| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.76 |
| Liaison | Josh Lasky |
| Submission Date | Feb. 27, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
George Washington University
OP-3: Building Operations and Maintenance
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.50 / 4.00 |
Nancy
Giammatteo Director, Office of Planning and Design Review Division of Operations |
Does the institution have any building space certified under the following green building rating systems for existing buildings?:
| Yes or No | |
| LEED for Existing Buildings or another 4-tier rating system used by an Established Green Building Council (GBC) | No |
| The DGNB system, Green Star Performance, or another 3-tier GBC rating system | No |
| BREEAM-In Use, CASBEE for Existing Building, or another 5-tier GBC rating system | No |
| Other non-GBC rating systems (e.g. BOMA BESt, Green Globes) | No |
A brief description of the green building rating system(s) used and/or a list or sample of certified buildings and ratings:
None at this time.
Total floor area of eligible building space (operations and maintenance):
Floor area of building space that is certified at each level under a 4-tier rating system for existing buildings used by an Established Green Building Council::
| Certified Floor Area | |
| Minimum Level (e.g. LEED Certified) | 0 Square feet |
| 3rd Highest Level (e.g. LEED Silver) | 0 Square feet |
| 2nd Highest Level (e.g. LEED Gold) | 0 Square feet |
| Highest Achievable Level (e.g. LEED Platinum) | 0 Square feet |
Floor area of building space that is certified at each level under a 3-tier rating system for existing buildings used by an Established Green Building Council::
| Certified Floor Area | |
| Minimum Level | --- |
| Mid-Level | --- |
| Highest Achievable Level | --- |
Floor area of building space that is certified at each level under a 5-tier rating system for existing buildings used by an Established Green Building Council::
| Certified Floor Area | |
| Minimum Level | --- |
| 4th Highest Level | --- |
| Mid-Level | --- |
| 2nd Highest Level | --- |
| Highest Achievable Level | --- |
Floor area of building space that is certified at any level under other green building rating systems for existing buildings:
Floor area of building space that is maintained in accordance with formally adopted sustainable building operations and maintenance guidelines or policies, but NOT certified:
A copy of the sustainable building operations and maintenance guidelines or policies:
The date the guidelines or policies were formally adopted:
A brief description of the sustainable building operations and maintenance program and/or a list or sample of buildings covered:
The George Washington University has contracted its housekeeping management through ARAMARK as its primary housekeeping service manager. As part of this contract ARAMARK exclusively uses Green Seal certified cleaning practices, which have been used on campus for more than five years.
GW and ARAMARK are in the process of transitioning all of its purchased cleaning products used on campus to "blue cleaning" products that substitute electrically activated water (EAW) for chemicals used previously in its green products (see: http://www.aramark.com/PressRoom/PressReleases/ARAMARK-Blue-Cleaning.aspx). Please refer to the link above to learn more about ARAMARK's blue cleaning program, and the health and environmental benefits it offers beyond those of existing green cleaning products. Additional links are provided below on the specific blue cleaning technology implemented to date on GW campuses.
In FY13, we made our most significant investment in using blue cleaning EAW solutions in lieu of Green Seal, chemical-based cleaning products. To date GW has installed 8 Orbio machines (see: http://www.tennantco.com/am-en/equipment/innovations/innovations/5000-sc) and 25+ ec-H20 machines (see: http://www.tennantco.com/am-en/equipment/Innovations/Technology/ec-h2o) to process tap water into a electrically charged blue cleaning water solution. In addition, GW implemented microfiber cleaning at its Mt. Vernon and Virginia campuses to cut down on use of chemicals and paper-based cleaning cloths/towels. Such measures have reduced GW's total expenditures on cleaning products by more than $20,000 in FY14 relative to FY12.
A brief description of how the institution ensures compliance with sustainable building operation and maintenance guidelines and policies:
GW is currently pursuing a campus-wide energy efficiency program for existing buildings called the Eco-Building program. http://innovation.gwu.edu/building-energy-efficiency
The Eco-Building Program proposes a comprehensive capital improvement plan to strategically implement energy conservation projects in campus buildings. Implementation of this program will result in a reduction of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and will produce short-term and long-term financial savings. Through these projects, GW aims to reduce energy use from the buildings by 15%.
GW has also engaged a number of energy services companies to more closely monitor and manage the real-time energy use of our buildings and to employ demand response more effectively.
In addition, all on-campus buildings are cleaned using green cleaning techniques and are transitioning to blue cleaning techniques. The university has been certified by a third-party organization for its green cleaning techniques used at the Mount Vernon and Foggy Bottom Campuses.
The website URL where information about the institution’s certified buildings and/or sustainable operations and maintenance guidelines or policies is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Energy use in existing buildings comprises 80 percent of the university's GHG emissions. In the first years of implementing the Climate Action Plan, GW prioritized improving building energy efficiency and enhancing IT systems that result in energy use reductions.
When managing and retrofitting its buildings for sustainability, GW deals with many complexities due to the diversity of buildings. GW owns and operates more than 150 buildings on its three campuses. Some pre-date the turn of the last century, and most require historic preservation during upgrades. The sizes range from less than 10,000 square feet (historic town houses) to more than 200,000 square feet.
Energy use in existing buildings comprises 80 percent of the university's GHG emissions. In the first years of implementing the Climate Action Plan, GW prioritized improving building energy efficiency and enhancing IT systems that result in energy use reductions.
When managing and retrofitting its buildings for sustainability, GW deals with many complexities due to the diversity of buildings. GW owns and operates more than 150 buildings on its three campuses. Some pre-date the turn of the last century, and most require historic preservation during upgrades. The sizes range from less than 10,000 square feet (historic town houses) to more than 200,000 square feet.
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.