CMAA Sustainability Guidelines

Sustainability
Guidelines
2016 Edition
7926 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 800

McLean, VA USA 22102-3303
www.cmaanet.org
The authors have worked to ensure that all information in this book is accurate at the time of
publication and consistent with standards of good practice in the construction management industry.
As research and practice advance, standards may change. For this reason, it is recommended that
readers evaluate the applicability of recommendations in light of particular situations and changing
standards.
CMAA: Construction Management Association of America

7926 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 800, McLean, VA 22102
Phone: 703.356.2622
Email: info@cmaanet.org
...promoting the profession of Construction Management and the use of qualified Construction Managers on capital
projects and programs.
ISBN: 978-0-9715612-2-6
Copyright ©2016 Construction Management Association of America. All rights reserved. No part of
this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a
database of retrieval system, except as permitted by Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States
Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
Previous edition: 2010

Table of Contents
Table of Contents............................................................................................................i
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ v
Preface.......................................................................................................................... vii
Chapter 1: Introduction .............................................................................................. 1
1.1 Sustainability Objectives ........................................................................................................... 2
1.2 Project Management .................................................................................................................. 3
1.3 Cost Management ...................................................................................................................... 5
1.4 Time Management ..................................................................................................................... 6
1.5 Quality Management ................................................................................................................. 7
1.6 Contract Administration ........................................................................................................... 9
1.7 Professional Practice ............................................................................................................... 10
1.8 Safety.......................................................................................................................................... 12
1.9 Risk Management..................................................................................................................... 13
1.10 Building Information Modeling ............................................................................................. 14
Chapter 2: Energy Efficiency, Energy Conservation, and Renewable Energy ....... 17
2.1 Energy Efficiency..................................................................................................................... 17
2.2 Energy Conservation ............................................................................................................... 17
2.3 Energy Use Intensity ............................................................................................................... 18
2.4 Building Energy Management System/Building Management System/Building
Automation System ................................................................................................................. 20
2.5 Energy Modeling ...................................................................................................................... 21
2.6 Energy Efficiency Assessments ............................................................................................. 22
2.7 Lighting ..................................................................................................................................... 23
2.8 Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning ......................................................................... 24
2.9 Energy Building Terminology ................................................................................................ 25
CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines | i

2.10 Source Energy .......................................................................................................................... 26
2.11 Alternative Fuels ...................................................................................................................... 27
2.12 Building Envelope ................................................................................................................... 27
2.13 Renewable Energy ................................................................................................................... 28
2.14 Financial Considerations and Funding Sources for both Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy ................................................................................................................... 30
Chapter 3: Climate Adaptation and Resilience Planning ........................................ 33
3.1 Planning ..................................................................................................................................... 33
3.2 Risk Assessment Needs .......................................................................................................... 35
3.3 Development of Climate Adaptation Strategies .................................................................. 36
3.4 Low Impact Development Design and Construction ........................................................ 40
Chapter 4: Pre-Design Phase ................................................................................... 41
4.1 Sustainability Plan: Establish Owner Sustainability Goals, Objectives, and
Requirements ............................................................................................................................ 41
4.2 Project Delivery Strategies ...................................................................................................... 45
4.3 Project Implementation Tools ............................................................................................... 48
Chapter 5: Design Phase .......................................................................................... 55
5.1 Design to Principle .................................................................................................................. 55
5.2 Design Benchmarks ................................................................................................................. 56
5.3 Sustainability Rating Systems ................................................................................................. 56
5.4 Design Management and Administration............................................................................. 57
5.5 Design Reviews ........................................................................................................................ 60
5.6 Cost Control ............................................................................................................................. 61
5.7 Commissioning......................................................................................................................... 64
5.8 Sustainability Certification System Measurement ............................................................... 64
Chapter 6: Procurement Phase ................................................................................. 67
6.1 Procurement Planning............................................................................................................. 67
6.2 Contract Award ........................................................................................................................ 70
6.3 Pre-Construction Conference/Scope Review Meeting ...................................................... 70
Chapter 7: Construction Phase ................................................................................. 71
7.1 Construction Management Plan ............................................................................................ 71
7.2 Pre-Construction Conference ................................................................................................ 73
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7.3 Construction Planning and Scheduling ................................................................................ 74
7.4 Construction Management and Administration .................................................................. 75
Chapter 8: Post-Construction Phase ........................................................................ 83
8.1 Post-Construction Checklist .................................................................................................. 83
8.2 Commissioning......................................................................................................................... 83
8.3 Asset/Facilities Management—Lifecycle Monitoring ........................................................ 85
8.4 Operation & Maintenance/Owner’s Maintenance vs. Warranty Call-Back .................... 85
8.5 Deconstruction ......................................................................................................................... 86
8.6 Measurement and Verification ............................................................................................... 86
8.7 Energy Model Recalibration ................................................................................................... 87
8.8 Post Occupancy Evaluation ................................................................................................... 87
8.9 Ongoing Operation of a Sustainable Building ..................................................................... 88
Glossary ........................................................................................................................ 89
References .................................................................................................................... 99
Index ...........................................................................................................................105
CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines | iii

iv | CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines
Acknowledgements
Current Edition:
Deeta Bernstein, LEED AP BD+C, Cotter Consulting, Inc.
Randy Britt, LEED AP, Parsons
Joyce Dawson, CCM, LEED AP, Anne Arundel Community College
Lonnie Coplen, LEED AP BD+C, ARC Alternative and Renewable Construction
Lourdes Gonzalez, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, ND, Primera
Don Green, CCM, CCP, LEED AP, Heery International, Inc.
Manish Kalantri, AIA, CCM, CEM, CPMP, LEEDAP New York City Housing Authority
Judith Kunoff, FAIA, LEED AP, FCMAA
Don Laford, CCM, AECOM
Get Moy, PE, LEED AP, PMP, AECOM
Kathleen Neff, LEED AP, Schneider Electric
Walt Norko, PE, CCM, CMAA
Shannon O’Connell, PE, LEED AP, Parsons
Jim Ogden, LEED Fellow, 3QC
Laurie Schoeman, LEED AP BD+C, Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.
Vanessa Wendling, SunEdison
Douglas Wrenn, CCM, QCxP, MBP, Inc.
CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines | v

Prior Edition:
Lonnie Coplen, LEED AP, Jacobs Engineering
Jennifer Creighton, LEED AP, McKinstry | Energy & Facility Solutions
Joyce Dawson, CCM, LEED AP, Anne Arundel Community College
Juan Giron, PE, LEED, City of Phoenix
Lourdes Gonzalez, AIA, LEED AP, Primera
Don Green, CCM, CCP, LEED AP, Heery International, Inc.
Judith Kunoff, AIA, CCM, LEED AP, MTA NYCT
Don Laford, PE, CCM, URS Corporation
Christopher Magent, PhD, LEED AP, Alexander Building Construction
Mickey Rosenblum, CCM, SES Construction and Fuel Services LLC
Ron Whisker, CCM, LEED AP
vi | CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines

Preface
The updated 2016 Sustainability Guidelines is intended to supplement the sustainability chapter
of CMAA’s Construction Management Standards of Practice. It provides practical guidance in
sustainability to construction managers in conducting their responsibilities from project
conception through to post occupancy activities.
In the context of this document, the Brundtland Commission definition of sustainability

developed in 1983 is most appropriate because of its direct applicability to sustainable
development:
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The most common core concepts of sustainability in construction are utility usage efficiency,
resource and waste management, sustainable site development, stormwater management,
high performance building design and construction, maintenance and operation to
sustainable standards, and indoor air quality for healthy buildings and infrastructure.
Sustainability is evolving dramatically as a practice, progressing from sustainable building

certifications to sustainable infrastructure certifications for transportation, water utilities, and
remediation projects, and has transformed from a largely voluntary adoptive practice to one
that has become a core value and an essential component for most large private and public
sector owners who want to incorporate the economic, social, and environmental aspects of
their project to improve the “triple bottom line.” Many owners now require proof of
sustainability qualifications and reporting as part of their procurement process, essentially
making it a primary filter in the selection process.
These guidelines include new subject matter on energy, climate adaptation, and resiliency
planning. New projects and programs require construction managers to keep current with
the evolution of sustainability and how it may impact their clients, projects, and programs.
The 2016 Sustainability Guidelines reflect the most current changes in the sustainability practice
and will be updated as needed to provide meaningful and practical guidance to construction
managers.
CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines | vii

For the purposes of these Guidelines:
LEED®—an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design™—is a

registered trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council®.
Green Globes and the Green Building Initiative (GBI) are registered trademarks of the
Green Building Initiative.
MasterFormat is a registered trademark of the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI)

and Constrution Specifications Canada (CSC).
ENERGY STAR is a registered trademark of the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Envision is a registered trademark of the Institute for Sustainable Infrasstructure.
EcoLogo is a registered trademark of UL LLC.
BRE, BREGlobal, BREEAM, EcoHomes, Smartwaste, SmartLIFE, Envest, the

GreenGuide, and Insight are all registered trademarks owned by either BRE or
BREGlobal Ltd.
The Pearl Rating System is the green building rating system developed by the Abu Dhabi
Urban Planning Council as part of their sustainable development initiative, Estidama.
viii | CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines

Chapter 1: Introduction
The Sustainability Guidelines are intended is to provide the CM with guidance for
implementing a sustainable, green, or high-performance project. The Sustainability Guidelines
are designed in such a way as to avoid providing a prescriptive approach designed to yield a
sustainable project; there are several sustainability certification systems, products, and
approaches currently available to the CM for both buildings and infrastructure. The intent in
offering these guidelines is to provide context, information, and resources that will enable
the CM to successfully complete a sustainable project.
The first critical step in producing a sustainable project is owner adoption of sustainability as
a guiding principle of design. Thereafter, consistent application of project and construction
management practices, meticulous documentation, common sense, and mindful architectural
and engineering design is likely to yield a sustainable project.
The Sustainability Guidelines provide for the integration of sustainability with other functions
integral to the practice of construction management, and identify key sustainability measures
and opportunities in each phase of the project lifecycle. To successfully implement a project
with sustainability objectives or features, the practitioner must be cognizant of a CM’s key
responsibilities with respect to the sustainability program:
1. As a professional, the CM is responsible for maintaining a current understanding of

the changing regulatory environment, emerging best practices, and rapidly evolving
technological improvements in energy and ecological high performance, monitoring,
measurement and control technologies.
2. As the owner’s agent, the CM is responsible for educating the owner and the project
team on the benefits, features, limitations and the implementation processes of a
project’s sustainability features.
3. As the team leader, the CM is responsible for encouraging an environment of
learning and exploration regarding the application of CM best practices for achieving
sustainability on a project.
CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines | 1

4. As a CM-at-Risk, the CM is responsible for assembling a team of subcontractors and
consultants who are aware of and committed to building a sustainable project that
conforms to the commitment of the owner.
If a sustainable project is defined as a project that conserves natural resources, protects the
natural environment, and provides economic benefits to the owner and the community and
social benefits to the community, such as job creation and community service programs,
then sustainability objectives are met with the successful implementation of CM best
practices on a project that has sustainability as a guiding design principle.
1.1 Sustainability Objectives

The primary objectives of sustainable design are to avoid resource depletion of energy,
water, and raw materials; prevent environmental degradation throughout project
construction and facility operation and lifecycle by producing designs and constructed
environments that have high quality indoor air, use of natural lighting, with high efficiency
HVAC, exterior shell, and lighting systems.
Thus, common features of a sustainable project include:

• Water conservation and management systems,
• Energy conservation measures or features using both passive and active
strategiesm,
• Renewable energy systems and applications,
• Sustainably derived materials,
• Waste minimization plans, and
• Systems designed to assure healthy indoor environments by minimizing
contaminants during construction and operations.
Strategies to achieve sustainability objectives include:

• Optimization of site/existing structure potential,
• Optimization of energy use,
• Protection/conservation of water,
• Use of environmentally preferable products,
• Protection and enhancement of indoor air quality, and
• Optimization of operational and maintenance procedures.
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Achieving the objectives of a sustainable project requires applying a process intended to
yield a sustainable design, and the implementation of construction and assembly practices
intended to yield a facility that has sustainability features.
1.2 Project Management

Sustainability, like cost, schedule, quality, and safety, is a significant goal of project
management. Key responsibilities of the successful CM with respect to sustainability should
include the following:
• Understanding the owner’s requirements. A project with sustainability

requirements may come with significant risk associated with new/emerging
technologies or processes employed on the project. The CM must clearly
understand boundaries and expectations in order to practice a policy of “no
surprises.”
• Assist in the selection of appropriate designers and contractors. Projects with
sustainability features will involve requirements that may be unique or new to
designers, contractors, and consultants. The CM has a duty to assure that unique
and distinctive project requirements are clearly identified and can thus be
addressed or mitigated.
• Managing an interdisciplinary project team. CMs should be mindful that
sustainable project requirements may add complexity through addition of team
members, new/emerging features and technologies, and unfamiliar installation,
testing, or verification processes.
• Coordinating the activities of stakeholders. Sustainability requirements introduce
complexity, stressing the importance of clear and consistent communication.
The CM’s primary tools to meet scope, schedule, budget, and quality control objectives
should be clearly articulated in the Project or Construction Management Plan and its
component or subordinate elements. The following strategies for integrating sustainability
requirements are suggested:
• The Sustainability Plan, which is unique to a project with sustainability

goals and objectives, should clearly articulate project-specific sustainability goals,
objectives, and requirements, roles and responsibilities, and key mechanisms for
coordinating efforts and tracking progress on the deliverables and milestones

required to achieve goals and objectives and satisfy requirements. A Sustainability
Plan is both a guidance document and the foundation for a reporting system. It
should be as concise as possible.
• The Commissioning Plan is based on the owner’s project requirements and
requires significant input from the owner. The Commissioning Plan outlines
training, sustainability certifications and requirements, installation and functional
testing requirements, and operational requirements that will impact the owner
after turnover.
• The Quality Management Plan (QMP) should include sustainability
metrics. These metrics should be both thoroughly embedded in the Quality
Management Plan by integrating performance, testing and inspection
requirements for sustainability features, and separately identified as requisite
elements of the project’s sustainability program during construction so as to
avert compromise by cost, schedule and scope control measures.
• The Construction Procurement Plan should identify the contractual
relationships and responsibilities of consultants and contractors charged with
tasks related to delivering a project with sustainability requirements.
• The Project Safety Plan: Projects with sustainability features or
requirements may include installation of new or emerging technologies and
equipment with which contractors, subcontractors, owners, and CMs may have
limited experience. Special care must be taken to clearly identify construction
sequencing, testing, and inspection processes in safe work plans.
• Contract administration procedures: While LEED or other sustainable
design and construction requirements may be included in contract documents via
reference, care should be taken to minimize coordination risks on the project’s
cost, schedule, scope, and quality parameters by integrating sustainability
requirements as much as possible in contract documents and project/program
management procedures. Before inclusion or use on a project, standard
documents should be reviewed and amended as required by legal counsel and
insurance providers for project-specific application.
• The Project Management Plan should include procedures guiding the
performance of tasks in design and construction that assure development and
incorporation of the project’s sustainability features.
• Management Information Systems (MIS): A project’s MIS is the
repository of project data and a project’s computer-based “tool-set.” Systems
that may be considered part of a project’s sustainability features include energy
modeling and Building Information Modeling, which can facilitate high
performance modeling, move the incorporation of sustainability features up in

the design process, be used for LEED credit tracking, and support post-
construction maintenance plans that optimize energy efficiency maintenance
practices and capital replacement decisions. Project management procedures
should clearly address update, input and output requirements and responsibilities,
and interface requirements. Provisions should be made for appropriate technical
support and supervision.
Taken as a whole, the guidelines and tools of the CM can be used to guide a project to
successful implementation of sustainability requirements by a skilled and conscientious CM
and team1.
1.3 Cost Management

Some of the CM’s primary responsibilities are cost management and control. A successful
CM achieves these goals by:
1. Developing a realistic, all-inclusive budget that meets the owner’s goals,

restrictions, and limitations.
2. Managing project risks in a manner that yields the best value project within
the project budget.
It is important to acknowledge the cost and risk profile of sustainability requirements and
proactively apply cost management systems in a manner that protects and conserves the
features they are designed to articulate.
Implementing an integrated design process may help reduce project costs associated with
sustainable design when viewed as a separate set of “features.” Consider integrated design
process as part of project management plan when an owner places high priority on
sustainable design results, and the stakeholder team is receptive to working more closely
together as opposed to working in silos.
The CM must work with the owner to establish sustainability goals and objectives, which will
drive the design and engineering team’s design development and preparation of contract
documents. Sustainability expectations must be identified and clearly articulated as soon as
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CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice; CMAA Project Management Guidelines

possible in the project’s lifecycle, so that accurate budget estimates can be established, and
the work scope is efficiently developed. Expectations, costs, and outcomes must be
communicated to stakeholders as early as possible on a project with sustainability objectives
that involves new or emerging technologies or processes so that appropriate talent is
anticipated and secured—and associated cost risks are evaluated and contingencies
established.
For instance, if a project is to be registered with the USGBC as a LEED certified project,
the risk of achieving the prescribed level of certification may be managed by selecting an
experienced design team to develop the engineering process, a commissioning consultant to
manage commissioning and quality processes, and a LEED consultant specifically to manage
LEED paperwork and submissions. The costs of specialty equipment and installation should
be estimated early, and market forces that may impact the project identified, and monitored
with the objective of understanding alternative means to meet sustainability objectives within
the project budget.
Sustainable projects may require early estimation and post-construction verification of

project lifecycle costs, or application of lifecycle assessment (LCA) and alternatives analysis
tools. The project team may include specialty consultants to conduct these studies. The CM
should be well-versed in the principles and processes associated with these analyses.
The rapid development and evolution of emerging sustainability technologies may require
that certain purchases of highly technical components be postponed so that the latest
technology available is incorporated into the project. Adequate contingency for the owner,
designer, and contractors must be established to allow for potential cost increases for such
items.
Standard cost management systems and fundamental project management best practices
combined with an elevated vigilance of the cost risks related to new technologies and
processes will help a project team meet sustainability goals and objectives within budget
expectations2.
1.4 Time Management

The CM is responsible for maintaining a focus on time management throughout the course
of a project. The time implications of sustainable project features must be quantified or
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CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice; CMAA Cost Management Guidelines

carefully approximated. As with any other element of construction, the requirements and
impacts of a project’s sustainability features should be anticipated and monitored using
standard scheduling tools so that the sustainability or high-performance features of a project
are not knowingly sacrificed by failures in planning and management.
To be effective, sustainable goals and objectives must be built into the program for the
project and not treated as an add-on feature. This requires defining and including tasks
associated with sustainable objectives in the Master Schedule, and assuring that other tools,
such as Milestone Schedules, reflect activities required to meet sustainability goals.
Contract milestones addressing sustainable design and construction requirements should be

considered and incorporated into contract documents.
In construction, time contingencies required for sustainable project elements must be built
into the Master and Milestone Schedules, and the CM must closely monitor the performance
of subcontractors and suppliers responsible for these features. Inspection and verification
practices integral to commissioning and quality management will help identify the need for
intervention and mitigation.
Scheduling techniques range from relatively simple bar charts to Critical Path Method (CPM)
analysis and complex software programs. In general, scheduling software is an effective tool,
but does not replace knowledge of basic planning and scheduling concepts and practices as
means to achieve sustainability goals.
For a project with sustainability features that rely on new technologies, practices, or means
and methods, the CM should thoroughly understand new technology and applications,
performance and installations requirements, staging, phasing considerations, and quality
processes. Nothing can replace a vigilant CM that is thoroughly aware of the manner in
which a project’s execution delivers on the promise of its design principles, including
sustainability 3.
1.5 Quality Management

Quality is the degree to which the project and its components meet the owner’s
expectations, objectives, standards, and intended purpose. Quality is determined by
measuring conformity of the project to the plans, specifications and applicable standards.
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CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice; CMAA Time Management Guidelines

When an owner decides to include the principles of sustainability in a project’s expectations
and objectives, this intent must be borne out by design solutions, and its requirements
embedded in implementation plans and metrics of project success.
Quality management is the process of planning, organizing, implementing, monitoring, and

documenting a system of policies and procedures that assign, coordinate, and direct relevant
project resources and activities in a manner that will achieve project objectives and
performance requirements. A project with sustainability features systematically applies its
quality management system to yield healthful, durable, and environmentally or ecologically
sound performance throughout the facility lifecycle—from pre-design, planning,
construction, post-construction and into the operation and maintenance stage.
Embedding sustainability in the quality management system involves transforming

sustainability goals and requirements into critical project metrics and milestones using
traditional quality management and control methodologies. The Quality Management Plan
and related procedures and documentation are made to clearly articulate the goals, plans,
performance indicators, and verification processes necessary to demonstrate the
achievement of sustainability objectives. The quality management system is adjusted to:
• Include sustainability reviews;

• Identify sustainability-specific elements of traditional reviews;
• Identify metrics that capture intermediate and ultimate performance parameters;
• Include sustainability-specific hold-points, milestones, and performance
objectives in checklists, record-keeping, and document control systems, often as
the Commissioning Plan and procedures; and
• Leverage commissioning: specify testing and verification processes to assure
compliance and enable continuous improvement.
If a project requires attaining a specific sustainable building system rating, such as LEED,
Green Globes, Envison, or ENERGY STAR, procedures are adapted or devised to monitor
the responsibilities and obligations of each project participant involved in the process. This
includes submission and processing of relevant certification documentation, requests for
information reasonably necessary to obtain an appropriate written certification, and
notification by the designating body or organization that the intended certification level or
status is achieved.
The commissioning agent (CxA) or Green Building Facilitator (GBF) should be a party to
the quality management organization, and the input of the CxA and/or GBF should be
sought and incorporated in quality and project management documents and procedures.

