the chance to pass on sustainability concepts to the students and involve them in the implementation of sustainability measures in an experiential way. The guide provides links to establish curriculum for each of the areas covered that teachers can follow or use to develop their own curriculum according to the needs of their students.
The Best Practice Guide for Sustainable Operations: K-12 Schools is free and can be downloaded at www.k12sustainableoperationsguide.com.
Page 1 / Page 2