Five 'Ps' to operate a building for sustainability: create a program, measure and monitor performance, develop policies, improve practices, and upgrade properties. Green building operations and maintenance improves bottom line and is a critical part of reducing your companies carbon footprint.

1. The 5Ps of Sustainable
Building Operations
Katherine Morgan
EcoMentor.com
©Katherine Morgan, 2015
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2. Where are we
losing money on
our utility and
operating costs?
What’s our energy
benchmark?
What is an energy
benchmark?!
Are we living up to
our stakeholders’
‘green’
expectations?
What’s the next
best step for
making our
buildings more
sustainable?
We’ve made some
improvements? Did
they give the results
we wanted?
What can we do
without spending a
lot upfront?

3. 5Ps for getting and
keeping sustainable buildings
cc: -
upgrades and retrofits to
PROPERTIES
operator and occupant
PRACTICES
POLICIES to
institutionalize changes
a PROGRAM to tie it
all together
PERFORMANCE
monitoring
$-
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
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$25,000
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$35,000
$40,000
$45,000
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4. You need a Program to pull it all together
cc: Jordi Payà Canals - https://www.flickr.com/photos/24630636@N03

5. A PROGRAM provides
continuity and helps institutionalize your efforts. It will
drive the process:
• to set up performance evaluation and monitoring
• keep records up to date and useful for reporting,
evaluations and project planning
• coordinate and conduct projects to assess and
update policies and practices & implement building
upgrades
• document decisions and actions taken to evaluate
impact and enable organizational learning.
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6. Reaching Goals with a Series of
Projects and Periodic Efforts
cc: Elizabeth Haslam - https://www.flickr.com/photos/34209020@N02

7. Reaching Goals with a Program
for Continuous Improvement
cc: cmh2315fl - https://www.flickr.com/photos/21953562@N07

8. A PROGRAM highlights the
destination and helps your
organization stay on course
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9. But no one knows if it had the intended effect?
Or where the records gathered then are so they need to
be gathered again for another similar project?
Or if people have adopted the new procedures?
And there is no simple way to explain to others what
you’ve done and how well it worked
You might have even saved some money…
But is it available now for a more expensive upgrade?
Has your organization conducted energy
audits, set ‘green’ policies, done an
efficiency upgrade in the past…
cc: Daniel Kulinski - https://www.flickr.com/photos/7729940@N06

10. I like simple frameworks and acronyms to help
remember complex ideas –
in addition to the “5Ps”
here is one for a sustainability or resource
management program
RENEW
Right, you need a
Program to pull it all together
cc: Adrian S Jones - https://www.flickr.com/photos/30692297@N07

11. Take Responsibility for the impact of your
actions
Evaluate Performance, Policies,
Practices, Properties
Take Note of your actions and results to
share, monitor, and maintain continuity
Engage stakeholders in review and
improvement
Work it, change takes ongoing attention
and effort
R.E.N.E.W.
cc: iklash/ - https://www.flickr.com/photos/48805491@N00

12. Responsibility
We owe it to ourselves, our children,
our neighbors near and far, and
all the creatures that call this planet home
to take care and reduce our impact.
cc: katherine morgan

13. Evaluate
Monitor and analyze the data on your resource use
and purchasing habits to uncover opportunities,
document success, and make adjustments
Assess and audit your buildings to identify energy,
water and waste saving opportunities
Assess your operating practices and occupant
behaviors to find easy conservation changes
cc: ckhamken - https://www.flickr.com/photos/34758895@N00

14. Note
Keep records and
communicate what you are
doing and why
Otherwise you RISK
Duplicating effort,
Losing momentum,
Failing to capture and
communicate the results &
Dropping the ball with the
inevitable staff turnovers and
transitions
cc: Leo Reynolds - https://www.flickr.com/photos/49968232@N00

15. Engage
Executives
Administrators
Operations Technicians
Building Occupants
Vendors and Suppliers
Customers and Shareholders
All have a role to play and can be critical to success
cc: Marc Wathieu - https://www.flickr.com/photos/88133570@N00

16. Work It
It’s a process, there is always something more that can be done.
Super efficient? Add some solar panels. Have low flow fixtures? Capture
rainwater or greywater for appropriate use. Building users and operating
staff change as well. New technologies create new opportunities.
We are still pretty far out from the end game of a sustainable human
economy; PLUS, You have your core business and many competing
priorities. It takes time and ongoing effort to fit sustainability changes in
and get the most from your efforts
cc: Yvo G. - https://www.flickr.com/photos/35389949@N06