The CM must be knowledgeable of the performance requirements, applicable green building
rating system, if any; and the means, methods, and limitations of sustainability measures. The
CM’s responsibilities may include:
• Assist in setting sustainability goals;

• Advise on budget implications of sustainability measures;
• Advise on schedule implications of sustainability measures;
• Advise on public acceptance matters;
• Assist with design consultant, sustainability consultant/GBF, and contractor
selection;
• Assist in evaluating alternatives to achieve sustainability goals;
• Assist in providing verification of progress and achievement of sustainability
objectives; and
• Assist in sustainability impact analysis, value engineering, and other studies to
assure or verify the achievement of sustainability goals 4.
1.6 Contract Administration

Contract administration is the function of implementing the terms and conditions of a
contract, based upon established systems, policies, and procedures. The key contract
administration tools are the Project or Construction Management Plan (CMP), Sustainability
Plan, and Project Procedures Manual. The CMP outlines the project scope, milestone
schedule, budget, team organization, strategy to be used in contracting and procurement, and
basic systems to be utilized. The Project Procedures Manual details the specific processes
intended to yield key performance objectives—cost, schedule, scope, and quality.
When a project includes sustainability goals or features, contract administration efforts must
include the means to ascertain compliance with sustainability objectives, and control the
outcome to yield a project that complies with contract documents. The CM should develop
or cause the development of submittal procedures early in the project—in the pre-design
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CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice; CMAA Quality Management Guidelines

phase if possible—to provide for recording and controlling the flow of submittals required
by the GBF. 5
1.7 Professional Practice

While the concept of sustainable, green, or high-performance design and construction are
considered mainstream, the regulatory environment governing sustainable projects varies
among local and state governments, public and private sector decision-makers, and funding
parties. Furthermore, the sustainability lexicon can vary depending on project type,
performance expectations, and regulatory jurisdiction. CMs should research applicable local
and state codes and standards for guidance.
The real and perceived importance of sustainable development, design, and construction
practices nevertheless grows, driven by advances in climate and biodiversity science, and a
growing consensus that responsible development requires the construction industry to
embrace practices that are sensitive to ecological and environmental factors.
Government units with significant interest and influence in sustainability factors include:
• US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA);

• US Department of Energy (DOE);
• US Department of Defense (DOD); and
• US Department of the Interior (DOI).
Applicable federal standards codes and standards include:
• ASTM E2432
• Standard Guide for the General Principles of Sustainability Relative to Building;
• Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA 2007);
• Energy Policy Act of 2005; and
• Executive Order 13423, Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and
Transportation Management.
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CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice; CMAA Contract Administration Guidelines

Material performance and energy efficiency of systems, equipment and building
components, and assemblies are typically addressed in the governing building code by
reference to national standards and consensus standards developed by non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) comprising professional societies, government-sponsored research
and development organizations, universities, and private sector companies. Most
professional societies offer discipline and sector-specific information and training in
sustainable, green, or high performance practices. In addition to CMAA, these include:
• ASHRAE: American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning

Engineers;
• ASME: American Society of Mechanical Engineers;
• ASCE: American Society of Civil Engineers;
• ANSI: American National Standards Institute;
• ASTM: American Society of Testing and Measurement;
• IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; and
• UL: Underwriters Laboratories.
Knowledge of the sustainability domain is essential for a CM. CMAA strongly encourages
professionals to leverage the resources most closely aligned with their professional training
and work assignments, and to take advantage of professional development opportunities
offered by professional societies, regulatory agencies, and certification authorities.
Finally, consensus guidelines for the building industry have been developed by organizations
dedicated to bringing the principles and goals of sustainability to market. These include:
• US Green Building Council (USGBC), which developed and maintains the

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, and the
LEED Accredited Professional credential;
• The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), which
develops and maintains state and regional criteria for schools, provides rating
systems, and an Operations Report Card.

• Green Building Institute (GBI), which developed and maintains the Green
Globes guidance and assessment program, and the Green Globes Professional
Certification 6.
1.8 Safety
Safety management involves anticipating and implementing procedures to protect the health
and safety of all people on a project site: workers, visitors, and the general public. Safety
management is a risk management strategy for loss control that is designed to protect against
the cost of damage, injury, treatment, and remediation of life and property. As such,
standard safety provisions on a construction project include minimum safety education,
training, and insurance.
A safe job is consistent with sustainable practices. Safety applies to the safety of workers and
the public due to the way a job is run during construction. In the case of many projects with
sustainability features, safety also applies to the features that confer a healthy working
environment after construction is complete due, for instance, to protected and cleaned
ductwork, low VOCs, properly functioning air handling, heating, and cooling systems, and
low GHG emissions.
A measure of safety is the Experience Modification Rate (EMR) which is a multiplier used
by the insurance industry to gauge past cost of injuries, risk of future injuries, and determine
the cost of workers’ compensation during construction. An EMR of 1.0 is considered
average; an EMR less than 1.0 is good; an EMR of greater than 1.0 is relatively poor, which
will be reflected in a higher relative construction bid because an insurer’s workers
compensation rates will be elevated. Another measure of safety performance is Occupational
Safety and Health’s (OSHA) incident rate for “recordable injuries” and “lost time injuries.”
OSHA publishes average industry results for these rates annually for various types and
markets of construction.
For projects with sustainability features that involve new or emerging technologies and
contractors with relatively little experience, EMRs and incident rates may be relatively high
as a result of meager data. Special care should be given to all work elements and areas
involving new or emerging technologies or processes, with particular vigilance to the
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CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice

development and deployment of safe work plans that describe the work sequence, hold-
points, inspections, hazards, means, and methods.
As “communicator-in-chief,” the CM is responsible for assuring that the importance of

safety and the mechanisms to preserve life and property are communicated to project
participants 7.
1.9 Risk Management

In the context of design and construction, risk management is the methodical application of
management processes designed to reduce the negative impact of uncertainties on a project’s
cost, schedule, and quality expectations. The potential consequences of risk include financial
losses, damages, and other undesirable events—including the loss of opportunities. Risk,
inherent on major capital construction projects, may be heightened on a project with
sustainability objectives due to a range of uncertainties, including:
• Unproven contractor performance on a project with LEED requirements;

• Unproven performance of new or emerging technologies;
• Unproven consultant, contractor, subcontractor, or supplier performance for new or
emerging technologies;
• Uncertain impact of commodities pricing affecting sustainability features of a
project, e.g., components of photovoltaic equipment, volatile commodities (energy)
pricing;
• Lack of experienced technical or specialty subcontractors;
• Delay in finalizing certain details association with emerging technologies and
equipment in order to assure that the “latest” technology possible is employed in the
project, thereby potentially impacting final pricing or the project schedule;
• Unrealistic owner expectations;
• Potential contract issues in which contract compliance is controlled by a third party.
e.g. Certification to a LEED standard may be a contract requirement and the scoring
to achieve a certain LEED level is somewhat subjectively determined by a third party
rather than performance based and can be complicated by owner driven changes;
7

• Inadequate budget allocation or increased cost for sustainability related materials and
systems.
Risk is most effectively managed by reducing uncertainties. The impact of uncertainties that
cannot be eliminated must be managed using contingencies to establish boundary
expectations. Risk can be reduced through investigation, design, and engineering that
reduces uncertainty, or through various means of transfer to another party, including use of
insurance products.
Risk management efforts should be evaluated at meetings throughout each project phase. To
assure adequate vigilance to sustainability objectives, sustainability-specific status and
challenges should be discussed as a separate agenda item 8.
1.10 Building Information Modeling

BIM is a process by which digital representations of the physical and functional
characteristics of a facility are captured, analyzed, documented, and assessed virtually, then
revised iteratively through the design and construction process. BIM enables 3D parametric
modeling, engineering analysis, clash detection, 4D schedules, quantity take-off, and general
information assignment (including specification and product data linkage).
BIM has the potential to reduce the cost of sustainable design by making design and
engineering information routinely available as standard byproduct of the design process.
BIM offers a collaboration and project delivery platform that meets the needs of project
participants across the project lifecycle, including those responsible for assessing whether the
project will meet the criteria of credit-driven sustainability programs like LEED. Because
BIM can incorporate accurate modeling information early in the design process, BIM can
improve coordination and reduce potential errors associated with assessing sustainability
performance. As-built conditions can be incorporated into a project’s BIM to help determine
if it is being built within specified design tolerances and will achieve specified credits.
BIM can be used to model facility orientation, window placement, and lighting long before a
project is built, and is thus well-suited to assess daylight modeling and solar access, both of
which can factor into a project’s LEED credit profile. Furthermore, BIM can play a
8

powerful role on a project with sustainability goals because it moves design decisions into
the hands of designers by producing calculations involving lighting, site analysis, energy use,
and water use in support of trade-off considerations and design decisions.
BIM can be used throughout construction to analyze and communicate the building process
in a virtual environment, including sequence of work, means and methods, logistics, and
documentation of as-built conditions. BIM can provide the project team with ongoing
analysis such as:
• How much recycled content is being incorporated—for individual components and

for the entire facility;
• The quantity of construction material that is sourced within a certain radius.
BIM’s utility continues throughout the life of the facility, with the model serving as a shared
knowledge resource for information about the facility. The model serves as a reliable basis
for decisions throughout a facility’s lifecycle—from inception through design to
construction, occupancy, and operation.
The CM wishing to leverage BIM on a project with sustainability features must take care to
select a system that represents the facility as an integrated database of coordinated
information that meets the team’s expectations for modeling and management of the design
and construction process, including functions that will facilitate the sustainability program. 9i
9

Chapter 2: Energy Efficiency, Energy
Conservation, and Renewable Energy
A publication on sustainability is not complete without addressing the many facets of energy
usage in the construction industry and in the facilities that we construct. In this publication,
CMAA strives to highlight key areas of sustainability that CM’s need to understand in order
to provide owners and clients the most up to date information on the benefits of sustainable
design and construction implementation. This chapter highlights all areas that CM’s should
be familiar with in implementing energy efficient facilities, energy conservation, and the
many types of renewable energy options available for sustainable structures. This chapter
focuses on the energy subject areas that are most important to CMs and PMs and includes a
resource guide for obtaining additional information on each topic.
2.1 Energy Efficiency

One of the cornerstones of sustainability is energy efficiency. Improving energy efficiency is
one of the most constructive and cost-effective ways to address the challenges of high
energy prices, energy security and independence, and air pollution. There are many
definitions of energy efficiency, but for the purposes of this guideline, energy efficiency is
"using less energy to provide the same service.” ii
2.2 Energy Conservation

Energy conservation differs from energy efficiency. Energy conservation is managing usage,
reducing energy usage, or going without a service to save energy. iii

2.3 Energy Use Intensity
Energy use intensity (EUI) is one of the key metrics in the energy efficiency world.
Essentially, the EUI expresses a building’s energy use as a function of its size or other
characteristics. iv
As the most essential component of sustainability, CM’s should ensure that energy efficiency
and renewable energy measures, financing, incentives, and related regulatory issues are
reviewed with owners, and that all energy related measures are implemented as approved by
owners.
Most all of the decisions on energy efficiency, and renewable energy are made during the
pre-design phase and developed during the design phase. During procurement and
construction, sustainability features are monitored to assure the specified equipment
is purchased and properly installed. Commissioning should demonstrate that the systems
meet the expected goals. This activity continues into the building operations phase.
There are several pieces of legislation at the federal, state, and local levels that call for energy
use intensity standards for buildings and infrastructure. Some examples of federal legislation
for energy efficiency are as follows:
The Energy Policy Act of 1992 v established regulations requiring certain federal, state,
and alternative fuel provider fleets to build an inventory of alternative fueled vehicles
(AFVs). It was amended several times in the Energy Conservation and Reauthorization Act
of 1998 and in 2005 via the Energy Policy Act of 2005, vi which emphasized alternative
fuel use and infrastructure development.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 vii appropriated nearly $800
billion towards the creation of jobs, economic growth, tax relief, improvements in education
and healthcare, infrastructure modernization, and investments in energy independence and
renewable energy technologies and fuel tax credits. ARRA legislation was tied to mandatory
adoption of state energy codes—starting with ASHRAE 90.1—2009 with mandatory
“upgrades” every three years. ASHRAE’s goals are to target NET ZERO or energy neutral
construction by 2020.
Executive Order 13693 issued in 2015, raised the bar on energy efficiency and sustainability
measures for federal agencies yet again, including specific goals for energy use reduction and
renewable energy implementation.
A summary of energy efficiency legislation for buildings can be found at

www4.eere.energy.gov/femp/requirements/requirements_filtering/buildings_energy_use?ti
d%5B%5D=272&=Apply viii

US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy:
www4.eere.energy.gov/femp/requirements/requirements_filtering/buildings_energy_use?tid%5B%5D=272
&=Apply ix
California has its own energy efficiency standards in its Title 24, which is updated
periodically to more stringent energy standards. Copies of the most current version of Title
24: www.energy.ca.gov/title24/ x
The Federal Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy created the
ENERGY STAR program 1992 under the authority of the Clean Air Act Section 103(g).
Section103(g) of the Clean Air Act directs the Administrator to "conduct a basic engineering
research and technology program to develop, evaluate, and demonstrate non–regulatory
strategies and technologies for reducing air pollution." In 2005, Congress enacted the Energy
Policy Act. Section 131 of the Act amends Section 324 (42 USC 6294) of the Energy Policy
and Conservation Act, and "established at the Department of Energy and the Environmental
Protection Agency a voluntary program to identify and promote energy–efficient products
and buildings in order to reduce energy consumption, improve energy security, and reduce
pollution through voluntary labeling of or other forms of communication about products
and buildings that meet the highest energy efficiency standards."
For the CM, the ENERGY STAR program provides direct support in the selection of
energy efficient products in construction, as well as energy efficiency tools for construction:
• For Products: In order to earn the label, ENERGY STAR products must be
third-party certified based on testing in EPA-recognized laboratories. In addition to
up-front testing, a percentage of all ENERGY STAR products are subject to "off–
the–shelf" verification testing each year. The goal of this testing is to ensure that
changes or variations in the manufacturing process do not undermine a product's
qualification with ENERGY STAR requirements.
• For New Homes: Verification of a home's energy efficiency by a third-party

organization is mandatory for earning the ENERGY STAR label. There are two
paths to certify a home to earn the ENERGY STAR. The prescriptive path is based
on a predefined package of improvements, while the performance path is based on a
customized package of upgrades. The National Program Requirements define the
core energy efficiency specifications for both the prescriptive and performance
paths. See the National Program Requirements (PDF, 218KB) (Revision 07). xi
Both the performance and prescriptive paths require completion of four inspection
checklists:

o Thermal Enclosure System Rater checklist
o HVAC System Quality Installation Rater checklist
o HVAC System Quality Installation Contractor checklist
o Water Management System Builder checklist
These checklists include building science practices that promote improved comfort, indoor
air quality, and durability in certified homes. The inspection checklists document contains
the four checklists that every home certified under version 3 must complete.
• For Commercial Buildings: Buildings achieving a score of 75 or higher using

Portfolio Manager must be verified by a licensed professional (Professional Engineer
or Registered Architect) to be eligible to apply for the ENERGY STAR. The
licensed professional must verify that all energy use is accounted for accurately, that
the building characteristics have been properly reported (including the square footage
of the building), that the building is fully functional in accordance with industry
standards, and that each of the indoor environmental criteria has been met.
• For Industrial Plants: A Professional Engineer must certify that the information
used to calculate the plant‘s 75 or higher energy performance score is correct. In
addition, the plant must satisfy EPA environmental compliance criteria screen. xii
2.4 Building Energy Management

System/Building Management System/Building
Automation System
The terms Building Energy Management System (EMS), Building Management System
(BMS), and Building Automation System (BAS) are used interchangeably in reference to any
electrical control system that is used to control a building’s indoor and outdoor lighting,
heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
In new construction, EMS/BMS/BAS can also monitor security, fire alarms, water flow
alarms, and virtually all other electrical loads in a building, depending the desired level of
control and monitoring required by the owner, and the costs of implementation.
ISO 50001 provides guidance and specifies requirements for establishing, implementing,
maintaining, and improving an energy management system, whose purpose is to enable an

organization to follow a systematic approach in achieving continual improvement of energy
performance, including energy efficiency, energy use, and consumption.
Like other ISO management system standards, certification to ISO 50001 is possible but not
obligatory. Some organizations decide to implement the standard solely for the benefits it
provides. Others decide to to certify to show external parties they have implemented an
energy management system. ISO does not perform certifications. xiii
Utilization of an EMS/BMS/BAS enables the building operators to program and control a

sequence of operations for all controlled electrical loads to maximize efficiencies, control
operations, and to provide monitored consumption data.
Many utility companies throughout the US and some international entities have implemented
automated demand reduction (ADR) programs. These programs are intended to notify
building owners of an emergency to shed electricity loads in whatever ways they can to
prevent power requirements from exceeding power supply, such as during extreme heat
waves. The EMS/BMS/BAS play a key role in receiving the notification from the utility, and
then shedding loads in pre-programmed ways as agreed between the owner and the utility,
without significantly impacting the operation of the building.
2.5 Energy Modeling

As described earlier, energy modeling is performed as required by codes or voluntary
sustainability certification systems to develop simulation models of heating, cooling, lighting,
ventilating, and other energy flows as well as water in buildings, and the model can be
modified to achieve improvements for specific energy efficiency goals.
Energy models typically provide estimated total energy usage of the project that not only
enable the design team and the client to understand what the approximate costs will be to
operate the building’s energy requirements, but also to estimate the energy that may be offset
by on-site renewable energy systems.
Energy modeling and simulation is typically performed by the assigned mechanical engineer
reporting to the A/E team. Energy modeling is an iterative process that should begin in the
pre-design phase to help inform the design team of critical decisions of orientation, siting,
and façade construction. As design progresses, a complete energy model should require the
development of several models in the design process, and should be conducted by the A/E
team frequently enough to validate the design solution.

