[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 5, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8145-8146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-02408]
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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
[Notice-MG-2012-04; Docket 2012-0002]
Sequence 24 Findings of the EISA 436(h) Ad-Hoc Review Group on
Green Building Certification Systems
AGENCY: Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings; Office of
Government-wide Policy, General Services Administration.
ACTION: Request for information.
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SUMMARY: GSA and its Federal agency partners in the EISA 436(h) Ad-Hoc
Discussion Group are seeking public input regarding possible approaches
GSA may take in fulfilling its requirement from the Energy Independence
and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 to provide a formal recommendation to
the Secretary of Energy that identifies a green building certification
system(s) most likely to encourage a comprehensive and environmentally-
sound approach to the certification of green Federal buildings. GSA is
using the deliberations from the EISA 436(h) Ad-hoc Discussion Group as
well as verbal and written public input from previously held listening
sessions in June and July 2012 and this Federal Register Notice to
inform its final recommendation to the Secretary of Energy. The
information being asked for in this notice is not for the purpose of a
proposed GSA rulemaking or a GSA regulation; GSA is requesting input
from the public to better inform its recommendation to the Secretary of
Energy on what green building certification system(s) the Federal
government should use.
DATES: Interested parties should submit written comments by one of the
methods shown below on or before 60 days after publication in the
Federal Register to be considered in the formation of GSA's
recommendation to the Secretary of Energy.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments in response to Notice-MG-2012-04 by any of
the following methods:
Regulations.gov: http://www.regulations.gov. Submit
comments via the Federal eRulemaking portal by searching for ``Notice-
MG-2012-04''. Select the link ``Submit a Comment'' that corresponds
with ``Notice-MG-2012-04.'' Follow the instructions provided at the
``Submit a Comment'' screen. Please include your name, company name (if
any), and ``Notice-MG-2012-04'' on your attached document.
Fax: 202-501-4067.
Email: [email protected]
Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory
Secretariat (MVCB), ATTN: Hada Flowers, 1275 First Street NE., 7th
Floor, Washington, DC 20417.
Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite Notice-MG-2012-
04, in all correspondence related to this case. Visit http://www.gsa.gov/gbcertificationreview for more information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: GSA Sustainability Program Advisor:
Bryan Steverson, 202-501-6115, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
GSA and its Federal agency partners in the EISA 436(h) Ad-hoc
Discussion Group are seeking public input regarding possible approaches
GSA may take to carry out its responsibilities under the Energy
Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA, Pub. L. 110-140) to
evaluate green building certification systems and provide a formal
recommendation to the Secretary of Energy on how green building
certifications systems and related standards can be most effectively
used by the Federal government to advance high performance in
buildings.
Section 436 of EISA requires the Director of GSA's Office of
Federal High-Performance Green Buildings to evaluate green building
certification systems every five years to identify a system and
certification level that ``will be most likely to encourage a
comprehensive and environmentally sound approach to the certification
of green federal buildings.'' EISA requires the GSA Administrator to
provide his/her recommendation to the Secretary of Energy, who then
consults with the Secretary of Defense and the GSA Administrator, to
identify the system(s) appropriate for use in the Federal sector to
certify green buildings.
GSA first evaluated certification systems in 2006 focusing on new
construction. Based on this 2006 review, GSA recommended the U.S. Green
Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
to the Secretary of Energy for use in the Federal sector. GSA completed
its most recent evaluation of green building certification systems in
May 2012 focusing on certification systems for new construction, major
renovations, and existing buildings. In this review, three systems were
evaluated in depth: Green Building Initiative's Green Globes (2010),
U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (2009), and the International Living Building Institute's Living
Building Challenge (2011). GSA evaluated the three green building
certification systems against 27 new construction and 28 existing
building statutory and Executive Order requirements. The study found
that Green Globes aligns with more of the Federal requirements for new
construction than LEED or Living Building Challenge while LEED aligns
with more of the Federal requirements for existing buildings than Green
Globes or Living Building Challenge. Ultimately, the 2012 report found
that none of the existing green building certification systems as
designed meets all of the Federal government's needs for high
performance building metrics and conformity assessment, especially when
considering the Federal sector's statutory requirements in this area.
However, better alignment between Federal requirements and green
building certification system metrics and documentation could reinforce
and continue the important role that green building certification
systems currently play within Federal portfolios and in
[[Page 8146]]
harmonizing Federal green building activities with the private sector.
To read the full study, please visit http://www.gsa.gov/gbcertificationreview.