17. Back to the Ps
R.E.N.E.W.
cc: -Reji - https://www.flickr.com/photos/27365066@N02

18. cc: -
upgrades and retrofits to
PROPERTIES
operator and occupant
PRACTICES
POLICIES to
institutionalize changes
a PROGRAM to tie it
all together
PERFORMANCE
monitoring
$-
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
$20,000
$25,000
$30,000
$35,000
$40,000
$45,000
2008
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$
Back to the Ps
R.E.N.E.W.

19. Performance
You need to keep track of your use and cost
What resource/utility service you are working on?
energy, water, waste stream, supply chain
There are many sources, requirements and tools
for gathering and evaluating data.
cc: aperture_lag - https://www.flickr.com/photos/60003305@N00

20. Data
Billing records, smart meters, building
automation and controls, and field
observation are all important sources.
Dollars are a good unit, but price changes
over time, so usage is important as well.
You might also need occupancy and usage
data, weather, and other factors.
cc: CoenV - https://www.flickr.com/photos/27897838@N05

21. Tools for Analysis
Many software and cloud based tools to help,
including good old spreadsheets.
Subscription tools keep records up to date and
let you focus on coordinating people (Engage
and Work It!) rather than wrangling data.
cc: AAUP - https://www.flickr.com/photos/48928352@N07

22. Once you've organized some data
• Benchmark your performance
• Measure progress
• Identify and analyze opportunities
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23. Benchmark
Compare sustainability metrics (such
as Energy Use Index) to
• other similar buildings
• buildings within your portfolio or
• to itself over time
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24. “My building” uses a
lot more energy than
“National Median” – so
likely room for
improvements and
savings!
If you had building A, B and
C – which would you
investigate first?
(Building B is the energy
hog in this group)
cc: Alan Cleaver - https://www.flickr.com/photos/11121568@N06
87
62
67
95
56
Energy Use Index
(energy per square foot)
BuildingC
NationalMedian
MyBuilding
BuildingB
BuildingA

25. This long-running, free tool
for benchmarking US
commercial buildings offers
Certification to the top 25%
On average users are
saving over the years.
EUI (‘source’ means it is
adjusted for the fuel type to
account for transmission
losses)
The Score is an index with
the national median at 50.
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26. Measure Progress
Keeping track lets you quantify results
and report them to stakeholders.
cc: Dave Dugdale - https://www.flickr.com/photos/37387065@N05
$-
$5,000
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$

27. Analyze Data for Opportunities
cc: kevin dooley - https://www.flickr.com/photos/12836528@N00

28. Smart Meter Data can show
Schedule and Set point Problems
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29. Cost of Current Waste Removal
VS
Alternative pick up schedule with
Increased recycling/
Separated organic waste
.
cc: epSos.de - https://www.flickr.com/photos/36495803@N05

30. cc: -
upgrades and retrofits to
PROPERTIES
operator and occupant
PRACTICES
POLICIES to
institutionalize changes
PERFORMANCE
monitoring
$-
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
$20,000
$25,000
$30,000
$35,000
$40,000
$45,000
2008
2009
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2015
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2017
2018
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$
a PROGRAM to tie it
all together
R.E.N.E.W.
• Benchmark your
performance
• Measure progress
• Identify and analyze
opportunities

31. Document decisions to guide
changes in procedures,
standards and practices.
cc: funnyface_6 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/46964067@N05
Policies

32. Policies reflect commitment
cc: andyputnam - https://www.flickr.com/photos/37113212@N08

33. Policies set goals and targets
cc: Matthew McVickar - https://www.flickr.com/photos/51035706835@N01

34. The policy process is a learning forum
cc: Philippe Put - https://www.flickr.com/photos/34547181@N00

35. Policy Examples
cc: theqspeaks - https://www.flickr.com/photos/83261600@N00

36. Invest a portion of savings from
low-cost conservation for more
expensive improvements
cc: Alan Cleaver - https://www.flickr.com/photos/11121568@N06

37. Settings and schedules for
temperature and lights
to capture wasted energy cost
cc: Gordon Wrigley- https://www.flickr.com/photos/tolomea/6025278652

38. Building and space design
guidelines to make conservation
easy and smartcc: CoenV - https://www.flickr.com/photos/27897838@N05

39. Purchasing Guidelines to
Reduce Waste and Prevent
Pollutioncc: Leo Reynolds - https://www.flickr.com/photos/49968232@N00

40. cc: -
upgrades and retrofits to
PROPERTIES
operator and occupant
PRACTICES
POLICIES to
institutionalize changes
a PROGRAM to tie it
all together
PERFORMANCE
monitoring
$-
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
$20,000
$25,000
$30,000
$35,000
$40,000
$45,000
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
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$
R.E.N.E.W.