2.6 Energy Efficiency Assessments
Prior to the start of any major renovation or addition for a project, an energy efficiency
assessment is recommended to accomplish several key tasks including but not limited to the
following:
• Establish a baseline or benchmark of energy performance at the existing site, so that

when changes are made to the site, the incremental changes in energy use can be
documented appropriately.
• Provide an inventory, or an update to an existing inventory, of HVAC equipment
and lighting, to an appropriate level of detail.
• Develop a specific plan of action for energy efficiency improvements to those
portions of the project that may remain in place.
• Assist in determining on-site renewable energy potential to offset existing and
projected energy usage
• Determine sub-metering opportunities to measure the energy usage of loads that use
high percentages of the site’s total consumption and demand.
2.6.1 Benchmarking
Benchmarking is the process of comparing energy performance of the project to something
similar. “Something similar” might be internal, like performance at the same time last year in
a modernization project, or it might be external for a new construction project, like
performance compared to similar facilities elsewhere. In several instances, the owner will
have pre-defined benchmarks that fall into these general categories, however they may
require support from the CM to provide them with guidance in establishing appropriate
benchmarks for their specific needs.
It may be worth noting that a growing number of municipalities are enacting benchmarking
ordinances to promote improvements to energy efficiency of existing building stock. At
minimum, such ordinances serve to raise building owner awareness of the energy efficiency
or lack thereof, of their buildings in comparison with other similar buildings.
The ENERGY STAR program provides free tools to assist in establishing benchmarks:
www.energystar.gov/buildings/about-us/how-can-we-help-you/benchmark-energy-
use/benchmarking xiv

2.6.2 Sub-Metering
While sub-metering itself is not a new technology, less expensive wireless sub-meters have
enabled building owners to meter individual large pieces of equipment or categories of loads
such as lighting, chillers, fans, and pumps, providing valuable information in the
management of those loads, as well as providing data for capital investment validation.
When connected to a BAS/BMS/EMS and a dashboard, the sub-metered data can be
viewed and analyzed in real time.
Some sustainability certification systems, such as LEED’s v4, provide additional credits for
sub-metering any load or category of loads that consume more than 10% of the total site’s
electrical consumption and/or demand.
Sub-metering should be considered by the CM as a means of providing the building owner

with the key data needed to justify incrementally higher costs for more energy efficient
lighting and HVAC systems.
2.6.3 Key Performance Indicators

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the context of energy efficiency, are factors that are
considered to be critical to the ongoing energy efficiency and energy conservation of the site.
For some organizations, the EUI per square foot per open hour of operation is an example
of a KPI for energy. For others, it may be the EUI per employee or customer served. It is
important for the CM to know what KPIs are important to the owner, and to tailor the
energy efficiency equipment and systems in such a way that meet their KPI objectives, and
that can communicate operational efficiency to the owner effectively.
2.7 Lighting
For many buildings constructed around the world, lighting consumes approximately 40% of
the energy of the total site. That estimate is improving based on the development and
implementation of new lighting technologies, particularly Light Emitting Diode (LED)
lighting. As costs for LED lighting continue to drop, and energy prices continue to rise,
adoption rates of LED lights for new construction and modernizations should improve over
current implementation.
Environmental concerns surrounding materials used to manufacture fluorescent lamps, and

the progressive elimination of incandescent lamps through legislation have made lighting
selections challenging, however, CMs should be able to rely on lighting consultants and

electrical engineers for guidance in finding the right lighting solution to meet the owner’s
requirements while maintaining a high degree of energy efficiency.
2.8 Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning

Over the last several years, significant improvements in chiller technologies have made it
possible to modulate chiller operation to be more responsive to temperature changes inside
the conditioned space, while maintaining a high degree of energy efficiency. With some
specific exceptions, new chillers using water-cooled systems have greater energy efficiency
than air-cooled chillers or package units using direct expansion (DX) refrigeration systems.
Recent advances in newer DX systems now allow the compressors to run more efficiently in
partial load performance modes and allow for the use of variable speed drives and higher
efficiency motors for the supply and return fan motors, improving the energy efficiency of
the total DX system. Although DX systems may not be as efficient as most chilled water
systems, some clients prefer having multiple package units rather than one centralized chiller
system to improve redundancy and more defined zone control.
Variable speed drives, (VSDs), or variable frequency drives, (VFDs) are now commonplace
in most HVAC systems to control fans, pumps, and compressors. Each type of drive serves
to modulate the operation of the motor it serves, making it more efficient if programmed
correctly through an automation system.
2.8.1 Free Cooling or Air-Side Economizer

Most new construction incorporates the use of an air-side economizer system, bringing
outside air into a building and distributing it throughout the building. Instead of being
recirculated and cooled, the exhaust air from the servers is simply directed outside. If the
outside air is particularly cold, the economizer may mix it with the exhaust air so its
temperature and humidity fall within the desired range for the building.
The air-side economizer is integrated into a central air handling system with ducting for both
intake and exhaust; its filters reduce the amount of particulate matter, or contaminants, that
are brought into the building. Utilizing free cooling is an important part of the sequence of
operation to either delay or minimize the need for mechanical cooling from compressor or
chillers.
Existing buildings may not have air-side economizers, depending upon the age of the
building, the location, or the building type, thus may not be able use outside air as an
effective cooling method.

2.8.2 Evaporative Cooling
In low-humidity areas, evaporating water into the air provides a natural and energy-efficient
means of cooling. Evaporative coolers, also called swamp coolers, rely on this principle,
cooling outdoor air by passing it over water-saturated pads, causing the water to evaporate
into it. The cooler air is then directed into the building. Evaporative coolers cost about one-
half as much to install as central air conditioners and use about one-quarter the energy.
However, they require more frequent maintenance than refrigerated air conditioners and are
suitable only for areas with low humidity. xv
2.8.3 Geothermal or Ground Source Heat Pumps

A geothermal heat pump uses the constant below ground temperature of soil or water to
heat and cool buildings. Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs), sometimes referred to as
GeoExchange, earth-coupled, ground-source, or water-source heat pumps, have been in use
since the late 1940s. They use the constant temperature of the earth as the exchange medium
instead of the outside air temperature.
Although many parts of the country experience seasonal temperature extremes—from

scorching heat in the summer to sub-zero cold in the winter—a few feet below the earth's
surface the ground remains at a relatively constant temperature. Like a cave, this ground
temperature is warmer than the air above it during the winter and cooler than the air in the
summer. GHPs take advantage of this by exchanging heat with the earth through a ground
heat exchanger.
Even though the installation price of a geothermal system can be several times that of an air-
source system of the same heating and cooling capacity, the additional costs are recouped in
energy savings.
Some parts of the world are not hospitable to the operation of geothermal heat pumps due
to environmental factors such as high seismic activity and lack of sufficient temperature
transfer due to minimal differences between above ground and below ground temperatures.
2.9 Energy Building Terminology

The next generation of energy independent buildings includes grid-neutral, off-the-grid, and
zero energy (ZEB) buildings. More and more buildings are being constructed with the intent
of being energy independent.

2.9.1 Grid Neutral Buildings
A grid-neutral building is one that generates as much renewable energy on-site as it uses
during the course of a year. As an example, if the building is using 500,000 kilowatt hours
(kWh) annually and generates 500,000 kWh or more from an on-site solar photovoltaic or
other renewable energy system, it can be considered to be “grid-neutral.”
2.9.2 Off-the-Grid Buildings

Off-the-grid and grid-neutral are very different terms. Off-the-grid buildings normally
generate all energy on-site, not necessarily through renewable energy. They do not take
energy from the grid, except on standby service, in the event of an on-site generation failure.
Off-the-grid systems have limited application, mostly for remote areas where utility power
may be limited. Standby charges from most utilities are quite high, making these types of
systems less financially attractive.
2.9.3 Zero Energy Buildings

ZEB, also known as net zero buildings, have previously been identified as buildings with
zero net energy consumption and zero carbon emissions annually. This definition does not
include the emissions generated in construction of the building and the embodied energy of
its components.
A ZEB generates the same total amount of all energy as is used, not just electricity, but all
fuels used on-site including natural gas and propane, and includes the energy used to
transport the energy to the building. A building may be considered a ZEB if 100% of the
energy it purchases comes from renewable energy sources, even if the energy is generated
off-site.
2.10 Source Energy

Some certification systems may require identification of source energy for the energy
requirements of the project, particularly if the owner intends to pursue renewable energy
credits from off-site renewable energy sources. This process entails working with the
provider of the energy, which could be the local utility company, or an independent power
producer, to identify their energy production systems, to confirm the fuel and renewable
sources of energy produced, and the percentage of renewable energy to the total energy
production of the provider.

2.11 Alternative Fuels
There are several sources typically used to provide sustainable energy to a project, including
electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, ethanol, and bio-diesel. While
natural gas, propane, gasoline, fuel oil, and diesel might be used to provide energy to a
project, they are not considered sustainable because they are derived from fossil fuels.
Within the electricity grouping, electricity can be delivered in a number of ways, including
utility provided power, power from third-party off-site energy providers, on-site solar and
wind, and biogas from available on-site digester systems that can be used to power turbines
on site.
2.12 Building Envelope

The building envelope has always been a significant contributor to the energy efficiency of a
building. Despite the fact that the majority of attention on energy efficiency has been
focused on lighting, HVAC, and fuels, sustainability certification systems are now allocating
credits to energy efficient designs and commissioning for the building envelope, including
insulation, wall materials, roofing, windows, and doors. Advances in technology in each of
those areas such as triple pane glass, highly reflective cool roofs, and new spray on air
barriers and insulation materials, have led directly to marked improvement in energy
efficiency by improving temperatures inside conditioned space and thereby reducing the
need for cooling and heating.

2.13 Renewable Energy
In new construction and modernization projects, it is important to do the best job possible
in designing for energy efficiency first, reducing the need to install renewable energy capacity
to offset energy usage. There are several types of renewable energy that can be incorporated
into projects by the CM/PM.
2.13.1 Solar
There are three main types of solar collectors:
• Photovoltaic: Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are those most commonly used in
commercial and residential installations. Pricing for panels has been reduced
significantly since 2008, and installation costs have improved dramatically as well
with improvements in mounting hardware and installation methods. Innovations in
inverters that transform the electricity generated by the panels from direct current
(DC) to alternating current (AC) have resulted in improved cost efficiencies in both
installation and operations.
Photovoltaic panels can be mounted on rooftops, carports, and the ground. They
can be mounted on a fixed tilt system which do not adjust to the movements of the
sun or they can be mounted on single or dual axis trackers that adjust to the
movements of the sun throughout the day.
• Concentrated Solar Power (CSP): Although there are several types of CSP
collectors, most use highly reflective surfaces to collect heat that is transferred to a
fluid which powers a turbine. These systems are highly specialized and are normally
found in utility scale installations generating large numbers of megawatts. The vast
majority of these systems do not lend themselves to installation on buildings or
carports due to their size and heat generation.
• Thermal Solar Collectors: Thermal solar collector technology uses the heat
from the sun to create energy that then is used to heat water or other fluids.
Solar thermal systems differ from solar PV systems, which generate electricity rather than
heat. Some common uses of thermal solar collectors are to provide warmer water for hot
water heaters and swimming pools.
Concentrated thermal solar collectors are capable of reaching higher water temperatures that
may be designed to support absorption chillers and hot water requirements for food and
healthcare.

2.13.2 Wind
Wind turbines use available wind in a given area to turn propellers or other devices with
either a horizontal or vertical axis to turn a generator making electricity.
Few projects incorporate small wind turbines adjacent to buildings or on rooftops in urban
areas due to code restrictions and community resistance. Large-scale wind turbines are
installed in rural high wind capacity parts of the world. It is gaining worldwide popularity as a
large-scale energy source, although it still only provides less than 1% of global energy
consumption. xvi
2.13.3 Fuel Cells

A fuel cell uses the chemical energy of hydrogen, natural gas, biogas, or other fuels to cleanly
and efficiently produce electricity. If hydrogen is the fuel, electricity, water, and heat are the
only products. Because of the ability of fuel cells to run on a variety of fuels, they are
considered environmentally friendly, but renewable only when using hydrogen or biogas.
Fuel cells are used in a wide range of applications, including transportation, material
handling, stationary, portable, and emergency backup power applications. Fuel cells have
several benefits over conventional combustion-based technologies currently used in many
power plants and passenger vehicles. Fuel cells can operate at higher efficiencies than
combustion engines and can convert chemical energy in the fuel to electrical energy with up
to 60% efficiency. Fuel cells have lower emissions than combustion engines. Fuel cells are
quiet during operation as they have fewer moving parts. Fuel cells work like batteries, but
they do not run down or need recharging. They produce electricity and heat as long as fuel is
supplied. xvii
2.13.4 Micro-Turbines
Micro-turbines are a distributed generation technology used for stationary energy generation
applications. They are a type of combustion turbine that produces both heat and electricity
on a relatively small scale. These units are capable of running on biogas or natural gas, which
makes them another renewable energy option for projects.
Micro-turbines offer several advantages compared to other technologies for small-scale

power generation, including: a small number of moving parts, compact size, lightweight,
greater efficiency, lower emissions, lower electricity costs, and opportunities to utilize waste
fuels. Waste heat recovery can be used with these systems to achieve greater than 80%
efficiency.

Most micro-turbines are small in size, with relatively low capital costs, expected low
operations and maintenance costs, and automatic electronic controls. Micro-turbines offer
an efficient and clean solution to direct mechanical drive markets such as compression and
air-conditioning. xviii
2.13.5 Hydro Power

Hydro power is generated by using electricity generators to extract energy from moving
water. Today, rivers, streams, and waves from larger bodies of water are directed through
hydro generators to produce energy, although there are pros and cons for local ecosystems.
While it is unlikely that a project will have hydro power supplied directly to the site, the
owner may elect to purchase hydro power from their servicing utility in order to satisfy
renewable energy requirements of certification systems or their own sustainability goals.
Financial Considerations and Funding

2.14
Sources for both Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy
2.14.1 Return on Investment/Lifecycle Cost Analysis

While achieving energy efficiency and renewable energy objectives can satisfy owner goals
and sustainability certification requirements, savings in utility costs, offsets from energy
production, and reduced operational costs are significant drivers in adopting these measures.
As part of the design process, it is important to develop a lifecycle cost analysis for the major
energy efficiency and renewable energy components of a project.
2.14.2 Incentives, Tax Credits, Grants

Key contributors to the financial benefit of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects
are utility and other incentives, government tax credits, and available grants. Although most
public sector clients may not be able to take direct advantage of tax credits, they can access
grant funding and incentives at levels that are targeted for the public sector. The list of
incentives, tax credits, and grants is too extensive to list here. However, the following can
provide additional information and guidance: xix
• The Department of Energy’s Database of State Incentives for Renewables &

Efficiency xx (DSIRE) is the largest and most up-to-date listing of state, federal, local,

and utility incentives and policies that support renewable energy and energy
efficiency projects.
• Contacting the utility servicing the project is the best way to obtain information
regarding any utility incentives or rebates that may be available for energy efficiency
upgrades
2.14.3 Net Energy Metering Benefit

Many utilities provide a net metering benefit for both solar and other renewable energy
types. Net energy metering is a type of distributed generation that allows customers with an
eligible power generator to offset the cost of their electric usage with energy they export to
the grid. A specially programmed net meter is installed to measure the difference between
electricity the customer purchases and exports to the grid. The methods of applying credit
for exported energy vary with the program for each project type and size. 10
10 www.pge.com/en/b2b/energytransmissionstorage/newgenerator/netenergymetering/index.page

Chapter 3: Climate Adaptation and
Resilience Planning
Project decision making should always include local site conditions and climate
considerations. The CM should support the project planning process by assisting
practitioners in identifying, evaluating, selecting, and implementing design considerations
that take into account local climate conditions and that decrease project vulnerabilities to
extreme weather events. The climate resilient project attributes described in these guidelines
are designed to promote actions by the CM/PM to take into account and include methods
to adapt to climate variability and the safeguarding of people and property.
Resilience is defined in many ways. For the purposes of this guideline, resilience is the
capability of a system to recognize, anticipate, and defend against the changing shape and
timing of risk before adverse consequences occur. It is also to provide the adaptive capacity
to recover quickly and the ability to withstand major disruptions with acceptable levels of
degradation and recovery within acceptable ranges of time, cost, and risk.
• Adaptive capacity is commonly defined as the capacity of a system to adapt if

the environment where the system exists is changing.
• Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CA&R) is an emerging practice
incorporating the established components of regional climate and geological
information with risk and vulnerability assessments, mitigation planning, emergency
response, and project development for site hardening and infrastructure
reinforcement.
3.1 Planning
Planning addresses the plans needed for the prudent protection and upgrading of
infrastructure, critical facilities, systems, and functions before an event occurs to ensure
resiliency, withstand stressors to maintain functionality of operations, and support human

health, welfare, and safety. This includes many vital infrastructure assets such as energy
generation/transmission/distribution facilities, water wells, reservoirs, aquifers, aqueducts,
stormwater and sewer systems, fuel refineries/storage and gasoline pumping stations,
telecom systems, highways and roads, bridges, tunnels, railways, airports and air traffic
control, harbors and marinas, military bases, police and fire stations, and command centers.
3.1.1 Sources of Data

At the foundation of development of a resiliency approach is the collection of the regional
climate and geological information that provides historical weather, oceanic, and seismic data
for the region where the project is being constructed. This information serves as a
benchmark for future project projections. It may be necessary to extend the range of the
climatic research to a broader region, depending upon the historical climate impacts to
buildings and infrastructure.
CMs can obtain both historical and projected data for temperature change, precipitation, sea
levels, coastal land subsidence, storm surges, and seismic activity from the United States
Geological Service (USGS), Caltech, NOAA, major universities within the region, the State
Land Commissions, and State Sea Grants. All these attributes may have an impact on
potable water supplies, storm water storage and conveyance, wastewater treatment assets,
electrical, natural gas, and building and transportation assets that are critical to water
protection and conveyance.
There are several tools emerging for conducting resiliency assessments and some are publicly
established such as those developed by the Army Corps of Engineers. These tools were
developed to provide a structured approach to assess water infrastructure assets and to
conduct the risk, hazard, and vulnerability assessments for all other types of assets, buildings,
and systems under the scope of the project.
3.1.2 Assessment Team Organization

An expert team is required to conduct a CA&R assessment, to develop the implementation
plan, and to execute the implementation plan through completion of the construction
project. Typical team members should include:
• Construction Managers
• Adaptation risk analysts
• Emergency response professionals
• Facility managers

• Hazard assessment specialists
• Meteorologists
• Program managers
• Regulatory affairs specialists
• Risk managers
• Seismic experts
• Architects
• Engineers—All disciplines
• Geologists
• Hydrologists
• Environmental specialists
Internal risk assessors and insurance industry resources are also needed to conduct the risk
management assessments that will provide the key information regarding probability
projections of potential loss resulting from damage and loss of operations of systems, as well
as their short- and long-term impacts on human health and safety.
3.2 Risk Assessment Needs

Prior to the start of design development, risk assessments should be conducted to identify
vulnerabilities, potential hazards, and critical facilities.
In a vulnerability assessment, the objectives are to:
1. Estimate the likelihood that a major climate event will affect a specific site.
2. Determine how many times the site was impacted in the past with severe
consequences.
3. Assess recent improvements to the site that may provide protection from future
events.
4. Capture specific lessons learned from prior events.
5. Identify specific weak points in the site that need to be addressed prior to the next
event.

