Cornell University
OP-4: Building Operations and Maintenance

Cornell University has a campus-wide building and operation management program which is multi-attribute. This custom operations and management plan uses a framework similar to LEED EBOM, and includes IPM, IAQ, and green cleaning, in addition to energy, water, and other broader attributes.

Green Cleaning: Cornell follows a Building Care-Green Cleaning Program, which outlines the purpose, scope, requirements, contacts, and plan for Green Cleaning. An ongoing effort overseen by the Sustainable Cornell Council directly engages building care staff in ensuring regular assessment of green cleaning product use and programs to enure continual performance improvement.

Energy Management: Cornell maintains an energy management team performing continuous commissioning on campus buildings to maintain high building performance. Metered building energy usage is reviewed on a monthly basis and actions are taken when usage is outside expected weather adjusted usage. Monthly energy use budgets are developed for all Cornell Energy Plant connected facilities (> 14.1 million GSF and 500+ meters)

Water Management: Cornell has metering and dashboard tools for campus potable water usage, and direct billing to the campus customers. The university owns and operates the campus drinking water infrastructure, including the water filtration plant which draws water from a creek running through campus subject to the Great Lakes Water Withdrawal permit program administered by NYS. In addition to these requirements, Cornell's utility distribution group monitors usage carefully to detect and repair leaks, and our design and construction standards require low flow fixtures and laboratory practices.

Based on usage data, the institution has recently targeted processes consuming large amounts of water and completed several water use reduction projects. For example, targeting inefficiencies in the Central Energy Plant resulted in elimination of water-based cooling systems in favor of a feedback loop with existing systems, meaning previously wasted energy becomes a part of a closed loop energy system and reducing the annual 475,000-gallon water loss to zero. Our innovative campus-wide chilled water system, Lake Source Cooling, eliminates most potable water use for cooling towers saving ~150 million gallons/year.

Despite the fact that campus building square footage has almost doubled, water conservation measures have led to a reduction by half in consumption from a high of 3.0 MGD in the early 1970’s.

Indoor Air Quality: Cornell has a standard protocol for Indoor Air Quality that covers the classrooms and offices on campus. Occupants are able to file complaints through the IAQ program. Real-time monitoring equivalent to the I-BEAM baseline audit form, which contains a recommendation only to "Repeat baseline audit periodically" is accomplished through Cornell's robust, 24/7, Energy Management and Control System direct digital controls (DDC), and custodial processes. Temperature, airflow, RA temperature and humidity, and CO2 are monitored and alarmed real-time. Building Care staff routines include reporting issues with mold, issues with physical space condition, etc., and spaces are rated according to APPA standards for cleanliness.

In addition to these measures, Cornell has a very robust laboratory safety program including routine self-inspections, inspections by the Environmental Health & Safety department, and control banding. Control Banding is a generic protection strategy that groups hazards into “bands” that similar controls can be applied to. At Cornell we do a risk assessment for the purpose of applying general ventilation rates and locating local exhaust points in laboratories. Ventilation rates are real-time monitored, and also routinely checked as part of our continuous commissioning program on a about a three year cycle. Further, Cornell has a robust fumehood monitoring and retro-commissioning program. More information on these programs is available at https://sp.ehs.cornell.edu/lab-research-safety/Pages/default.aspx.

Additional components of our own O+M management system include similar attributes to LEED OM, including refrigeration management, grid interconnection considerations, waste performance, facilities renovation, light pollution, site selection, rainwater harvest & management, and alternative transportation performance.

https://fcs.cornell.edu/departments/energy-sustainability/energy-management-overview/energy-management-control-system

https://sp.ehs.cornell.edu/osh/occupational-health/indoor-air-quality/Pages/default.aspx

https://sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/campus-initiatives/buildings-energy/building-standards

Cornell has a standard protocol for Indoor Air Quality that covers the classrooms and offices on campus. Occupants are able to file complaints through the IAQ program. Real-time monitoring equivalent to the I-BEAM baseline audit form, which contains a recommendation only to "Repeat baseline audit periodically" is accomplished through Cornell's robust, 24/7, Energy Management and Control System direct digital contols (DDC), and custodial processes. Temperature, airflow, RA temperature and humidity, and CO2 are monitored and alarmed real-time. Building Care staff routines include reporting issues with mold, issues with physical space condition, etc., and spaces are rated according to APPA standards for cleanliness.
https://fcs.cornell.edu/departments/energy-sustainability/energy-management-overview/energy-management-control-system

In addition to these measures, Cornell has a very robust laboratory safety program including routine self-inspections, inspections by the Environmental Health & Safety department, and control banding. Control Banding is a generic protection strategy that groups hazards into “bands” that similar controls can be applied to. At Cornell we do a risk assessment for the purpose of applying general ventilation rates and locating local exhaust points in laboratories. Ventilation rates are real-time monitored, and also routinely checked as part of our continuous commissioning program on a about a three year cycle. Further, Cornell has a robust fumehood monitoring and retro-commissioning program. More information on these programs is available at https://sp.ehs.cornell.edu/lab-research-safety/Pages/default.aspx.