University of Notre Dame
OP-4: Building Operations and Maintenance

Buildings on campus are operated and maintained in accordance with an environmental and green cleaning policy as well as an energy management policy.

Environmental and Green Cleaning Policy:
In keeping with our vision to effectively maintain campus, the Building Services Department states its commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability. This policy reaffirms our commitment to making choices of cleaning solutions, practices, and equipment, our goals for personnel training, and custodial personnel commitment to practice environmentally conscious cleaning and sanitation procedures.

The Building Services Department established this policy to reduce exposure of building occupants and custodial personnel to potentially hazardous chemical contaminants that adversely impact air quality or impede occupant’s well-being. In short, we want to control the health negative components within the indoor as well as the outdoor environment.

Goals and Strategies:
Our goals are to minimize the exterior impact on the local environment and to emphasize and practice environmentally safe, low-impact cleaning chemicals and practices. The Building Services Department continually strives to improve its environmental performance by:
Educating, training, and motivating custodial staff to work in an environmentally
responsible manner.
Ensure that all custodial staff is aware of their responsibilities in implementing this environmental and green cleaning policy.
Conserving energy, water, and other resources.
Complying with all relevant current legislation and industry standards.
To support and educate custodial staff on our Storm Water Quality Management Plan IDEM Rule 12.

When considering relationships with custodial suppliers the University seeks to form partnerships
with organizations that are conscious of and are making efforts toward sustainable
decisions regarding their own responsibility to the environment.
Implement hand sanitizer program promoting and educating waterless hand
sanitizing.
When making chemical decisions to evaluate and select environmentally preferred
chemicals.
Establish a core chemical program that consists of environmentally preferred products or similar “Green Seal” certified items including floor care products.
Implement a floor finish that is sustainable and does not require the use of
environmentally hazardous chemicals to maintain and that reduces/eliminates annual
floor stripping and refinishing (3M Greener Solutions)
Use and evaluate paper and plastic products that use high post-consumer recycled content or are made from a more easily renewable content (alternative fibers).
Using chemical dilution systems that automatically measure and dispense products accurately (using concentrated products as a first choice – Diversey Quattro Select System).
When purchasing cleaning equipment do so with an environmentally preferred directive (if available always consider EC water equipment first).
Implement and install a chemical efficient micro-fiber system for floor care and other daily maintenance tasks (CPI system).
Establish an annual floor maintenance program focusing on daily and interim maintenance work eliminating the need for restorative cleaning projects.
Educate and train staff on the hazards of the custodial workplace and the proper techniques for storing and using custodial chemicals, keeping worker and building occupants safety in mind at all times.
Conduct weekly quality inspections to ensure proper techniques are being followed and equipment/chemicals are used in the correct manner.
Conduct regularly scheduled visits with vendors and distributors to ensure these initiatives are always part of the Notre Dame Building Services custodial procedure plan.

The University's energy management plan is based on investing in technologies and strategies that produce a carbon offset. To maximize the impact of its actions, such investments first focused on low-hanging fruit or projects with the quickest paybacks. In this manner, savings can be reinvested to return even more carbon reduction and energy conservation. This strategy has allowed the University to invest over $20M in energy conservation measures since 2008.

The University of Notre Dame has used a wide array of techniques and technologies to manage energy on its campus. Its earliest examples date back to the energy crisis of the 1970s, and have continued over the intervening years, and are part and parcel to the University's design standards looking forward. The installation of a Central Building Automation System continues to be expanded. This upgrade allows the University both visibility and control of the campus HVAC systems. This tool provides for scheduling correlated to building usage along with the integration of occupancy sensors to manage both HVAC and lighting. We also utilize a dashboard created by our vendor to monitor, benchmark, and assess energy and water usage and performance.

Numerous other energy conservation and management solutions have been implemented including high-efficiency lighting including LED lighting and daylight harvesting. Significant investment in variable frequency drives has had a significant impact on optimizing motor energy. Lab fume hood air reductions, and various control software strategies along with a campus temperature set point policy have also garnered energy reductions.