In an assessment of potential hazards, the assessment team should identify the historical
hazards of the region and the historical frequency of major events combined with an
estimate of the potential for significant change in the future. Some examples of these major
events include:
1. Hurricanes and tornadoes

2. Super-storms
3. Earthquakes
4. Brushfires
5. Floods or storm surges
6. Temperature extremes
7. Extreme rainfall or snowfall
It is important to focus on what makes that site or facility critical, as well as what will happen
if the facility is unable to operate for varying periods of time, and to identify critical
functions within facilities such as:
1. Command centers
2. Data centers
3. Telecom rooms
4. Emergency power
5. Main switchgear
3.3 Development of Climate Adaptation

Strategies
The project team can then combine the results of the historical and projected weather
information with the risk and vulnerability assessments of critical systems and facilities. This
should provide a complete picture of current conditions, points of vulnerability, points of
strength, and actions required to improve adaptive capacity of the project’s systems and
infrastructure within the scope of the proposed program. Some of the available options for
strategies include the following measures:
1. Improve protection and strength; Site hardening: This strategy improves

the adaptive capacity of the site through prudent measures such as strengthening sea

walls, improving bridge supports, and making electrical distribution systems more
resistant to water and snow impacts.
2. Improve redundancy: In those instances where there are no redundancies for
critical facilities or systems, it may be desirable for the owner to construct them to
protect against long-term outages and business disruption.
3. Relocation: If, during the risk assessment process, a particular site or system is
found to be in harm’s way on a recurring basis, it may be best to relocate the site or
system to a less vulnerable location.
4. Abandonment: Abandonment can be utilized when the site is no longer needed
or if the costs of site hardening or other strategies are too great to justify continuing
use of the site.
5. Divestiture: Similar to the abandonment strategy, divestiture refers to the sale or
exchange of the site or building to others.
6. Identification of project priorities: This strategy maximizes the use of
available funds.
7. Maintain and manage in place: This refers to the strategy of managing and
maintaining an existing site or project and taking no other actions for resilience. This
may be the best strategy in the event that the site or project is obsolete and
scheduled for abandonment, divestiture, or demolition and re-construction in the
near term.

A Project Example:
Climate Adaptation and Resilience in Water Systems
One of the key elements of resiliency in water systems is improvement in
the protection and preservation of potable water supplies from climate
risks such as droughts, storm surges, and regional flooding. It is important
to conduct an appropriate level of research and provide reports on case
studies and comparable programs, along with specific recommendations
for project development and implementation that will lead to
improvements in regional storm water management, watershed
protection, and ultimately, water quality. In addition to research and case
studies, improvements in these categories will require assessments of
alternatives to existing systems, flow patterns, and ecological impacts of
both current systems and proposed alternatives.
Recent events have demonstrated points of vulnerability in storm water

runoff systems for city streets throughout the US. One possible approach
in this area is to utilize historical and projected weather data, combined
with available data from the region on the location and capacity of storm
drains and utility corridors to determine the adaptive capacity of those
systems. This will enable the CM to make recommendations regarding
infrastructure projects such as storm drain additions, drain sizing, green
infrastructure improvements such as bio-swales, retention ponds, and
curbside natural stormwater filtration systems.
Environmental impacts to systems can be varied by time, intensity, and

source. As the population of a region continues to grow, the impact on all
aspects of water systems will continue to intensify, supporting the need
for continued conservation methods. The CM should utilize data from
water districts to identify all of the conservation approaches in current
practice, as well as those under development, or considered as innovative
approaches. The CM can then report on the estimated effectiveness of
past programs and potential effectiveness of future programs to mitigate
the impact of increasing population and the associated water needs.

Water districts are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of
wastewater treatment plants in terms of heavy energy use, but also the
potential to generate significant amounts of energy through on-site
renewable energy with digester gas that can be used for turbines, fuel
cells, and photovoltaic solar installations.
The CM may need to report on the current flow rates and waste produced
throughout the systems being utilized. This report includes identifying
potential for improvements that may lead to energy consumption
reductions, waste utilization, and increased energy production, and
identify any ecological impacts of any project recommendations.
In addition, it may be necessary to analyze the current inventory data from

all available resources to provide a comprehensive report of the numbers
and types of graywater systems currently in use, including on-site
wastewater treatment systems, in communities that are active leaders in
the implementation of innovative technologies in these areas. The CM
may be required to make recommendations intended to lead to
improvements in graywater and on-site wastewater treatment utilization,
as well as potential improvements in technology and utilization of
technologies from other parts of the world.

3.4Low Impact Development Design and
Construction
Low Impact Development (LID) is an approach to project development (or re-
development) that works with nature to manage stormwater as close to its source as
possible. LID design and construction employs principles such as preserving and recreating
natural landscape features, minimizing effective imperviousness to create functional and
appealing site drainage that treat stormwater as a resource rather than a waste product. Many
practices have been used to adhere to these principles such as bio-retention facilities, rain
gardens, vegetated rooftops, rain barrels, and permeable pavements. By implementing LID
principles and practices, water is managed in a way that reduces the impact of built areas and
promotes the natural movement of water within an ecosystem or watershed.
The utilization of LID design and construction methods should be used in any building or
infrastructure project that is targeting resiliency and improving adaptive capacity. Some
examples of LID development design and construction include:
1. Designing and constructing bio-swales and natural stormwater filtration systems.

2. Utilizing materials that are recycled or have high recyclable content.
3. Minimizing waste during construction and recycling of construction materials.

Chapter 4: Pre-Design Phase
The pre-design phase may be the first opportunity for the CM to apply the construction
management process toward meeting the objectives of a sustainable project. The pre-design
phase is the period before schematic design commences during which the project is initiated
and the program is developed. It is the planning and conceptual stage.
4.1 Sustainability Plan: Establish Owner

Sustainability Goals, Objectives, and
Requirements
The CM’s first priority is to understand the owner’s sustainability goals and objectives.
Many conceptual design and estimating iterations may be required before a project meets the
owner’s time, cost, quality, sustainability, and other performance requirements. Once these
requirements are established and approved by the owner, the team must be committed to
completing the project within those requirements.
Sustainability goals, objectives, and requirements vary greatly and can include:
• Seeking a specified rating in accordance with design guidelines such as LEED,

Envision, Green Globes, or ENERGY STAR;
• Specification of whole-building commissioning and/or envelope commissioning;
• Achievement of energy or water efficiency performance at some verifiable level
above code;
• Commitment to off-grid or net-zero energy performance;
• Adoption of a cloud based document/project management system;
• Use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) to optimize efficiency in design,
construction, and facility operation;
• Commitment to use materials and products from an environmentally preferred
purchasing database endorsed by a trusted green product certification program such as

US EPA, Green Seal, EcoLogo, Scientific Certification Systems, MBDC Cradle to
Cradle;
• Inclusion of monitoring based on on-going or recurring commissioning;
• Commitment to local workforce employment or development goals (and other
environmental justice goals).
• Adaptation and resiliency plan development and integration
Sustainability goals, objectives, and requirements are also the basis of critical follow-on
activities such as:
• Development of the owner’s Sustainability Plan:

o Part of the Construction Management Plan(s);
o Multi-disciplinary effort for team-building and communication can be
incorporated as part of LEED’s requirements for IPD;
o Objectives include articulation of goals and desired outcomes, identification
of impacts and mitigation strategies, and establishment of monitoring and
control mechanisms appropriate to the sustainability program;
o Determine how sustainability requirements will be integrated into the Quality
Management System;
o Begin outlining processes and procedures for inclusion in procedures
manuals.
• Team development:
o Include a party responsible for coordinating the cooperation and
performance of project participants towards the fulfillment of sustainability
goals and objectives;
o Specialty sub consultants or subcontractors needed to facilitate achievement
of sustainability goals and objectives.
• Staff development;
• Develop plans and procedures;
• Establish project budget and appropriate levels of contingency;
• Establish Master Schedules and work sequences;
• Procurement planning.

Project goals and objectives should be articulated clearly and unambiguously in documents
that will inform subsequent decisions and management systems throughout the course of the
project and should be used to measure the project team’s success.
4.1.1 Scope of Services

Contract documents for consultants, subconsultants, contractors, and subcontractors should
be modified to reflect:
• Sustainability goals, objectives, and requirements;

• Contract requirements for a sustainability rating or certification (LEED, Envision,
Green Globes, etc.), if applicable;
• Project sustainability performance requirements, if applicable;
• Project sustainability features or measures, as applicable;
• Project sustainability features or measures that require specific verification or
documentation;
• Documentation required to verify completion of tasks or fulfillment of measures
associated with sustainability goals and objectives; and
• Responsibility matrix for third party or independent verification for specific systems
and/or tasks.
Sustainability goals, objectives, and requirements must be incorporated into a document that
describes the sustainability program approach and preliminary sustainability scorecard.
Programming by the designer should include both documents. Time should be allotted for
developing both of these deliverables and to evaluate them as they will influence process and
budget.
Specific guidelines and codes should be referenced and included in contract documents. The
contract documents should include guidance and provisions for identifying project
expectations and participant roles and responsibilities, instituting procedures, and addressing
risk allocation on projects with sustainability requirements.

4.1.2 Design Team Selection
The owner must assemble a team of design and construction management professionals that
will define and develop the project and organize the activities of project participants.
Depending on the type and complexity of the project and its sustainability features, the
owner should be encouraged to consider design consultants with experience and distinct
responsibilities for the sustainable design and construction program, such as:
• A/E with sustainable design and construction experience in specific systems or

strategies that are being considered. Technical sub consultants with requisite
experience, including BIM experience, if required.
• Commissioning Agent (CxA) is responsible for planning and overseeing the building
commissioning process and specific commissioning activities. The criteria for a good
CxA is a balance of lead engineering design experience with extensive field
experience in installing and testing mechanical and electrical equipment and systems.
Envelope CxA agents may have expertise for curtain wall, masonry, concrete, and
roofing systems and may be a separate team member. Owners should consider
requiring the CxA to possess a recognized certification or credential. Common
approaches to structuring commissioning roles and responsibilities include:
• Independent Agent as CxA is the most common approach;
o CM as CxA
o An effective and economical approach when the CM is independent of the
contractor’s team (not “at-risk”) and has the requisite technical experience;
and
o A/E as CxA (not typical).
• Sustainable design consultant or Green Building Facilitator (GBF) to coordinate the
collaboration of project participants with respect to sustainability project
deliverables, goals, record-keeping, and verification processes. This may be the CxA,
project team member, or separate contractor.
Consultants should be selected based on general suitability and verifiable past performance
on work of a similar nature.
Responsibilities and requirements for the sustainability reviews and document preparation
should be clearly articulated in A/E, CM, CxA, and GBF contracts.

4.1.3 Commissioning Agent Qualifications
A CxA has a technical background and depth of expertise with the commissioning process
including verification techniques, functional performance testing, system equipment and
operations and maintenance (O&M) knowledge. The CxA should have significant building
commissioning experience, including technical and management expertise on projects of
similar scope, size, and type. The CxA should bring a total building commissioning
perspective to the project, be knowledgeable in national building codes, fire detection
systems, LEED, operation of building energy and water using systems, and of controls, ie
BAS systems. Building envelope commissioning is increasingly included in sustainable
projects, with the envelope seen as part of the energy systems. The CxA may also be a
qualified employee of the owner. CxA certifications are offered by the Building
Commissioning Association and others. xxi
4.1.4 Sustainable Design Guidance

Many states and municipalities have developed design guidelines with regional and local
relevance. Separate agencies in larger municipalities may have different green design
requirements. School districts tend to have developed additional unique guidance.
For example, federal government agencies have adopted high performance facility
requirements. GSA requires that all new construction projects and substantial renovations
must achieve equivalent LEED Silver certification, although GSA encourages project teams
to exceed LEED Silver and achieve LEED Gold.
The National Institute of Building Sciences maintains a National Performance Building

Design Guide. Its principle purpose is to identify a performance baseline that is
commensurate with minimum code standards, plus three higher-performance levels. It
provides a comprehensive menu for service providers, and particularly owners, to determine
what specific building performance should be targeted.
Cursory research will yield an abundance of guidance on application of sustainable design

principles for various facility types. xxii
4.2 Project Delivery Strategies

The owner’s legal counsel must adopt a suitable governing contract strategy to deliver
sustainable design and construction goals. Irrespective of the contracting method, the owner
and owner’s counsel must establish risk allocation strategies in contract documents.
Contracts should:

1. Identify responsibility for the achievement of sustainability measures;
2. Articulate liability provisions;
3. Characterize damages as consequential in order to be addressed more fully in
underlying governing contracts; and
4. Define and provide for damages that could reasonably be incurred by the owner as a
consequence of the project not achieving specified sustainability features.
4.2.1 Design-Bid-Build
Design-Bid-Build (D-B-B) is a traditional approach that involves design and production of
contract documents by an A/E, followed by competitively bidding the project to a third
party contractor. Risks to realizing the sustainability features of a project can be mitigated
through clear and complete contract and bid documents that clearly identify sustainability
features.
4.2.2 CM-at-Risk
CM-at-Risk is a delivery method in which the CM is contracted to deliver the project within
the owner’s budget, in many cases pursuant to a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP). On a
CM-at-Risk project, the CM acts on the owner’s behalf to facilitate and coordinate design,
and continues as the equivalent of a general contractor during the construction phase. To
mitigate the CM’s exposure to risks on a CM-at-Risk project with sustainability features, a
CM must have a thorough understanding of associated cost, schedule, and quality
considerations with a clearly defined certification goal if applicable.
4.2.3 Design-Build
Design-Build (D-B) is a project delivery system characterized by the owner conveying
contractual responsibility for design development, engineering, and construction to a single
entity, thereby enabling overlap of the design and construction phase, and encouraging
collaboration between the builder and the engineer. This system is promoted as a means to
mitigate project risk and reduce the delivery schedule. D-B supports achieving project
sustainability features by bringing the builder’s practical experience to bear on the planning
and design of the sustainability elements at an early stage.

4.2.4 Integrated Project Delivery
Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is an approach that seeks to align stakeholder goals and
improve collaboration. The approach can contribute to the probability of successful
sustainability features by bringing the builder’s practical experience to bear on the planning
and design of sustainability elements at an early stage. Few projects incorporate all of the
common IPD characteristics, and other project delivery methods can use some or all of
these characteristics to enhance collaboration. There are many variations but most IPD
projects have some of the following characteristics.
1. A multi-party contract signed by the owner and an architect (or A/E) and a CM (or
general contractor) instead of separate contracts for each. Other key consultants or
subcontractors may be added.
2. A management committee, with representatives from the core team participants,
including the owner.
3. Shared risks and incentives for core team members based on jointly developed goals.
4. Transparent processes and open-book financials.
5. An emphasis on collaborative decision-making.
6. Approaches to reduce litigation such as waivers or dispute resolution ladders.
7. Significant collaboration by the builder(s) in design.
8. Lean construction principles.
9. The use of collaboration software such a BIM and PMIS.
10. Co-location of project teams and open communication.
4.2.5 Energy Performance Contracting

A procurement process that is emerging as a preferred method for some energy efficiency
improvement projects, which allows clients to use future energy cost savings to pay for new
energy-efficient equipment and services. A number of states use energy performance
contracts to reduce energy consumption in state-owned buildings, typically by 15-35% in
selected facilities. Energy performance contracts typically provide for a guarantee that cost
savings will meet or exceed payments for equipment and services over the contract period.
Owners assemble an in-house team, often with the assistance of a third party energy
consultant, and conduct a preliminary assessment to determine the facilities with the greatest
potential for energy savings. Once the preliminary assessment is complete, the owner
identifies an energy service company (ESCO) with experience, and selects an ESCO through
competitive bidding and qualification processes. Once an ESCO is selected, the owner
conducts an investment-grade energy audit to identify potential energy cost saving measures.
When approved, the audit results can be used to develop a comprehensive plan of action.

The ESCO proposes this plan, including the anticipated costs, to the agency. This plan
forms the basis for performance contract (PC). Owners can negotiate with ESCOs so that
the PC clearly defines the length of the contract, the roles, and responsibilities of each party,
maintenance expectations, staff training, the method for measuring and verifying savings, a
savings guarantee, financing terms, etc. A clearly defined protocol for determining energy
cost savings is essential to an effective PC. All parties must understand how energy cost
savings will be measured and verified, especially if savings are to be shared.
4.3 Project Implementation Tools

The CM typically uses several management tools to communicate a project’s requirements to
all stakeholders and advance the project in an organized manner. Each of these tools should
be modified to clearly identify sustainability goals and objectives, sustainable project features
and measures, and roles/responsibilities.
4.3.1 Project Management Plan

The CM should assure that the Project Management Plan clearly identifies:
• Project sustainability goals, objectives, requirements, reporting requirements, and

milestones;
• Roles and responsibilities for coordination of sustainability activities designed to
yield sustainability features, deliverables, record-keeping, verification measures, etc.;
and
• Risk management strategies.
4.3.2 Sustainability Plan

A project-specific plan that enables the CM to coordinate efforts, track progress, and focus
energies on the deliverables and milestones required to satisfy project sustainability goals and
requirements. A Sustainability Plan is both a guidance document and the foundation for a
reporting system. It should be as concise as possible and identify:
• Project sustainability goals, objectives, and requirements:

• Include a preliminary sustainability checklist or scorecard;
• Roles and responsibilities for coordination of sustainability activities designed to
yield sustainability features, deliverables, record-keeping, verification measures, etc.;

• Sustainability reporting requirements and milestones; and
• Risk management strategies.
Since the requirements of sustainability on a project must be integrated into all other
management and contract documents, the Sustainability Plan should be among the first
documents produced by the project team. It should be succinct and include all measurable
requirements established by the team.
4.3.3 Integrated Team Charrettes and Workshops

One thing all green building rating systems have in common is the application of an
integrated approach to the design and construction phases of a project and the need to
include a full array of stakeholders in the design process to achieve high performance and
break-through improvements. Collaborative team meetings, workshops, or charrettes are
initially required during the pre-design phase with follow-up sessions continuing into the
construction phase. Documentation of these sessions is critical to confirming the Owners
Project Requirements (OPR) and for the development of the basis of design.
The first workshop should focus on identifying the project’s high performance goals and
evaluating the site analysis information and findings to incorporate into potential design
strategies. This should include reviewing the viability of green building rating systems and
their prerequisites including identifying any opportunities or challenges in meeting these
requirements.
• Building attributes - orientation, shape, massing, usage, occupancy type, occupancy

schedule
• Building envelope design - glazing percentage, glazing performance, external shading,
wall performance, roof performance, infiltration
• Ventilation and conditioning methods - natural/passive cooling systems, efficient
mechanical systems, mixed mode systems
• Energy management - whole building monitoring and/or sub-monitoring, building
automation systems, building performance dashboards
• Alternative energy - options solar electric, wind systems, flex energy/solar ready
• Daylighting - optimal fenestration placement (windows, light shelves, skylights), glare
control and devices for shading, daylight strategies for areas with overhangs, awning
windows, eaves, porches/lanai
• Lighting design - lighting fixtures, lighting controls, exterior lighting, recreational
field lighting
• Food service - kitchen equipment and appliances.

