Green Goes Platinum

The 430,000 square-foot structure represents the first Platinum recipient in the world under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED-EB: O&M) program. It is also the first LEED-EB Platinum rated building in Chicago and one of just 16 LEED-EB Platinum projects in the world.

In this building, green really is the new black, says Lynn Butler, director of national service delivery for USAA Real Estate Company, which owns the FBI office building as well as 19 other office properties across the United States.

“We’ve long been involved in energy efficiency and sustainability throughout our portfolio,” Butler says, stating the move toward certification was a logical next step.

Rick Pospisil, USAA director of facilities, notes plans to develop a comprehensive LEED program are well under way as part of a triple-bottom line strategy whereby if environmental performance and occupant comfort improve, the facilities ultimately cost less to operate.

LEEDing The Way

To achieve LEED-EB: O&M Platinum certification, the USGBC must approve 68 to 92 of the points submitted for consideration. USAA submitted 74 points in five categories and the USGBC accepted every one.

A few of the highlights from the Chicago structure’s approved credits include:

(1) Sustainable Site — Here one acre of non-native turf was replaced with buffalo grass and wheat. When combined with existing sustainable areas already on the 11-acre site, the changes mean 50 percent of the area no longer requires maintenance, irrigation, mowing or trimming. The change lowered operating costs, reduced lawn equipment emissions, eliminated harmful chemical applications and reduced water usage.

(2) Water Efficiency — Changes included installing low-flush valves on urinals, low-flow showerheads in locker rooms and aerators in bathroom and break room sinks, as well as adding a rain gauge moisture sensor to the irrigation system. According to Pospisil, overall water use was reduced by 43 percent, eliminating 3 million gallons of water waste.

(3) Energy & Atmosphere — Here the focus centered on optimizing energy performance and raising Energy Star ratings. Installing sub-metering on major systems simplified equipment tracking, allowing building engineers to see at a glance when equipment operates inefficiently or incorrectly. Before beginning the LEED process, Pospisil says the building held a high Energy Star rating of 78; today it boasts a rating of 95, putting it in the top 5 percent of the country’s office buildings.

(4) Material & Resources — Sustainable purchasing and solid waste management programs became the big point earners here. The FBI already purchased sustainable products and USAA already operated a strong recycling program; they just needed to take these programs to the next level. USAA solicited help from FBI officials, who, Pospisil says, went above and beyond on everything they were asked to do. Now all products are assessed prior to purchase.

Tenants also developed a recycling committee, providing valuable information on improving and expanding the recycling program. The committee’s greatest success came when occupants policed each other and stressed the importance of recycling.

(5) Indoor Environmental Quality — USAA implemented a comprehensive green cleaning program many years ago. Standardizing these efforts helped the facility meet LEED certification requirements. The results have been impressive, says Pospisil, who points out: “We’ve had several people come up to us and say this is the cleanest building they’ve ever been in. We take a lot of pride in that.”

Greening The Cleaning

While many factors contributed to the building’s LEED success, one of the shining stars is truly its green cleaning program. USAA considers this policy so important that it requires every janitorial department it works with across the United States — including that of the FBI — to adhere to the policy, which stresses using green cleaning products and sustainable equipment and conducting regular custodial training.

This goes beyond taking a manager’s word for it, adds Pospisil, who stresses the importance of tracking departmental performance. “Just because somebody says they operate a green cleaning program, doesn’t mean they follow it or their people in the field know what it is,” he says. USAA ensures everyone remains on the same page through regular property management audits of chemicals, equipment and cleaning practices.

The company employs Core Management Services of Endicott, N.Y., to set its quality control standards and expects custodial managers to audit green cleaning performance to these exacting standards monthly. Managers submit their audit results to Core Management Services, which inspects the facility annually. Pospisil adds that their efforts have proven successful; a third-party auditor recently examined the Chicago structure and rated it at its highest level of cleanliness.

These audits also contribute to purchasing practices. Custodians use sustainable products 90 percent of the time. However, that’s not to say harsher chemicals are never used. For instance, custodians sanitize shower facilities from floor to ceiling bimonthly with chemicals commonly used in health care institutions.

“Are they green products? No. Are they safe to use? Yes,” states Pospisil. “We only bring them in for that day and then remove them.”

Teaching Old Dogs, New Tricks

While some members of the custodial staff worried about the efficacy of green cleaning products, a thorough educational process soon changed opinions. Training confirmed that using natural cleaners kept harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) out of the air.

“We definitely had to break down fears that the products wouldn’t work,” Pospisil says, explaining people commonly associate certain scents with cleanliness.

Whenever USAA adds a new cleaning product, custodians receive full training on the chemical, review its Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), and learn how to use it and about its benefits to the environment. Custodial managers conduct demonstrations comparing the old product’s performance to the new one allowing cleaning crews to see its performance first hand.

The same goes for equipment. Custodial managers educate employees why tools such as HEPA vacuums and low-water-use extraction equipment are needed and why they must maintain a log every time they perform maintenance on these systems. Custodians learn to replace filters, correctly use dilution systems, properly set the harness on cordless vacuums, lift equipment and so on.

“These things factor into proper equipment use, chemical use and maintenance — everything that’s important to a green cleaning operation,” stresses Pospisil.

Management also maintains a training log to track the education of each custodian. The operation also offers a mentor program for new staffers where a seasoned custodian works beside new hires for several weeks to ensure they fully understand the green cleaning policy.

Working Well Together

Building occupants also received education. Since introducing the LEED process, USAA organized town hall meetings providing learning opportunities about recycling, green cleaning and sustainable products.

Areas requiring particular instruction included green cleaning chemicals and the move to day cleaning.

It took approximately one year to develop a workable schedule, but now custodians perform all cleaning during the day to protect the FBI’s need for security. Pospisil says getting here required cooperation from everyone involved.

Occupants now know that if they do not want a particular area cleaned at a specific time, they simply ask custodians to return later. Also, custodians have learned to be flexible. While a task may have been performed on the same day of the week for 12 months, they still may need to postpone it. But custodians always have a backup plan and can move on to something else.

“The last thing we want is to stop occupants from succeeding in the FBI mission,” says Pospisil.

With their LEED certification process and green cleaning program a resounding success, Pospisil offers some advice for other organizations hoping to do the same. He stresses that it’s critical to get everyone on board early in the process and to be realistic about what can be achieved.

“You have to engage everyone and provide as much information as possible,” he says. “No one likes change, but the more educated people become the more they understand that this is a good thing, that it’s healthier for the environment and for them. It really is a team effort.”

Ronnie Garrett is a freelance writer based near Milwaukee, Wis.