In recognition that there was a high level of interest in this
green building certification system review, both within and outside the
Federal sector, GSA asked the Department of Energy and the Department
of Defense to co-chair an Interagency Ad-Hoc Discussion Group to work
through a set of related questions and issues:
Interrelationships among green building certification
systems and green building code-compliant standards for new
construction;
Federal high performance building design, construction and
operations requirements;
Metrics to inform building performance tracking and
reporting;
How high performance in buildings can reduce the total
cost of ownership; and
The appropriate role of green building certification
systems in advancing high performance buildings in the Federal sector.
The EISA 436(h) Ad-hoc Discussion Group included representatives
from major Federal real estate portfolio holders, including GSA, the
Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Department of
Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of
State, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Justice. The Ad-Hoc Discussion
Group met numerous times during May-July 2012 and held two public
listening sessions to gather comments. This information and public
comments collected from this request for information will be used by
GSA to develop possible approaches that could form the basis of the
EISA 436(h) recommendation. A full summary of the findings (and
recommendations) from the Ad-hoc Discussion Group is available at
http://www.gsa.gov/gbcertificationreview.
Key Concepts
Based on the deliberations of the EISA 436(h) Ad-Hoc Discussion
Group and input received from the two public listening sessions, GSA is
offering several key concepts for additional public comment.
1. Green building certification systems maintain robust integrated
frameworks of performance metrics, standards and conformity assurance
aimed at evaluating building performance. These systems are kept
current with market developments, including maintenance of professional
training and accreditation systems for designers, engineers, auditors
and assessors to ensure professionals maintain their expertise in the
evolving market. The Ad-hoc Discussion Group found that, properly
aligned with government requirements, use of these systems saves
government resources by eliminating the cost to Government of
developing its own standards while furthering the policy of reliance on
the private sector to supply Government needs for goods and services.
GSA seeks public input on this finding.
2. If pursuing certification, an Agency should select the green
building certification system that best suits its mission and portfolio
needs. However, there are important guidelines that should be applied
for use of green building certification systems in the Federal sector:
a. At the national level, guidance should be developed that
identifies specific credits/points that all agencies should focus on
when seeking certification. These points/credits should be aligned with
Federal requirements and considered as ``prerequisites'' for Federal
building certification. GSA is requesting public input on this strategy
and on which points/credits should be considered as ``prerequisites.''
b. For internal consistency and efficient use of resources,
agencies should be encouraged to use only one system at the agency or
service level. Effective use of these systems requires a high degree of
familiarity with each system as well as the system's application to
different building and types. Decisions to use multiple systems within
one agency should be based on a finding that the organizational
structure supports effective use of training resources, and meets
portfolio needs considering broad classes of building and use types.
GSA is requesting public input on this strategy and whether there are
other tools that should be used in lieu of or in addition to green
building certification systems.
c. Federal experience with green building certification systems has
demonstrated that the systems are flexible enough to develop
applications to all building types if Federal agencies have the right
direction about how to use the systems, and that this direction should
apply to all buildings, including special building types and building
types/uses representing relatively small segments in the Federal
portfolio. GSA seeks input on this finding.
3. The Federal sector should formalize a process to maintain
currency with the evolution of green building certification systems and
underlying standards. GSA requests public input on the proposed process
below. Elements of the recommended ``currency'' process include:
a. The Federal sector should maintain currency in the use of any
green building rating system and automatically adopt the newest version
of any standard or green building certification system within one year
after it is finalized, unless there is an overt decision not to adopt
the latest version.
b. Representatives from major Federal real property portfolio
holders and resource agencies should convene to review any updated
green building certification systems and changes to standards critical
to building performance in a process similar to the current EISA 436(h)
interagency review.
c. GSA's Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings should
track the evolution of green building certification systems and
standards, and work with the Departments of Energy and Defense, and
other agencies as appropriate, to review changes and propose any
necessary Federal response.
4. Green building certification systems currently serve as a bridge
both in supporting the transformation to high-performance within the
Federal portfolio, and in harmonizing Federal green building activities
with the private sector. The Federal government should strategically
engage with green building certification system owners to develop
better alignment with Federal agency requirements and needs while
continuing the Federal government's role in market leadership.
Strategically engaging to develop better alignment with Federal agency
requirements and needs could include improving performance metrics and
methodologies; addressing fundamental improvements in content such as
life cycle impacts and human health and productivity needs; and
increasing government efficiency by reducing duplication in
documentation for conformity assurance. GSA requests public input into
what the Federal role is in evolving green building certification
systems, standards, and tools to better address Federal agency
requirements and needs and support evolution in the market.
Dated: January 30, 2013.
Kevin Kampschroer
Federal Director, Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings,
Office of Government-wide Policy, U.S. General Services Administration.
[FR Doc. 2013-02408 Filed 2-4-13; 8:45 am]
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