• Domestic hot water systems and solar hot water systems.
• Water systems - irrigation systems and controls, indoor plumbing fixtures, water
metering, flow control or pumping systems, hazardous waste treatment systems (e.g.
for lab waste), Onsite water sources (e.g. ponds, wells) and municipal supply,
rainwater capture, graywater, and wastewater systems.
• Landscaping - strategies to reduce heat gain, strategies to provide shelter from
extreme weather events, wind, or deflect unwanted noise, softscape, and hardscape
design.
• Stormwater management - on-site or off-site measures, detention or retention, LID
strategies.
• Materials - durability and performance especially for coastal schools with high
humidity, moisture and extreme weather events, low maintenance, low-emitting
materials, Environmental performance reporting.
• Acoustical performance requirements of spaces.
• Master plan and/or future expansion plan.
• Resiliency or disaster management strategies (weather, tsunami, flood, seismic, etc.).
• Lifecycle cost analysis approach.
• Establish target energy use intensity (EUI) for project.
4.3.4 Project Commissioning Plan

In the pre-design phase, the owner’s requirements are documented and established as the
foundation for design, construction, and occupancy in the form of the Commissioning Plan.
The Commissioning Plan outlines the organization, schedule, allocation of resources, and
documentation requirements of the commissioning process, which is a quality focused
process for enhancing the delivery of a project. The process focuses upon verifying and
documenting that the facility and all of its systems and assemblies are planned, designed,
installed, tested, operated, and maintained to meet the owner’s project requirements.
The Commissioning Plan establishes the framework for managing and handling
commissioning. A preliminary Commissioning Plan is essential to all commissioned projects.
It provides the structure for all project participants to anticipate and plan for commissioning
requirements and milestones. The plan is developed during the pre-design phase and is
updated at or near design completion. During the pre-design phase, the Commissioning Plan
focuses on incorporating the owner's performance requirements and integrating them into
the construction documents. Details of systems tests and procedures, assembly specific
checklists, and testing and documentation responsibilities are incorporated in Construction

Phase Commissioning Plans. Commissioning Plans typically include the following sections
or content:
• General project information;

• Overview and scope of the project commissioning;
• Commissioning protocols and communications;
• Commissioning process, including team responsibilities;
• Commissioning schedule;
• Commissioning documentation; and
• Appendices:
o Testing and inspection plans;
o Change management procedures;
o Pre-functional and functional test procedures;
o Construction checklists; and
o Issues logs.
All project stakeholders should participate in this process and become familiar with the
program. With each subsequent phase, it is the duty of the CxA to verify that the program is
being met or document how the program/scope has changed through change management
procedures, which require sign-off from all stakeholders. For a project to be LEED certified,
commissioning process activities must comply with the prerequisite requirements for
fundamental building commissioning requirements. xxiii
4.3.5 Project Procedures Manual

The Project Procedures Manual must include procedures related to sustainability.
Sustainability-specific issues must in turn be reflected in all other project procedures for all
phases of the project.
Project Procedures Manual typically addresses:
• Sustainability review;
• Configuration or change management;
• Commissioning requirements in all phases;
• C&D waste management requirements

• Indoor Air quality controls;
• Sustainable project document control; and
• BIM procedures, all phases, all parties.
4.3.6 Building Information Modeling

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is the process of generating and managing building
data during its lifecycle that leverages three-dimensional, real-time, dynamic building
modeling software to increase productivity in building design and construction. BIM is
enabled by modeling software that incorporates building geometry, spatial relationships,
geographic information, and the quantities and properties of building components. Utilizing
BIM has the potential to save project time and cost on a sustainable project because
calculations and trade-off analysis are enabled earlier in the process, facilitating earlier design
decisions, and improving collaboration and coordination.
The same features can minimize rework and construction errors. BIM’s data entry into one
model helps manage inconsistency and error due to manual and multiple input. Once
entered or altered, data becomes available in the single current model to all project
participants. BIM can be used to “rehearse” construction processes, including project
sustainability features, and help identify conflicts and their resolution before actual
construction dollars are spent. BIM can also assist in the generation of the data needed to
document project sustainability certification(s).
A decision as to the extent and process of BIM use is critical as soon as possible is the
project so that procedures for BIM use may be communicated to all parties and incorporated
in contractual documents.
4.3.7 Management Information System

The management information system (MIS) should enable secure and the efficient capture
and output of project data required for reporting and forecasting and should meet the data
management and reporting requirements of a project with sustainability goals and objectives
that may require discrete reporting. The preference on many projects is to use a cloud based
document management database to facilitate the transfer of information between team
members. This also can serve as a useful tool for the owner after the construction process is
completed and the operations phase begins.

The reliability and accuracy of data capture, storage, and reporting functions of the MIS are
critical on projects implemented by ESCOs or other parties with carbon footprint or GHG
reduction targets that are integral to financing mechanisms.
Project personnel with knowledge of sustainability and commissioning reporting

requirements should be consulted as early as possible on formats, data management
requirements, distribution and frequency of reports, and policies for records retention.
If BIM is to be used on the project, development, modification and management procedures

should be clearly articulated in a separate document and incorporated in all other project
management procedures. BIM interface with data management and reporting systems should
be anticipated. 11
4.3.8 Pre-Design Project Conference

The CM should plan, conduct, and document a pre-design project conference to establish a
clear understanding of the roles, responsibilities goals and process requirements, of project
participants as articulated in the project management plans and procedures. Sustainability
goals and objectives should be clearly articulated as a mission-critical aspect of the project.
Risks and risk mitigation strategies for project sustainability should be conveyed to
participants. The pre-design conference agenda should explicitly include:
• Project description and scope definition;

• Project cost, schedule, quality and sustainability targets;
• Control;
• Decision-making authorities;
• Roles and responsibilities of project participants;
• Management reporting and roles; and
• Meeting frequencies and deliverables.
11 NIBS Facilities Information Council National BIM Standard

Chapter 5: Design Phase
The goal of design phase is to turn the owner’s desires and the design team’s proposed
solutions into a detailed set of specifications and drawings. The outcome of the design phase
is a set of documents that describes the project in terms of all requisite parameters, which
can be issued for construction or for bid to a third-party contracting community.
Sustainability goals and objectives are thoroughly subsumed in the design process and
specified as any other program requirement by way of drawings, details, instructions to the
contractor, specifications, and references.
As design proceeds from schematic to final, the team must repeatedly consider lifecycle cost
vs. benefit with respect to the desired or mandated sustainability goals or requirements. The
earlier in the design process that a decision regarding the acceptable first costs of
sustainability features can be made, the more cost effective the design process will be. First
costs of sustainability and lifecycle benefits are optimized through periodic trade-off analysis,
lifecycle and sustainability reviews, value engineering, and alternatives analysis and energy
performance modeling.
5.1 Design to Principle

Many advocates and practitioners of sustainable development and design acknowledge that
not all impacts can be monetized and thus readily considered in a traditional cost-benefit
analysis. These are known as negative externalities. The atmosphere is considered a global
commons into which individuals and firms release GHG, compensation for which cannot
easily be secured through usage fees or taxes. The consequences of unregulated emissions
are borne by all irrespective of their contribution to GHG levels.
Few controls exist for carbon dioxide (CO2), the major greenhouse gas, which has no short-
term damaging effects at ground level. Atmospheric accumulations of CO2 and other GHGs
will have significant effects on global climates and climate cycles, with great uncertainty as to
impact, probable scale, onset, and attenuation.

The monetary value of negative externalities and their preponderance on projects with
sustainability objectives in today’s markets requires that project participants take care to look
beyond traditional cost-benefit equations to assure that broader sustainability goals are met
in accordance with principles and not necessarily on traditional return on investment
calculations.
5.2 Design Benchmarks

In order to meet the owner’s goals, matching goals to a practice or benchmarking system can
provide guidance in design and construction. It provides a path to the desired outcome that
is well defined and often provides measurement and verification of the degree to which the
goals have been met.
The availability of these practices and benchmarking systems is ever increasing in number
and depth. Where one might quickly consider LEED or Green Globes, the CM should not
neglect to stay current on other sustainable practices. Not every project is a building project.
5.3 Sustainability Rating Systems

Because there are as many green building rating systems as there are types of buildings, the
first step must always be to best match the building project type with the appropriate rating
system. Examples include:
• LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

• Green Globes
• Envision Sustainable Infrastructure
• CHPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools)
• Living Building Challenge
• Well Building Standard
• SITES
Some of these rating systems require registration early in the design process by the party
designated as the project administrator. This could be the CM, A/E, GBF, or CxA.
Responsibility for these tasks should be identified in contract documents and project
management plans. Most rating systems allow project teams to submit design phase

prerequisites and credits separate from the construction phase to determine a preliminary
standing. Upon receipt of the preliminary rating system review document noting the credit
achievement anticipated, the project team will have several days to provide corrections and
additional supporting documents as a supplementary submittal to the application.
5.4 Design Management and Administration

The various phases of design should be defined by the A/E contract. During each of the
following phases, the A/E is responsible for developing deliverables and documents that
reflect the work product of their professional service:
• Conceptual;
• Schematic;
• Design development;
• Construction documents; and
• Support during construction.
The project team should take specific care to review the status of sustainability goals,
objectives, and requirements along with all other project parameters (cost, schedule, quality).
Those parties not directly involved in design development but having a potential significant
contribution to project sustainability goals should be made aware of all progress on the
project and requested to furnish their input. This is especially important as the project nears
the 90% completion of the design phase and bid phase. Any input from the CxA, O&M
forces, facility users, and others may need to be coordinated by the design team prior to the
issuance of bid documents. In some situations, the CM and, possibly the owner, may request
that certain associated parties to the contract sign-off on progress documents and the final
submission of the design to limit any chance that full coordination has not been
accomplished. Involvement of the party designated as the GBF is essential.
The CM should include sustainability in the detailed checklists that confirm or verify the
achievement of design goals in plans, specifications, and estimates at each stage of design
completion.

5.4.1 Owner Authorization and Approvals
Procedures to secure the authorization and approval of the owner to maintain progress and
proceed with the project must consider sustainability. This is a non-trivial matter, as tension
may exist between sustainability goals and cost and schedule parameters or other
performance objectives. Explicit review of the impact of scope schedule or budget changes
or adjustments on sustainability objectives—and vice versa—should be clearly identified,
and triggers established to bring any conflict to the appropriate authority for resolution.
5.4.2 Quality Management System

Quality control is achieved through a system of detailed checks and reviews between
members of the design team. These are used to verify the performance of requisite activities
such as confirmation of viability of the design and design assumptions, check of calculations,
and coordination across disciplines. The quality control system should include measures for
verification and validation of tasks that protect and maintain a project’s sustainability
requirements. Quality Assurance activities confirm that quality control activities are carried
out that protect and maintain the integrity of a project’s sustainability requirements.
5.4.3 Changes in Design Scope or Criteria

The design of the project is an evolutionary process. During the course of the project,
change is inevitable. The CM must monitor the changes and advise the owner of any
associated cost and time impacts. Notification by the designer together with the review of
the progress documents will identify variances with the previously agreed-upon design
criteria. The variances can have a positive or negative cost or schedule impact on the project.
The status of project sustainability performance and commitments must be evaluated as part
of the variance review process.
The cost of the project must be carefully tracked and monitored for every change. When
sustainability is an explicit element of the project, the CM should first assure that appropriate
requirements are included in the design documents, and subsequently, that impacts of
changes on sustainable project features are duly identified and mitigated. Vigilance is
particularly critical to identify the impact of a change on a project’s LEED credit profile,
Green Globes score, or the integrity of any other sustainable design rating system.
When sustainability objectives are jeopardized by a change in scope or design criteria, the
design team must be alerted and allowed sufficient time to mitigate or adjust in response to
the owner’s priorities for the project. All design criteria changes and their impacts must be
communicated to the project team.

5.4.4 Document Control
The CM is the clearinghouse for all project communications. The document control and
MIS systems should beformulated, from the beginning, to identify elements critical to the
project’s sustainability program. This is particularly critical on a project with LEED or other
green building rating system documentation requirements.
5.4.5 Contract Documents

Contract documents should clearly define the elements of the work designed to yield
sustainability features of the project. Ideally, specific sustainability parameters should be
written into the contract documents. Required documentation, monitoring, independent
agents, and other requirements should all be clearly defined and written into the contract
documents.
Standard formatting from the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) is used throughout
the construction industry to format construction specifications in building contracts. The
format facilitates location of specific types of information. CSI’s MasterFormat2014 is
organized into 50 divisions, each of which contains a number of sections. Sections are
divided into three parts general, products, and execution. Each part is organized by a
standardized system of articles and paragraphs. Green building specifications can be easily
incorporated into CSI MasterFormat2014 by:
• Adding a section on environmental procedures to division 1 that states the project’s

environmental goals, including other environmental specifications, such as general
requirements for recycled content levels and a Construction and Demolition (C&D)
Waste Management Plan.
• This section can also include a statement that requires contractors to establish a
C&D Waste Management Plan at the pre-construction conference.
• Including technical specifications in divisions 2 through 50 providing for high
performance building materials, including material types and installation methods.
• Including language that specifies that work is performed in a manner consistent with
the environmental goals of the project. The incorporation of a green material alone
may not contribute to greening the project if it does not function as intended due to
improper installation or if it becomes contaminated as the result of careless handling.
• Explicitly articulating contractual sustainability requirements and differentiating these
from sustainability goals.

If verification and documentation activities are required to achieve a specified sustainable
facility rating, this should be clearly identified in contract documents. For instance, intent for
a project to be LEED certified with the USGBC should be formally noted as such within the
bid documents. If the owner and designer choose NOT to have the project formally
registered with the USGBC, but intend for it to be a LEED equivalent project, this too must
be defined within the bid documents. BIM requirements should also be clearly identified.
5.4.6 Permits
The CM should assure that a list of project required permits for the project is developed.
The list must include applicable federal, state and local permits and indicate the responsibility
for obtaining the permits. The list should include a submittal schedule for LEED, Green
Globes or another sustainable design or rating system, where applicable.
5.5 Design Reviews

The CM should periodically review the design documents, focusing on the need for clarity,
consistency, and coordination among the contractor(s). Pursuant to the CM’s contract, the
CM should participate in a sustainability review of the documents to review that
sustainability goals, objectives, and requirements are being addressed, evaluate the
reasonableness of constraints placed on the contractor, and verify that the documents are
sufficiently clear on these points.
5.5.1 Sustainability Reviews

The sustainability checklist or scorecard should be reviewed and updated as documents
progress to reflect specific measures and features of the project. The checklist should be
reviewed following every design review and prior to sign-off of every design phase to verify
inclusion of sustainability measures, or compliance with sustainability requirements. This
process in itself generally has little effect on the schedule, but the result of this review and
update may be cause for the team to revisit objectives and approaches to the sustainable
program which may impact the schedule.
The CM should periodically determine if relevant and appropriate criteria are well defined in
the construction documents. When the project is expected to meet specific sustainability
thresholds or rating levels, the CM should also verify that the construction documents
accurately identify the certification and necessary documentation, and indicate the party or
parties responsible for associated activities. The A/E contract should specify periodic

sustainability reviews during design, so that sustainability objectives and requirements are
incorporated.
5.5.2 Constructibility Review

The CM is often required to review design documents for constructibility or reasonableness
and efficiency in construction with the objective of maximizing the ease and efficiency of the
construction process. The review of the design, bid, and contract documents for
constructibility should also include specific elements of the sustainability program for the
most cost efficient installation and availability of materials.
5.6 Cost Control

During the design process the CM develops and maintains cost control procedures to
monitor and control project expenditures, both current and projected, within the allocated
budget. Sustainable projects statistically have relatively elevated capital—or first—costs,
often offset by lower lifecycle costs. In order to properly assess the costs of a project with
specifically identified sustainability goals, objectives, and requirements, several analyses may
be required to align goals and requirements with budgets and schedules.
5.6.1 Alternative Studies

Alternative analysis is a standard practice used to identify alternative means to achieve
specified project objectives. Alternative analysis is more effective and efficient when
undertaken early in a project lifecycle.
A project may be found to have competing strategies to achieve sustainability objectives.

Multi-criteria analysis (MCA) is a valuable and increasingly widely-used tool to aid decision-
making where there are competing options, and particularly useful as a tool for sustainability
assessments where a complex and inter-connected range of environmental, social, and
economic issues must be taken into consideration and where objectives are competing,
making trade-offs unavoidable. MCA can be applied at all levels of decision-making, from
the consideration of project alternatives to broad-reaching policy decisions guiding a
transition toward sustainability and the green economy.
MCA and similar complex alternatives analyses may require facilitation by an experienced
consultant. This need should be identified early and anticipated by the budget and design
process.

5.6.2 Lifecycle Analysis
The goal of lifecycle analysis (LCA) is to compare environmental and social damages
assignable to products and services so as to choose the least burdensome options. Lifecycle
refers to the notion that a fair, holistic assessment requires the assessment of raw material
production, manufacture, distribution, use, and disposal including all intervening
transportation steps necessary or caused by the product’s existence. The sum of these steps
is the lifecycle of the product. The concept can be used to optimize the environmental
performance of a single product or an entire project. LCA is carried out in four distinct
phases:
• Establishment of goals and scope;

• Lifecycle inventory;
• Lifecycle impact assessment; and
• Interpretation.
Like alternative analysis for sustainability projects, LCA may require an experienced
facilitator, who must be identified early in order to anticipate budget requirements and retain
a reliable service provider capable of providing input in a timely fashion. xxiv
5.6.3 Energy Modeling

Energy modeling is the virtual or computerized simulation of a building or complex that
focuses on energy consumption, utility bills, and the lifecycle costs of various energy related
items such as heating, cooling, lighting, ventilating, and hot water systems. It is also used to
evaluate the payback of green energy solutions like solar panels, photovoltaics, wind
turbines, and other high efficiency appliances. LEED requires energy modeling if the project
is to attain any of the 10 points possible under the energy & atmosphere credit for
optimizing energy performance.
The US Department of Energy offers a number of programs free of charge and there are
several software programs available for a fee.
Responsibility for energy modeling and simulation should be assigned to the A/E. Energy
analyses should be conducted by the A/E team frequently enough to validate the design
solution.
Responsibility for realizing energy performance results differs depending on the contracting
strategy and must be addressed in the projects contractual instruments.

