Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 76.02
Liaison Megan Litke
Submission Date Sept. 17, 2024

STARS v3.0

American University
OP-2: Building Operations and Maintenance

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 5.00 Lia Gomez
Sustainability Analyst
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

2.1 Percentage of existing buildings managed for sustainability performance

Gross floor area of existing building space:
352,140.18 Square meters

Floor area of existing buildings managed under a green cleaning program:
352,140.18 Square meters

Online location of the institution’s green cleaning policy:
https://www.american.edu/policies/facilities/upload/green-cleaning-policy.pdf

Copy of the institution’s green cleaning policy:
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Description of the institution’s certified green cleaning service:
In addition to AU's green cleaning policy, Aramark utilizes its own internal green cleaning policy that is intended to reduce exposure of building occupants and maintenance personnel to potentially hazardous chemicals, and particle contaminants which adversely impact air quality, health, building finishes, building systems and the environment. 
 
Aramark uses low impact environmental cleaning products, janitorial equipment, a housekeeping policy that addresses sustainable cleaning and hard floor coating products, and the utilization of concentrated cleaning products. For example, Aramark uses green seal certified chemicals and finishes.  

Floor area of existing buildings individually assessed for energy performance:
352,140.18 Square meters

Narrative outlining how building-level energy performance is assessed and how the results are used to improve performance:

Building Energy performance is primarily assessed and benchmarked against our peer institutions using Energy Star Portfolio Manager in accordance with DC Building Energy Performance Standards legislation guidelines for higher education.  AU reports as a campus and tracks Energy Use Intensity for individual buildings to drive campus improvements including:

  • targeting low performance buildings for audits, studies, projects using energy reserve funding 
     or for ,
  • supplementing HVAC/Controls/LED funding for buildings  targeted for significant renovations.  

Energy Star Portfolio Manager has specific requirements for all users and for higher Ed institutions as follows:

  • Data Collected for All Properties
    • Property Name
    • Property Address
    • Total Gross Floor Area of Property
    • Irrigated Area
    • Year Built/Planned for Construction Completion
    • Occupancy
    • Number of Buildings
      • 12 consecutive months of energy data
  • Additional Data Collected for College/University
    • The following information is required for basic metrics:
      • Gross Floor Area
  • The following information is optional and not included in any metrics:
    • Weekly Operating Hours
    • Enrollment
    • Number of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Workers
    • Number of Computers
    • Grant Dollars

DC legislation benchmarking uses a combination of Energy Star  Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) data standards and local standards for space types not in the national standards. DC legislation requires annual data submissions and revisions.  DC DOEE requires third party engineer verification and does its own agency review of data submissions to identify campus portfolios not meeting DC's performance standards.

 


Floor area of existing buildings individually assessed for indoor environmental quality (IEQ) performance:
0 Square meters

Narrative outlining how building-level IEQ is assessed and how the results are used to improve performance:
---

Floor area of existing buildings managed or individually assessed for water performance:
352,140.18 Square meters

Online location of the institution’s minimum standards for water efficient fixtures, fittings, and equipment:
https://www.american.edu/finance/facilities/upload/au-design-standards-2023-revision.pdf

Copy of the institution’s minimum standards for water efficient fixtures, fittings, and equipment:
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Narrative outlining how building-level water performance is assessed and how the results are used to improve performance:

AU has building level sub-metering for buildings of significant size and usage. In addition to the building level meters, we have utility meters that measure all water that enters campus. Water data is tracked in EPA's Energy Star Portfolio Manager for internal use, and it is reported to Department of Energy and Environment through yearly reporting. 


Floor area of existing buildings third party certified to a green building standard:
0 Square meters

List of the institution’s existing buildings and their green building certifications:
---

Inventory of the institution’s existing buildings and their green building certifications:
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The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following six figures:

Percentage of existing buildings managed under a green cleaning program:
100

Percentage of existing buildings assessed for energy performance:
100

Percentage of existing buildings assessed for IEQ performance:
0

Percentage of existing buildings managed or assessed for water performance:
100

Percentage of existing buildings third party certified to a green building standard:
0

Points earned for indicator OP 2.1:
3

Optional documentation

Notes about the information provided for this credit:

Floor area is as of the 2024 fiscal year.


Additional documentation for this credit:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.