41. It's what we do
Changing day to day practices
costs less and cuts losses
cc: Anton Fomkin - https://www.flickr.com/photos/32598846@N07

42. Control when building systems and equipment
go on and off with sensors and schedules
Lights, heat, cooling, fans, irrigation, plug strips, equipment...
cc: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory - PNNL - https://www.flickr.com/photos/36016325@N04
Operating Guidelines

43. Routine and preventative maintenance
cc: hermitsmoores - https://www.flickr.com/photos/35137530@N00
Operating Guidelines

44. 'Walkabouts' day and night
cc: Nanagyei - https://www.flickr.com/photos/32876353@N04
Operating Guidelines

45. Train staff
Informal:
peer to peer, videos, vendors
Formal:
BOC, Building Operator Certification
Provide the tools to do the job
cc: betta design - https://www.flickr.com/photos/65768710@N00
Operating Guidelines

46. Engage occupants
Invite participation in designing
changes
Campaigns and pledges help set
clear parameters and recognize
effort
cc: liquidnight - https://www.flickr.com/photos/47263829@N00

47. Communicate with Building Users
• Goals
• Improvement Projects
• New practices
• Achievements
• Purpose
cc: CJS*64 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/16210667@N02

48. cc: -
upgrades and retrofits to
PROPERTIES
operator and occupant
PRACTICES
POLICIES to
institutionalize changes
a PROGRAM to tie it
all together
PERFORMANCE
monitoring
$-
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
$20,000
$25,000
$30,000
$35,000
$40,000
$45,000
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
$
Back to the Ps
R.E.N.E.W.

49. Design Specs
• Shell/envelope
• Heating, cooling, ventilation
systems, plumbing and electrical
systems
• Fixtures and furnishings
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50. Design Opportunities
For New construction and Unit Turnover
• Develop green design standards
• Design for future (e.g. pipe for grey
water and conduit for rooftop solar)
• Design service areas and controls
to be easy for people to participate
• Experiment
cc: antonychammond - https://www.flickr.com/photos/8525214@N06

51. Tune Ups
Focused investigation of opportunities to develop a
scope of work
Scoping a property -- evaluate to identify
opportunities and perform high level cost/savings
analysis to secure approval
• Review Performance data – benchmarks – if no
comparable figures then historical trend; analysis for
weather and occupancy patterns
• Interviews with maintenance, property managers,
occupants, financial services
• System notes and checklists
• Walkthroughs
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52. Upgrades and Retrofits
Decide on
• payback time for automatic 'yes‘ on
upgrades
• upgrade efficiency when replacing
equipment and
• when to replace 'pre-failure‘
(policies can help here!)
cc: Green Energy Futures - https://www.flickr.com/photos/63483222@N03

53. The right place to focus is
different for every organization
cc: haglundc - https://www.flickr.com/photos/86676407@N00

54. How can you build on what
you've done?
What is your next best step?cc: VinothChandar - https://www.flickr.com/photos/44345361@N06

55. cc: -
PROGRAM for ongoing coordination and management (RENEW)
PERFORMANCE MONITORING to track resource use and cost
Occupant outreach on plug
load management
Purchasing spec changes,
training and implementation
Review and approve
operating standards
Lighting Upgrade
Reroof, add
insulation
Operation review of set
points and schedules
Window replacement
Projects to
Change
Practices
Purchasing policy
assessment/revision
New facility and lease
requirements policy
Formal plan, targets for
savings & reinvestment
Timeline for Continuous Improvement Approach
Policy
Development
Projects
Property
Improvement
Projects
Operation and maintenance
assessments and projects

56. How can I help?
Visit me and let me know!
-Katherine Morgan, EcoMentor.com
©Katherine Morgan, 2015
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