5.6.4 Risk Assessment
The cost, schedule, technical feasibility, and other risks on a project with sustainability goals,
objectives, and requirements may be heightened by uncertainties related to the experience of
the design and construction team, performance of a unique design solution, equipment, or
means and methods.
Risk management seeks to minimize uncertainty regarding future events. Risk assessment is a
tool to predict the likelihood of future events and the effects of these future events. Risk
mitigation manages risk proactively based on the outcome of the risk assessment. In using
risk assessment and mitigation techniques, the project team should take care to assure
sustainability features and goals are protected and conserved as critical project elements to
be protected and conserved throughout the design and construction process.
5.6.5 Value Engineering, Value Analysis, Alternatives

Value engineering (VE) is a systematic method designed to improve the value of a project
through examination of cost saving proposals or functional improvements that increase the
ratio of function to cost. A primary tenet of value engineering is that basic functions of a
project must be preserved—not reduced—as a consequence of value engineering. A key
responsibility of the CM is to assure that the sustainability features of a project are not
sacrificed during the course of VE efforts in design or construction.
Sustainable development, design, and construction processes by definition seek to reverse

the trend that focuses on facility first costs and undervalues or excludes consideration of the
operational costs of a facility, which in terms of energy, can involve significant investment.
Defining the project budget for the purpose of the VE exercise involves identifying the cost
of the facility over its entire lifecycle, including first costs, costs of replacements and
alterations, and operations and maintenance, which in most cases is by far the most costly
stage of a facility’s useful life. VE is thus well-suited as a tool to assist in achieving
sustainability objectives.
The risk of VE to sustainability arises when there are real or perceived additional costs
associated with sustainability features that are not clearly identified as functional
requirements. Clearly articulated energy efficiency goals are effective insurance against VE
exercises that eliminate sustainability features.
Not all sustainable concepts yield the best results at the lowest costs. This is very evident in
the USGBC LEED process where the capturing of many points adds none or very little cost
to the project while others will generate a major premium cost to secure. Trade-off studies
are a traditional part of value engineering and time must be allotted in the schedule to study
the sustainable approach in terms of good value of costs and effectiveness while meeting

sustainability goals. It is especially important to undertake this effort at the schematic design
stage, when it is most appropriate to adjust the scope of the project with the least impact to
the schedule.
5.6.6 Project Estimates

The responsibility for the preparation and maintenance of the project cost estimates should
belong to the CM. Projects with sustainability requirements may involve technologies with
limited pricing and installation information. Due care should be afforded to develop
adequate contingencies in these cases.
5.7 Commissioning
During design, the owner’s project sustainability requirements are translated into
construction documents. Design phase commissioning objectives include verifying that the
owner’s sustainability requirements are captured in the design documents that articulate the
design intent and scope. This should assure that that design processes are leveraged to
include commissioning requirements in construction documents, identifying training and
acceptance requirements, and the performance of a commissioning-focused design review.
Contractor responsibilities for commissioning are defined in the commissioning

specifications that must be coordinated with other commissioning team members when
planning the commissioning process. The CxA assumes the lead role with the design team in
developing the commissioning specification. The CxA details the roles and responsibilities of
the contractors in the commissioning process throughout the project. A draft set of system
readiness checklists and verification test procedures should be included in the
commissioning specification to communicate to the bidding contractor the sustainability
requirements to be verified and the level of rigor that is expected during the testing phase of
commissioning.
5.8Sustainability Certification System

Measurement
During the design phase, the CM’s responsibility is to identify and expedite the submittal of
the documentation necessary and/or required by the contract. Green building rating systems
often allow for an initial submittal at the end of the design phase based on design-related

prerequisites and optional credits. This ‘split-review’ process is often utilized, when schedule
permits, to allow project teams to receive an early indication of their rating system goals.
The design phase application is normally submitted by the party designated as the agent for
the project. This could be the CM, A/E, the GBF, or CxA. Responsibility for these tasks
should be identified in contract documents and project management plans.
Upon receipt of the preliminary review document from the certifying agency noting the
status of credits achieved, anticipated, pending, and/or denied, the project team will have a
limited period of time to provide corrections and additional supporting documents as a
supplementary submittal for the application for credits.

Chapter 6: Procurement Phase
The goal of the procurement phase is to conduct the procurement process in a manner that
will comply with sustainability goals, objectives, and requirements, and secure service
providers and suppliers capable of satisfying the contract documents, and result in the
successful and timely award of contracts for construction.
Sustainability in the procurement phase will have limited effect on the schedule, though an
added layer of complexity in the contract documents may result in a larger number of bid
questions, which may lead to larger or additional addenda. The design and CM team
experiences in resolving bid issues related to sustainable work scopes should be factored in
bidding, bid evaluation, and award durations.
The procurement phase is an opportunity for the CM to collaborate with multidisciplinary

trades and professions depending on the project delivery method. The planning of this phase
can allow the CM to combine the efforts of the design and construction teams to deliver the
sustainable project with not only the desired end results, but also sustain it throughout the
project’s lifecycle.
6.1 Procurement Planning

Sustainability is identified in the Project or Construction Management Plan. Sustainability
goals, objectives, and requirements are incorporated by design into the contract documents
as design evolves. The CM should assure that the Master Schedule assures adequate time for
procurement provisions and market conditions related to sustainability, specifically for
advertisement, bid, and award, together with any special approvals needed during the award
cycle.
The procurement planning phase should also take into account the project delivery method
chosen, which may be as follows:
• Design-Bid-Build allows the owner and CM to consider not only the initial cost
of the project during the design phase, but it also provides the opportunity to analyze
the impact of return on investment of the energy efficiency or sustainable building

systems to be implemented. The various aspects of measurable performance may
hold the designer and contractor accountable after occupancy of the project for the
duration of the contract if performance measures are specified.
• Design-Build (sometimes referred to as “turnkey”) allows the CM to control the
tradeoffs of the sustainable project between the design-build entity and the owner’s
expectations. The CM may regulate and determine the compatibility of sustainable
building systems to meet the specific immediate and long-term programmatic and
budgetary requirements. The CM must be cognizant of the specific systems that
must be balanced with the overall sustainability criteria of the project.
• Integrated Project Delivery team allows the CM to represent the owner by
facilitating the sustainable goals through the synergy of common purpose. The IPD
method is the project delivery method that not only enhances the commitment of
the sustainable goals of the team but also requires collaboration of all stakeholders
on meeting those goals. The IPD team may be dependent on the leadership of the
CM to further assure a means of surpassing the owner’s expected goals. The CM
must be adept in implementing standards and rating systems to recommend the
means of exceeding baseline sustainable criteria or rating systems, if warranted.
6.1.1 Advertisement and Solicitation of Bids

The requirements for project sustainability features and measures such as LEED or Green
Globes performance rating and energy efficiency requirements must be clearly presented in
the advertisement and solicitation for bids. Language might include:
• Design Services: Provide evidence of experience in sustainability design practices.

Identify experience in using an integrated design approach, lifecycle assessment,
lifecycle cost analysis, and other practices used by your firm in meeting sustainable
design goals. Identify participating team members with appropriate experience on a
project with similar sustainability measures. Provide evidence of credentials in
applying a rating system such as LEED or Green Globes.
• Construction: Provide evidence of experience in implementing and documenting
sustainability during construction, using the criteria required for the project. Identify
applicable experience in implementing the following types of sustainability measures:
C&D waste management, on-site recycling programs, use of sustainable materials
with high recycle content, use of low-emitting materials, use of air monitoring,
efficient use of equipment and utilities during construction, commissioning, and
documentation of sustainability features.
• Identify the participating construction site team members responsible for and their
experience with sustainability implementation. Demonstrate an understanding of the

integrated nature of the design relative to sustainability. Provide evidence of
experience with the process of evaluating the impact of changes on cost and the
building’s intended operation. Show that proposed team members have a thorough
understanding of the concept of lifecycle analysis. Provide evidence of personnel and
craft training in sustainability and/or LEED implementation including
documentation.
The CM should participate in all pre-bid meetings, site visits, and addenda preparation to
clarify features of the project that are associated with sustainability goals, objectives, and
requirements.
6.1.2 Select Bidders List

Many owners, if permitted by applicable bidding laws and regulations, may identify and pre-
qualify bidders they believe are qualified to pursue work in their market. The CM should
assist the owner in managing any prequalification steps or establishing appropriate standards
prior to advertisement for bids. The CM should verify by reference checks that the pre-
qualified bidders have a record of accomplishment of practicing sustainability and/or have
experience implementing projects with sustainability requirements.
6.1.3 Instructions to Bidders

The Instructions to Bidders section of a solicitation should be comprehensive and include
clear, concise information to complement the advertisement or solicitation statement. The
CM should review instructions to bidders so that sustainability requirements are reasonably
reflected by the document. Instructions should advise the bidders of the procedures and
requirements for submitting an acceptable proposal for the owner's review. Language might
include:
• Design Services: Demonstrated experience in sustainable design practices is

mandatory. Identify experience in using an integrated design approach, lifecycle cost
analysis, and other practices used by your firm in meeting sustainable design goals.
Identify participating team members with appropriate experience.
• Construction: Demonstrated experience in sustainable project construction practices
is mandatory. Identify experience in implementing the construction of projects with
sustainable design requirements. Identify participating construction team members
with appropriate experience.

6.1.4 Pre-Bid Conference
A pre-bid conference should be held involving all design or construction team members and
contractors being solicited by an owner. In addition to pertinent scope of work, schedule
information, and important contract terms, the CM/PM should outline the sustainability
certification and experience requirements for the project.
6.1.5Proposal Document Protocol and Proposal/Bid

Opening
The CM and owners team should review each proposal/bid to determine which has
appropriate sustainability experience. The proposer/bidder is ranked and the sustainability
ranking score is considered when completing the overall selection.
6.2 Contract Award

The owner or CM should formally notify the successful bidder by letter that they have been
identified as the selected contractor and the most responsive bidder for the contract. The
award letter may or may not have a formal Notice to Proceed (NTP) direction to the
contractor. Some owners provide a separate NTP letter to the contractor, which will
formally define the start of the project.
6.3 Pre-Construction Conference/Scope

Review Meeting
The owner and CM should conduct a pre-construction conference with the successful
bidder to review and discuss the terms, conditions, costs, and scope of work including
sustainability requirements of the contract. It should be structured to assure all parties have
clear understanding of the contract and scope of sustainable design and implementation
during the construction phase of the project.

Chapter 7: Construction Phase
The goal of the construction phase is to complete construction in accordance with the
requirements of the contract documents, applicable codes and regulations, and the
sustainability goals, objectives, and requirements embedded in the contract documents.
7.1 Construction Management Plan

The Project/Construction Management Plan should include the project team members and
roles and responsibilities for tasks specifically associated with the following five best
practices for implementing project sustainability requirements:
7.1.1 Contractor QA/QC

The contractor achieves construction quality by utilizing the specified materials to build the
specified project, using competent craft persons to install the materials, and implementing a
formal construction quality control program. The program should be a written document,
termed the QC program, which includes procedures (or instructions) and controls that
adequately address the type of work required by the contract documents. A project’s
sustainability requirements are embedded in the contract documents. The QC program
articulates the procedures and controls for achieving quality implementation of the features
that render project elements sustainable.
If the contractor is required to provide inspection and testing services, the contractor should
include a list of testing consultants (with appropriate level of experience working on projects
involving sustainability) in the QC program, along with credentials and certifications for
each.

7.1.2 Best Practices
The CMP should consider these recommended elements when implementing sustainability
requirements. 12
• Minimize Total Energy Use and Maximizes Use of Renewable Energy.

o Minimize energy consumption (e.g. use energy efficient equipment).
• Minimize Air Pollutants and Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
o Minimize the generation of greenhouse gases.
o Minimize generation and transport of airborne contaminants and dust.
o Use heavy equipment efficiently (e.g. diesel emission reduction plans).
o Maximize use of machinery equipped with advanced emission controls.
o Use cleaner fuels to power machinery and auxiliary equipment.
• Minimize Water Use and Impacts to Water Resources.
o Minimize water use and depletion of natural water resources.
o Capture, reclaim, and store water for reuse.
o Minimize water demand for revegetation (e.g. native species).
o Employ best management practices for stormwater.
• Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Material and Waste.
o Minimize consumption of virgin materials.
o Minimize waste generation.
o Use recycled products and local materials.
o Beneficially reuse waste materials.
o Segregate and reuse or recycle materials, products, and infrastructure (e.g.
soil, construction and demolition debris, buildings).
• Protect Land and Ecosystems.
o Minimize areas requiring activity or use limitations (e.g., destroy or remove
contaminant sources).
o Minimize unnecessary soil and habitat disturbance or destruction.
o Minimize noise and lighting disturbance.
12 For more details on the 5 goals, see ASTM Greener Cleanup Guide E2893-13

7.1.3 Project Procedures
The Project Procedures Manual should, as appropriate, include contractor work plans and
submittal requirements related to the five sustainability goals, objectives, and requirements of
the project listed above.
7.2 Pre-Construction Conference

The pre-construction conference should include a detailed discussion of the project’s
sustainability goals, objectives, and requirements, particularly if sustainability certification
targets are anticipated. The project team or designated lead contractor should be asked to
present a plan designed to achieve these objectives, and an overview of sustainable
construction practices that will be employed.
As a part of the pre-construction conference the CM should:
• Review roles and responsibilities during the construction phase of each project team
member (A/E, CM, contractor, owner, and others if applicable) should be
designated as responsible to meet sustainability certification/green cleanup effort and
compliance.
• Identify documentation submittal requirements such as:
o Contractor Sustainability Plans;
o Material and equipment submittal requirements for sustainablilty;
documentation;
o MOntly or other reporting requirements;
o Waste manifest detail;
o Local suppliers detail; and
o Recycled material detail.
• Identify required sustainable practices on site, such as:
o Deconstruction vs. demolition;
o Waste Management Plan;
o Material reuse;
o No idling;
o Noise mitigation;
o Minimal waste;
o No smoking; and

o Office (minimize paper usage—electronic media, double sided printing
where necessary; maximize power usage efficiencies, etc.
The CM must be aware of various elements in the project requiring special operations
control including sustainability elements particularly if the project seeking sustainability
certifications or green cleanup standards. These elements may be related to heavy
construction field activities as well as those associated with manufacturing facilities,
treatment plants, operations control centers, and other facilities dealing with instrumentation
and control systems or other systems as required by the contract. To provide for an
acceptable level of quality in the project for these facilities, the CM should review the
specification requirements for the work with the contractor to confirm that the contractor
and its suppliers are focused on quality and the specific requirements as noted by the
contract. Attention should be paid to the impact on the environment and any sustainable
requirements. They should recognize the need to install these elements in the completed
project in a manner that allows them to be utilized for their intended purpose.
7.3 Construction Planning and Scheduling

The contractor must submit a realistic work plan and CPM schedule that conforms to
contract requirements. The schedule duration must include sufficient time to produce quality
work and include time for submission, approval, procurement, testing, commissioning,
inspection, and verification. The CM should also coordinate with the owner and designer to
make them aware of their responsibilities in supporting the project schedule.
The schedule submitted by the contractor should include activities related to sustainability
and should anticipate additional material lead time requirements or extended construction
durations. For example, adaptive reuse of building and components and reusing existing
materials will add a level of complexity to construction. Securing products from a regional
source may place limitations on material sourcing that can impact the schedule as certain
sustainable products may prove to have a longer lead period for acquisition and longer
installation periods than more familiar products.
While equipment start-up is technically part of commissioning, it can often occur well before
project completion and must be coordinated with the design engineering and commissioning
team. Enhanced commissioning and other quality focused programs may also call for other
interim inspections, testing, and documentation submittals that must be coordinated with the
construction schedule.

While start-up is generally a milestone or a short duration activity, commissioning periods
should be ample to allow for a complete battery of testing, training, and documentation
before occupancy. The program task of commissioning for each major component should
appear both on the construction schedule and the Master Schedule to remind all that it is an
important and time sensitive part of the development process. The Commissioning Agent
should review and provide insight into duration and logic of these activities. Too often,
projects are scheduled for occupancy at substantial completion without adequate
consideration for commissioning, when pre-planning for commissioning would have yielded
a better product at occupancy.
If one of the goals of the project was to achieve a certain level of 3rd party verification
sustainability, the schedule should include an activity with a duration reflecting the time
needed between final assembly of documentation and receipt of the decision from the
certifying entity. This could take several months or even a year. The owner should be made
aware of this timeframe in order to align expectations with reality. Active management of the
effort is the key to minimizing its duration.
7.4Construction Management and

Administration
7.4.1 Sustainability Checklist

The sustainability checklist or scorecard, which was included in contract documents, should
be actively leveraged by the project team and CM to monitor status and progress of work
elements that are integral to project sustainability objectives.
7.4.2 Changes in Work

Change management procedures should clearly identify a rigorous scope review process and
approval authorities that avoids changes in construction that compromise sustainability
goals, objectives, and requirements. This can be accomplished through a change review
board, panel, or process that includes the A/E and CM in a review capacity.
The contract documents set forth specific requirements to document and obtain approval by
the owner of any changes in the work. The contractor’s QA/QC program should outline
procedures that staff must follow when changes occur. The CM is routinely charged with the
responsibility to evaluate any changes, deletions, or additions to the work under the contract
as to its effect on construction time, cost, quality, and sustainability.

The CM, review board, or GBF should confirm what impact any proposed change orders on
the project have on the targeted sustainability goals, objectives, and requirements,
particularly for projects targeting sustainability certification. Any impact should be
communicated in writing to the project team with the objective of soliciting alternative
solutions that don’t negatively impact the targeting sustainability measures, keeping in mind
the project budget and schedule. All executed change orders and backup documentation that
affect the targeted sustainability measures level should be compiled by the CM or GBF
throughout the project for submission to the appropriate authorities.
7.4.3 Document Control and Distribution

Procedures for document routing and management should be clearly identified in the
Construction Management Plan to alert all parties to project status, progress, and
requirements.
When the contractor performs work without using the current applicable design, the
contractor is at risk for the work not being accepted. The CM should review or audit the
contract document control section of the contractor’s QA/QC manual to determine if the
program is in conformance. The audit should include a check of document holders at the
construction site to determine that they have, and are using the latest drawings,
specifications, and other appropriate information.
Documentation requirements for 3rd party verification may likewise be strict, which makes
proper documentation control and distribution important. The parties responsible for
sustainability certification, along with key designated team members, must receive all current
documents in a timely manner. Document control and distribution procedures should
include requirements regarding distribution to the firm responsible for the 3rd party
sustainability certification.
7.4.4 Requests for Information

Requests for Information (RFIs) should be routed by the CM to the CxA, GBF, and A/E so
that clarification and direction to the contractor reflects measures to conserve sustainability
features of the project. The CM should review specific RFI expectations, particularly if they
are to be submitted to for 3rd party review or certification. The relationship of any project
element to the sustainability program may not be readily apparent to some project
participants. The integrated team must be alerted by way of standard document processing.

7.4.5 Non-Conforming and Corrective Work
Non-conforming and corrective work has the potential to negatively impact facility
performance as well as the targeted sustainability certification. The project team, including
the CM, has the responsibility to verify that non-conforming work is corrected and
deviations from the contract documents are properly documented. This documentation
should be included in the sustainability certification submission package where required.
7.4.6 QC Inspection and Testing Documentation

Most government agencies and many major corporations have detailed procedures
designating the inspections and tests required for projects. At a minimum, the contractor’s
QA/QC program must include provisions to confirm that specified inspections and tests
occur at appropriate times during the construction process. The CM should confirm that
inspections and tests are in accordance with the contract specifications, including any
sustainability requirements and documentation.
The CM must verify that the contractor’s QC program adequately addresses the requirement
to ensure that the products submitted and approved are the products utilized on site.
Attention to detail is paramount as products viewed as least critical are most important when
volatile organic compounds (VOC) limits are concerned. Such products include but are not
limited to PVC glues, construction adhesives, primers/sealers, glues for finish installation,
and paints/coatings.
The CM should review the contract documents for indications that appropriate test and
measurement devices are identified, properly calibrated, and properly used. The CM should
also review contractor procedures by auditing to observe that the program is satisfactorily
implemented.
The CM should ask the commissioning agent, consultants, and contractors responsible for
testing and monitoring to verify calibration of controlled testing instruments per the
established schedule for the item.
7.4.7 Sustainability Quality Audits

An audit of sustainability requirements can be used to verify that quality management
systems are in place to achieve sustainability requirements. Typically, the contractor provides
quality control, while the CM or a selected independent agency provides quality assurance
oversight on the project. Under a sustainable project, much of this QA function may be
provided by the GBF or CxA.

7.4.8 Commissioning
During construction, commissioning activities are vital to verifying that sustainability goals
are met. Owner project requirements may include:
• Changes made in the procurement period

• Commissioning Plan updates, to include new or revised elements introduced
throughout the construction process;
• Development and distribution of testing and inspection procedures;
• Performance testing and inspection activities;
• Documentation of testing and inspection activities;
• Integration of commissioning activities in the construction schedule;
• Development of systems and training manuals; and
• Provision of commissioning reports and training requirements pursuant to the
Commissioning Plan.
7.4.9 Commissioning Plan Schedule

The CM and CxA should work closely with the project team to integrate commissioning
activities into the overall construction schedule, keep commissioning activities off the critical
path, and schedule site inspections that focus on system operations and maintenance. The
commissioning schedule is developed as a section of the Commissioning Plan and is updated
throughout the project. Detailed integration of commissioning activities and tasks with the
construction schedule is critical to maintaining project milestones and verifying that
sustainability requirements are met.
7.4.10 Project Documentation

When a project is to be certified under any sustainability certification process, some party
should be contractually bound to organize the supporting documentation, whether it is the
CM, CxA or GBF. The CM should make this requirement known to the project team as
early as possible in the project. Documentation should be ongoing throughout submittal,
procurement, and construction of the work, not be compiled at close-out. The CM should
institute a system for gathering documentation from the beginning of construction and
continue throughout the project.
A thorough system of documenting sustainability measures should be maintained by

appropriate parties throughout construction. Documentation procedures should specify the
collection of documentation related to such items as waste management and recycling,

emission mitigations, noise and vibration mitigations, dust reduction efforts, and proper
material storage and handling. For example, the CM should note when ductwork is installed
that it is capped until permanently terminated; document that sheetrock has been stored
properly such that it is properly protected from moisture, which could foster mold.
If an independent CxA is to be employed by the CM, related documentation should be

compiled by the CxA throughout the life of the project, most notably during the
construction phase. If an independent CxA is employed by the owner, the CM should report
to the owner if the CxA, in the CM’s judgment, is not furnishing the appropriate paperwork
in a timely manner.
7.4.11 Progress Payments

The CM should only approve requests for payment for accepted materials/items or
completed/accepted construction, unless contract documents provide otherwise. The
progress payment process should include any sustainability requirements. The contractor
should include in their schedule of values a line item for these requirements, and should be
paid a percentage as progress is made.
Payments for sustainable equipment and installations may be tied to the contractor providing
the proper sustainable documentation for that equipment and installation, to ensure that the
documentation is kept current.
When the contractor has specific obligations to meet sustainability goals, a schedule of
values must identify the value and sufficient funds must be withheld until the sustainability
goal is achieved.
7.4.12 Acceptance Testing

When a full commissioning program is not justified, specific pieces of equipment or systems
can be subject to acceptance testing for purposes of owner acceptance. This abbreviated
form of commissioning can be used to verify achievement of certain sustainability goals or
requirements. The CM or other assigned party develops the test procedures and acceptance
criteria to verify that equipment or systems meet performance criteria. Tests are normally
conducted using contractor personnel and witnessed by the CM and/or owner. Training of
owner personnel in operation and maintenance is part of the acceptance test. Each element
of the test procedure is implemented and signed off on when found to meet the criteria. The
CM verifies that all tests have been satisfactorily completed before final acceptance.

7.4.13 Beneficial Occupancy/Substantial Completion
As the project approaches beneficial occupancy/substantial completion, the construction
quality program should include reviews of incomplete work, corrective actions to remedy
nonconformance, and other quality requirements including documentation. Reviews should
include sustainability requirements.
The CM should not recommend beneficial occupancy to the owner until the project
punchlist is prepared by the project team, accepted by the CM and owner, and all areas are
available for use. If the project is to be certified under any sustainability program, all open
review comments related to sustainability features should be included.
This may be particularly difficult for a CM-at-Risk that may be under pressure to secure a
substantial completion certificate in order to facilitate occupancy in accordance with
contractual deadlines. The CM and owner should be mindful that punchlist activities
following owner occupancy often result in disputes requiring differentiation of punchlist
work from damage or changed conditions due to the owner’s use of the property.
7.4.14 Training
Within a reasonable period of training, project maintenance trainees should be provided with
pertinent information required to operate and maintain the facility per the owner’s
requirements, and maximize the project’s sustainability features.
Providing the project management staff with digital records of the training sessions can
significantly increase the value of the training by providing staff with a reference for future
post-project training of new personnel, as well as for future reference for procedures that
may not be used frequently.
7.4.15 Substantial Completion

The contract documents should articulate the conditions required to meet the milestone with
respect to a project’s sustainability features. The CM should review the contract and
completed work to record that the contractor has attained the milestone as defined by the
contract and make appropriate recommendations to the owner. The owner and design
professional should concur that the milestone has been reached. Minor punchlist work not
affecting the use of the facility by the owner may remain incomplete with the approval of the
owner and CM for substantial completion.

7.4.16 Final Acceptance
Final acceptance follows substantial completion and the completion of punchlist work, with
the concurrence of the A/E, CM and CxA. If final acceptance is to precede final
certification by any sustainable certification process, this should be clearly articulated in the
contract documents.
Typically, all punchlist work must be completed to the satisfaction of the owner, A/E, CM,
and CxA prior to final acceptance (and associated payment). A project with sustainable
certification requirements may have a few activities that must be completed many months
past the completion of typical punchlist work, such as off-season commissioning or receipt
of notification of the final certification. This can be addressed contractually by creating items
in the schedule of values associated with late-breaking requirements.

Chapter 8: Post-Construction Phase
The post-construction phase provides the opportunity to evaluate the results of the
sustainability efforts, adjust assumptions and systems operation to improve the accuracy of
modeling, and improve efficiency of systems operations. Strategies may include a 3rd party
review, evaluation of systems performance through measurement and verification, gathering
of lessons learned from building operators, and a post occupancy evaluation based on
occupant experience.
The extent of the CM’s post-construction phase responsibilities will vary based on owner
goals established early in the project. Third party review, lessons learned, measurement and
verification, and commissioning, may be part of the project, even if longer term assessments
are not.
8.1 Post-Construction Checklist
8.1.1 Third Party Review/Certification

During the post-construction phase, the CM’s responsibility is to identify and expedite the
submittal of documentation necessary and/or required to achieve the designated 3rd party
certification, and to coordinate the necessary participants in this process. Roles and
responsibilities will have been established in earlier phases of the project. Partial information
or submittals may have been made earlier in the process. Active management of this process
is key to minimizing its duration.
8.2 Commissioning
Commissioning of a new construction project begins before the post-construction phase. It
may entail reviews during the design phase and will include pre-functional review during
construction. Exact requirements for the relationship between commissioning and
substantial completion may vary, however the functional testing part of commissioning is

generally done at the end of construction, after testing and balancing. It should include off-
season testing to ensure systems function properly under the conditions during which they
are required to perform (i.e. summer testing of air conditioning/winter testing of heating
systems). At a minimum, commissioning activities should continue through the end of the
contractual warranty/correction period. Ideally, commissioning will continue throughout the
life of the facility (see Continuous Commissioning). During the commissioning period,
ongoing operation, maintenance, and modification of facility systems and assemblies, and
associated documentation are verified against updated owner project requirements, including
sustainability requirements.
8.2.1Re-Commissioning or Ongoing/Recurring
Commissioning
The performance of dynamic systems and equipment, as well as static systems, assemblies,
and components will tend to degrade from an as-installed condition over time. In addition,
the needs and demands of facility users and processes typically change during the course of a
facility’s use. Maintaining the sustainability features of a project may require periodic
evaluation and adjustment. Re-commissioning processes have the main objectives of
assuring that an owner’s project requirements reflect changes in use and operation of the
facility:
• Periodic evaluation performance against the owner’s project objectives;

• Maintaining the system manual to reflect changes in the owner’s project
requirements, and
• Ongoing training of operations and maintenance personnel and occupants on
current changes in systems and assemblies.
8.2.2 Retro-Commissioning
Retro-commissioning is when an owner adopts commissioning on a project during the
operation stage of the facility lifecycle. While it accomplishes commissioning process
activities, it is sufficiently different from the commissioning process that it is considered a
separate process.
Improvements in major energy consuming features such as HVAC systems, lighting, and
communications are happening at increasing speeds. “State of the art” five years ago may
now be obsolete. Retro-commissioning of a five or 10-year-old building, along with updating
of equipment or components may result in a substantial reduction in energy use. This may
incentivize an owner to revisit commissioning frequently. xxv

8.2.3 Seasonal (or Off-Season) Commissioning
Seasonal commissioning pertains to testing under full-load conditions during peak heating
and peak cooling seasons, as well as partial load conditions in the spring and fall. Whereas
initial commissioning is done as soon as the contract work is completed irrespective of the
season. Seasonal commissioning requires testing of equipment and systems in a peak season
to observe peak load performance, in which heating equipment is tested during winter
extremes and cooling equipment is tested during summer extremes with a fully occupied
building. Construction contracts should specify contractor participation in seasonal
commissioning to realize and/or verify achievement of sustainability goals.
8.3Asset/Facilities Management—Lifecycle
Monitoring
Technology is progressing at an incredible rate. Five-year-old fluorescent light tubes and
fixtures may be energy wasters compared to current technologies. Such developments may
dramatically alter a lifecycle analysis after a few years. Monitoring efficiency improvements
of building components can be a worthwhile method to increase savings for older facilities.
8.3.1 Training
Training the owner’s operation and maintenance staff ideally occurs during construction.
Some training is best deferred until the owner has assumed responsibility for the building
and its sustainability features. Such training should be identified in the Commissioning Plan,
and the CxA may be responsible for vetting the training plan and implementation. Training
should clearly define maintenance required for continued function of sustainability features.
Such requirements should be reflected in the Operation and Maintenance Manual (by
contractor) and Systems Manual (by CxA). Some contracts call for recording the training
process to ensure the material is available for future reference.
8.4Operation & Maintenance/Owner’s

Maintenance vs. Warranty Call-Back
The CM may find it difficult to get an owner to accept that the facility management staff
needs to take ownership of the new facility. Owners may feel that a specific issue is warranty
related, while contractors may argue that it is an owner’s maintenance issue.

Carefully define obligations on both sides in the bid documents, clearly stating owner
maintenance obligations following occupancy. While the contractor may be obligated to
provide a one year warranty, the owner’s construction cost at bid time may be more
favorable if bid documents clearly state that, upon substantial completion, the owner will be
responsible for such things as changing failed light bulbs, replacing clogged filters and worn
belts, and adjusting door hardware. Contractors may more favorably perceive bid documents
that limit attic stock for maintenance purposes to a specified amount of customary items
such as ceiling tiles, floor coverings, and wall coverings during the warranty period.
8.4.1Warranty Call-Back Program /

Owner’s Contact Information for Responsible
Parties
Contractors should be required to provide the owner, in close-out submittals, with the
names of qualified individuals to be contacted in the event of a warranty related problem
during the warranty period.
For equipment and building components that are critical to the operation of the building,
designated contacts should be reachable. Many building management systems are monitored
by an external, independent third party; these firms should also be provided with the names
and contact information of the various contractors whose work is under their monitoring
efforts.
The owner should provide a similar point of contact, available 24 hours/day, to enable a
contractor to enter the facility to rapidly correct or mitigate a problem and avert potential
environmental damage and minimize waste.
8.5 Deconstruction
At the end of the building’s useful life, the owner should identify potential re-use for the
building components. This could include structural components, furniture, and recyclable
materials. Through thoughtful deconstruction, the owner can minimize the building’s
contribution to landfill waste and continue to contribute to sustainable construction projects.
8.6 Measurement and Verification

Measurement and verification (M&V) assesses actual performance of the building’s energy
using systems. This may be done at a whole building level or of specific systems, such as

lighting, HVAC, and plug load. If the level of detail required is higher than whole building
energy use, then the requirements must be articulated early in design phase to ensure
efficiency, ie: circuits are designed to minimize the number of meters required to measure
each use. Owners may use this data to improve operational efficiency. In addition, LEED
offers credits for planning an M&V process, with additional points beyond whole building
energy use.
8.7 Energy Model Recalibration

Energy modeling done early in a project as a design tool or for third-party review can be
revisited after a period of building operation under completed conditions, usually after at
least one year of operation. The actual energy use, occupancy, and use of the building can be
used to revise the energy model, and create a new, more accurate energy model that is
predictive of expected energy use of the building.
8.8 Post Occupancy Evaluation

Sustainable buildings often seek to be more than just energy efficient. Occupant/user
experience is often a key component of the effort, and in many cases is a driver for owner
sustainability goals. This may apply to lighting, daylighting, thermal comfort, perceived air
quality i.e. odors, and may even extend to things like wayfinding and workplace ergonomics.
A post occupancy evaluation may be part of the sustainability plan, and may even be part of
the LEED strategy, as a LEED credit is available for post occupancy evaluation.
Alternatively, it may be a decision made after the building is in use. Where it is part of the
plan, the tools to perform such an evaluation, and the parties responsible to implement,
should be identified well before the end of the project, as should the criteria to be evaluated.
A plan for corrective action, when required, should also be part of the plan. Post occupancy
evaluations gather feedback from building users. This makes evaluations somewhat
subjective by nature, and the corrective action plan should acknowledge this. There are tools
and organizations which specialize in post occupancy evaluations. UC Berkeley Center for
the Built Environment offers and can conduct an Occupant Indoor Environmental Quality
survey. The CM should be sure the timing for establishing the plan aligns with the project
timeline, where post occupancy evaluation is part of the project LEED strategy, or where it
is otherwise part of the CM’s responsibilities.

8.9 Ongoing Operation of a Sustainable
Building
Given the level of planning and documentation that goes into developing a sustainable
project, the CM should advise the client that implementation of professional standards for
quality building environments used during the construction phase should continue during
the building’s operational phase. These standards should include, but are not limited to the
following:
• Maintaining a well-qualified building operations staff and training them on how to

use and maintain all equipment.
• Educating the user groups on the sustainability measures implemented on the project
and the reasoning behind the strategies.
• Establishing procedures for inspection, preventive maintenance, cleaning, and repair
of all equipment.
• Creating and maintaining a resource center for purchase of additional equipment and
maintenance stock that comes from sustainable sources.
• Reading and becoming familiar with the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on
cleaning chemicals and pesticides, and avoid using products that may release harmful
chemicals into the air.
• Recycling waste materials.
• Setting up a call center to log tenant complaints and follow-up on these. Problems
identified early may cost less to fix now than later.
• Continuing to monitor indoor air quality for compliance with the latest guidelines.
• Adjusting light levels for use of space and occupancy.
• Establisghing and using sustainability standards during any building renovation
projects.
• Requiring sustainability standards and best practices be used during any move into or
out of the facility.

Glossary
Acceptance Testing
When a full commissioning program is not justified, specific pieces of equipment or systems
can be subject to “acceptance testing” for purposes of owner acceptance. Acceptance testing
requirements are clearly identified in contract documents. Training owner personnel in
operation and maintenance is typically part of the acceptance test.
Adaptive Capacity
The capacity of a system to adapt if the environment where the system exists is changing.
ASHRAE
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, founded in
1894. ASHRAE’s mission is to advance “heating, ventilation, air conditioning and
refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards
writing, publishing and continuing education.” ASHRAE offers definitive guidance on
energy load calculations, equipment performance, commissioning and many other topics
central to design, engineering and construction of sustainable facilities. www.ashrae.org xxvi
BREEAM
Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology is the world's
foremost environmental assessment method and rating system for buildings, with 425,000
buildings with certified BREEAM assessment ratings and two million registered for
assessment since it was first launched in 1990.
BREEAM sets the standard for best practice in sustainable building design, construction,
and operation and has become one of the most comprehensive and widely recognized
measures of a building's environmental performance. It encourages designers, clients, and
others to think about low carbon and low impact design, minimizing the energy demands
created by a building before considering energy efficiency and low carbon technologies.
A BREEAM assessment uses recognized measures of performance, which are set against
established benchmarks, to evaluate a building’s specification, design, construction, and use.
The measures used represent a broad range of categories and criteria from energy to ecology.
They include aspects related to energy and water use, the internal environment (health and
well-being), pollution, transport, materials, waste, ecology, and management processes.

BREEAM, first published by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) in 1990, is the
world’s longest established method of assessing, rating, and certifying the sustainability of
buildings. More than 250,000 buildings have been BREEAM certified and over a million are
registered for certification – many in the UK and others in more than 50 countries around
the world. www.breeam.com
Building Commissioning (Cx)

Startup, calibration and certification of a facility. This activity or group of activities involves
testing and verification of HVAC and other systems against design intent or criteria.
Commissioning also may include preparation of the system operation manuals and
instruction of the building maintenance personnel. See “Commissioning.”
C&D Waste Management

Construction and demolition (C&D) waste or debris is defined as that part of the solid waste
stream that results from land clearing and excavation, and the construction, demolition,
remodeling and repair of structures, roads and utilities. Management strategies include waste
prevention, waste reduction, recycling and re-use.
Carbon Footprint
The overall volume, over a specified period, of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by
an organization, event or product.
Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS)

CHPS provides resources to schools, school districts and professionals about all aspects of
high performance school design, construction and operation. CHPS develops tools that
address the key factors of sustainability for schools. These resources include a six-volume
best practices manual, training, conferences, a high performance building rating and
recognition program and other tools for Construction Managers. www.chps.net xxvii
Commissioning
ASHRAE defines commissioning as “a quality-oriented process for achieving, verifying, and
documenting that the performance of facilities, systems, and assemblies meets defined
objectives and criteria.” According to the National Institute of Building Sciences,
commissioning is “an all-inclusive process for the planning, delivery, verification, and
managing risks to critical functions performed in, or by, facilities.” Commissioning is
intended to improve building quality via peer review and in-field or on-site verification and
heighten energy efficiency, environmental performance and occupant safety. Commissioning
can improve indoor air quality by making sure building components work correctly. It
provides a system for documenting project implementation as a function of design intent. xxviii

Commissioning Agent (CxA)
The Commissioning Agent is responsible for developing and coordinating the execution of
the Commissioning Plan, and for observation and documentation of performance that is,
determining whether systems are functioning in accordance with the documented design
intent and in accordance with the contract documents. The CA is not responsible for design
concept, design criteria, compliance with codes, design, or general construction scheduling,
cost estimating, or construction management. (Commissioning Agent is often synonymous
with Commissioning Authority.) The CA should be an independent, third party consultant
that is directly accountable to the owner.
Credentials for commissioning professionals are offered by ASHRAE and the Building
Commissioning Association. ASHRAE: www.ashrae.org
Building Commissioning Association: www.bcxa.org xxix
Contingency
Contingency is an amount of money reserved by a party for unforeseen changes in the work
or increases in cost.
Deconstruction (building)
Selective dismantling of building components specifically for C&D waste management
strategies such as re-use and recycling. Deconstruction differs from demolition, which values
the expedient clearing of a building from its site.
ENERGY STAR
A joint program of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US
Department of Energy introduced in 1992 by the EPA as a voluntary labeling program
designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. EPA recently extended the ENERGY STAR label to cover new homes and
commercial and industrial buildings. xxx ENERGY STAR Program: www.energystar.gov
Estidama
A building design methodology for constructing and operating buildings and communities
more sustainably. The program is a key aspect of the "Abu Dhabi Vision 2030" drive to
build the Abu Dhabi emirate according to innovative green standards. "Estidama" is the
Arabic word for sustainability. The program is not itself a green building rating system like
LEED or BREEAM, but rather a collection of ideals that are imposed in an elective building
code type of format.
Within Estidama is a green building rating system called the Pearl Rating System that is
utilized to evaluate sustainable building development practices in Abu Dhabi.

The Estidama program is mandatory in Abu Dhabi—all buildings must achieve a minimum
1 Pearl Rating and all government-funded buildings must achieve a minimum 2 Pearl Rating.
The system can be applied to communities, buildings, and villas, with different requirements
for each. http://estidama.upc.gov.ae
Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI)

GBCI administers the LEED certification program, performing third-party technical reviews
and verification of registered projects to determine if they have met the standards set forth
by the LEED rating system. www.gbci.org
Green Building Facilitator (GBF)

ConsensusDOCS 310, Green Building Addendum (GBA) creates a role for a green building
facilitator (GBF) to coordinate or implement the projects green building goals. It establishes
the duties of the GBF as the manager of the process and identifies the responsibilities of
project participants.
Green Building Initiative (GBI)

The Green Building Initiative (GBI) is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to
accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in environmentally sustainable
buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches for residential and
commercial construction. xxxi GBI: www.thegbi.org
Green Globes
The Green Building Initiative (GBI) Green Globes is a development and management tool
that includes an assessment protocol, a rating system, and guide for integrating
environmentally friendly design into both new and existing commercial buildings.
GBI: www.greenglobes.com
Greywater System
Greywater is wash water: bath, dish, and laundry water excluding toilet wastes and garbage.
A greywater system is designed to assure isolation of greywater collection and treatment
from blackwater (sewage), which contains higher concentrations of nitrogen and bacteria.
High Performance Building

A building that integrates and optimizes all major high performance building attributes,
including energy efficiency, durability, lifecycle performance, and occupant productivity.
Integrated Project Delivery (IPD)

A project delivery process that integrates a project’s design, construction, and operational
functions through a team-based approach that includes the designer, owner, CM, key
technical consultants, the contractor and key subcontractors. Project risks are fairly allocated

among the stakeholders who work as one to achieve faster delivery, lower costs, and avoid
litigation.
ISO 14000
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a non-governmental
organization and the world's largest developer and publisher of voluntary International
Standards. ISO is a network of the national standards institutes of 159 countries, one
member per country, with a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates the
system. The US is represented by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The
ISO 14000 family of standards provides practical tools for companies and organizations of
all kinds to manage their environmental responsibilities. The very first two standards, ISO
14001:2015 and ISO 14004:2004 deal with environmental management systems (EMS). ISO
14001:2015 provides the requirements for an EMS and ISO 14004:2004 gives general EMS
guidelines. Other ISO 14000 standards and guidelines address issues including labeling,
performance evaluation, lifecycle analysis, communication and auditing. xxxii International
Organization for Standardization: www.iso.org
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system
encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development
practices through the application of design and construction and a graduated performance-
based rating system with four increasingly rigorous levels of attainment: Certified, Silver,
Gold and Platinum. LEED is a consensus guideline developed and administered by the
Green Building Certification Institute.
LEED AP
LEED Accredited Professional, the professional credential awarded to an individual that has
demonstrated a thorough understanding of the LEED green building rating system by
successfully passing the LEED AP examination. The LEED professional credential program
is administered by the Green Building Certification Institute, an independent organization
that provides third-party certification. xxxiii Green Building Certification Institute: www.usgbc.org
Lifecycle
The consecutive, interlinked stages of a product’s production and use, beginning with raw
materials acquisition and manufacture and continuing with its fabrication, manufacture,
construction, use, and depletion, concluding with any of a variety of recovery, recycling, or
waste management options.
Lifecycle Cost
All costs incident to the planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and
demolition of a facility, or system, for a given life expectancy, all in terms of present
value. xxxiv

Lifecycle Assessment (LCA)
A technique to assess impacts associated with all stages of a product's life from cradle to
grave (i.e. raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution,
use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling).
Net Zero
Net zero energy building refers to a facility with zero net energy consumption and zero
carbon emissions annually.
PEARL Rating System

The Pearl Rating System is the green building rating system developed by the Abu Dhabi
Urban Planning Council as part of their sustainable development initiative, Estidama.
Similar to LEED, the Pearl Rating System has various levels of certification, ranging from
one to five pearls. For all new development projects within the emirate of Abu Dhabi, a
minimum certification of one pearl is required (two pearls for government buildings). This
certification requirement was mandated by the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi and went
into effect Autumn 2010.
There are three stages of certification associated with the Pearl Rating System. The first stage
is the Pearl Design Rating, success of which is tied to the building permit. The second stage
is the Pearl Construction Rating, success of which is tied to the certificate of completion.
The third, and yet to be developed stage, is the Pearl Operations Rating.
Training seminars of various lengths and technical depths are available for all of the Pearl
Rating Systems. Training seminars are currently being delivered by the WSP Group and
Oger International on behalf of the Urban Planning Council, Abu Dhabi.
Individuals interested in working on Pearl Rated projects should become Pearl Qualified
Professionals (PQPs); at least one PQP is required per project planned for development
within the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The PQP test was developed by Prometric and is
administered at the CERT center in Abu Dhabi and the AMIDEAST testing center in
Dubai.
Based on review by Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council (UPC), up to five pearls can be
awarded. One pearl is mandatory for all developments and is based on the building code. As
per Information Bulletins No. 1 dated 6 December 2010 all Abu Dhabi government projects
are required to achieve two pearls. Two pearls include all the mandatory requirements as well
as additional optional credits.
To date the only projects to achieve three pearls include the Abu Dhabi Midfield Terminable
Building and ten unspecified Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) schools.
http://estidama.upc.gov.ae/pearl-rating-system-v10.aspx?lang=en-US

Rainwater harvesting
A sustainable water management practice to divert rainwater for use shortly after
precipitation to collection and treatment systems.
Renewable Energy
Energy generated from renewable resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and some
geothermal applications, which are naturally and readily replenished, or renewable. xxxv
Renewable Energy Credits (RECs)

Also known as Green tags, Renewable Energy Credits, Renewable Electricity Certificates, or
Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRCs), are tradable, non-tangible energy commodities in
the US that represent proof that 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity was generated from
an eligible renewable energy resource (renewable electricity). xxxvi
Resilience
The capability of a system to survive, adapt, and grow in the face of unforeseen changes
(climate variability), and/or even catastrophic incidents. A system that provides the adaptive
capacity to recover quickly and to withstand major disruptions with acceptable levels of
degradation and recovery within acceptable time frames, costs, and risks.
Retro-commissioning (RCx)
A systematic process that identifies operational and maintenance improvements in existing
buildings with the objective of improving energy performance. RCx typically focuses on
mechanical equipment, lighting and controls and usually optimizes existing system rather
than replacing equipment. RCx typically includes an energy audit, diagnostic monitoring and
functional tests. EPA offers guidance on Retro-commissioning through its ENERGY STAR
program.
Sustainable
The condition of being able to meet the needs of present generations without compromising
resources for future generations.
Sustainable Airport Management (SAM)

SAM is a comprehensive guidance manual created by the Chicago Department of Aviation
(CDA) to incorporate and track sustainability in administrative procedures, planning, design
and construction, operations and maintenance, and concessions and tenants with minimal
impact to project schedules or budgets. SAM guides the implementation of sustainability
initiatives at O'Hare and Midway International Airports and several other airports around
the world.
CDA is the first in the nation to develop sustainable guidelines for design and construction
at airports. The Sustainable Airport Manual was created as an integral part of Chicago’s

ongoing efforts toward implementing more environmentally sustainable initiatives across all
airport activities. http://www.airportsgoinggreen.org/sustainable-airport-manual.aspx
Sustainable Design and Construction

A type of construction project that has resource conservation and occupant health and well-
being as primary objectives of the design, engineering and construction processes.
Sustainable Development
A pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment
so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for future generations.
Sustainable development, as a goal, aims to reconcile the carrying capacity of natural systems
with the physical, social and cultural demands of the system’s occupants. As defined by the
Brundtland Commission in 1983, sustainable development is “development which meets the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs.”
Sustainable Forest Management

The management of forests according to the principles of sustainable development. This
requires determining, in practical ways, how to use a forest today to ensure similar benefits,
health and productivity in the future. Forest managers must assess and integrate a wide array
of sometimes conflicting factors—commercial and non-commercial values, environmental
considerations, a community needs global impact—to produce sound forest plans. Voluntary
sustainable forestry management guidance and certification is available through non-profits
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). xxxvii
Sustainable Materials
Sustainable building materials are composed of renewable, rather than nonrenewable
resources. Sustainable materials are environmentally responsible when their impacts are
considered over the life of the product. Use of sustainable building materials can help reduce
the environmental impacts associated with the extraction, transport, processing, fabrication,
installation, reuse, recycling, and disposal of these source materials. xxxviii
Sustainability Plan (SP)

A project specific written plan that enables the construction manager to coordinate efforts,
track progress and focus energies on the deliverables and milestones required to satisfy
project sustainability goals and requirements. A sustainability plan is both a guidance
document and the foundation for a reporting system. It should be as concise as possible.
Sustainable Remediation
Sustainable Remediation is a term adopted internationally and encompasses sustainable
approaches, as described by the Brundtland Report, to the investigation, assessment, and

management (including institutional controls) of potentially contaminated land and
groundwater.
The Sustainable Remediation Forum (SURF) describes Sustainable Remediation as follows:
“Sustainable Remediation protects human health and the environment while maximizing the environmental,
social, and economic benefits throughout the project lifecycle”
SURF promotes the use of sustainable practices during the investigation, construction,
remediation, redevelopment, and monitoring of environmental cleanup sites, with the
objective of balancing economic viability, conservation of natural resources, biodiversity, and
the enhancement of the quality of life in surrounding communities.
www.sustainableremediation.org
Triple Bottom Line

Coined in 1994 by John Elkington, the triple bottom line describes the simultaneous
prioritization of environmental, economic, and social impacts and benefits. A dynamic
tension of people, planet, and profit that effectively balances all three.
US Green Building Council (USGBC)

The US Green Building Council is a non-profit organization devoted to shifting the building
industry toward sustainability by providing information and standards on how buildings are
designed, built, and operated. The USGBC is best known for the development of the
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) rating system xxxix.

References
i NIBS Facilities Information Council National BIM Standard:

www.wbdg.org/bim/nibs_bim.php
ii Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories:

www.eetd.lbl.gov/ee/ee-1.html
iii Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories:

www.eetd.lbl.gov/ee/ee-1.html
iv ENERGY STAR:
www.energystar.gov/buildings/facility-owners-and-managers/existing-
buildings/use-portfolio-manager/understand-metrics/what-energy
v Energy Policy Act of 1992:

www.afdc.energy.gov/laws/key_legislation#epact92
vi Energy Policy Act of 2005:

www.afdc.energy.gov/laws/key_legislation#epact05
vii American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:

www.afdc.energy.gov/laws/key_legislation#recovery
viii Summary of Energy efficiency legislation for buildings:

www.afdc.energy.gov/laws/key_legislation#recovery
ix US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy:

www4.eere.energy.gov/femp/requirements/requirements_filtering/bu
ildings_energy_use?tid%5B%5D=272&=Apply
x California Title 24-efficiency standards:

www.energy.ca.gov/title24/

xi National Program Requirements:
www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/bldrs_lenders_raters/downloads/Nat
ional_Program_Requirements.pdf
xii ENERGY STAR:

buildings/use-portfolio-manager/understand-metrics/what-energy
xiii ISO:
www.iso.org/iso/home/standards/management-
standards/iso50001.htm
xiv The ENERGY STAR program provides free tools to assist in

establishing benchmarks:
www.energystar.gov/buildings/about-us/how-can-we-help-
you/benchmark-energy-use/benchmarking
xv US DOE / Evaporative cooling:

energy.gov/energysaver/articles/evaporative-coolers
xvi Alternative Energy News:

www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/wind-power
xvii US DOE Fuel Cells:

energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/fuel-cells
xviii National Institute of Buidling Sciences; Whole Building Design Guide:

www.wbdg.org/resources/microturbines.php
xix U.S. DOE/ENERGY STAR:

buildings/find-financing/find-rebates-incentives-and-financing
xx Pacific Gas and Electric:

www.pge.com/en/b2b/energytransmissionstorage/newgenerator/net
energymetering/index.page
xxi AABC Commissioning Group (ACG) Certified Commissioning Agent:

www.commissioning.org
ASHRAE CPMP (Commissioning Process Management Professional)

certification:
www.ashrae.org/education--certification/certification/commissioning-
process-management-professional-certification
Building Commissioning Association (BCA) certification:
www.bcxa.org/certification
Educational certification from University of Wisconsin:
www.cx.engr.wisc.edu
EBB Qualified Commissioning Administrator:
www.nebb.org/certified/nebbs_certification_program
ABB Certified Commissioning Supervisor:
www.tabbcertified.org/site/public/content/index/home
xxii ASTM E2432—Standard Guide for the General Principles of

Sustainability Relative to Buildings:
www.astm.org/Standards/E2432.htm
xxiii ASHRAE:
www.ashrae.org
US GBC LEED:
www.usgbc.org
NIBS National Performance Building Design Guide:
www.npbdg.wbdg.org
ASHRAE Guideline-0-2005, “The Commissioning Process”:
www.ashrae.org/publications/page/1279
xxiv International Organization for Standardization:

www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail?csnumber=37456
US EPA:
www.epa.gov/nrmrl/lcaccess
xxv ASHRAE Guideline 0-2013:

www.ashrae.org/standards-research--technology/standards--
guidelines/titles-purposes-and-scopes#Gdl0
xxvi ASHRAE:
www.ashrae.org
xxvii The Collaborative for High Performance Schools:

www.chps.net

xxviii ASHRAE Guideline 0-2013:
www.ashrae.org/standards-research--technology/standards--
guidelines/titles-purposes-and-scopes#Gdl0
US General Services Administration: The Building Commissioning:
www.wbdg.org/ccb/browse_doc.php?d=5434
Building Commissioning Association:
www.bcxa.org/
The National Institute of Building Sciences:
www.wbdg.org/project/buildingcomm.php
xxix ASHRAE:
www.ashrae.org/certification/page/2086
Building Commissioning Association:
www.bcxa.org/
xxx ENERGY STAR Program:

www.energystar.gov
xxxi GBI:
www.thegbi.org
xxxii International Organization for Standardization:

www.iso.org/iso/home.html
xxxiii US Green Building Council:

www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19
xxxiv Green Building Certification Institute:

www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1815
xxxv NIBS:
www.wbdg.org/resources/lcca.php
xxxvi US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory:

www.nrel.gov
US DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy:
www.eere.energy.gov
xxxvii US EPA:
www.epa.gov/greenpower/gpmarket/rec.htm

xxxviii Forest Stewardship Council:
www.fsc.org
Sustainable Forestry Initiative:
www.sfiprogram.org
xxxix US EPA:
www.epa.gov/epp
NIBS:
www.wbdg.org/resources/greenproducts.php
National Institute of Standards and Testing (NIST):
www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/software/bees
xl US Green Building Council:

www.usgbc.org

Index
A
C
Acceptance, 80, 89
Acceptance Testing, 79 C&D Waste Management, 59, 90
Advertisement and Solicitation of Bids, 68 Carbon footprint, 90
Air-Side Economizer, 24 Changes in Design Scope or Criteria, 58
Alternative Fuels, 27 Changes in Work, 75
Alternative Studies, 61 CHPS. See Collaborative for High
American Society of Heating, Performance Schools
Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning CMAA Standards of Practice, 5, 6, 9, 10
Engineers. See ASHRE CM-at-Risk, 46, 80
ASHRAE, 89, 90, 91, 108 Collaborative for High Performance
Asset/Facilities Management, 85 Schools, 11, 56, 90, 108
Commissioning, 6, 7, 8, 41, 44, 45, 50, 51,
B 53, 64, 68, 74, 75, 77, 78, 79, 81, 83, 84,
85, 89, 90, 91, 95
Benchmarking, 22 Commissioning Agent, 8, 44, 74, 77, 91
Beneficial Occupancy, 79 Commissioning Agent Qualifications, 45
Building Automation System, 20 Commissioning Plan, 4, 8, 50, 77, 85, 91
Building Commissioning, 90, 108 Commissioning Plan Schedule, 78
Building Commissioning Association, 45, Concentrated Solar Power, 28
91, 108 Constructability review, 61
Building Commissioning Process, 44 Construction Management and
Building Energy Management System, 20 Administration, 75
Building Envelope, 27 Construction Management Plan, 3, 9, 42,
Building Information Modeling, 14 48, 67, 71, 76
Building Information Modeling (BIM), 41, Construction Phase, 51, 71
52, 53 Construction Planning and Scheduling, 74
Building Management System, 20 Construction Procurement Plan, 4
Contingency, 91

Contract Administration, 9, 10 Geothermal Heat Pumps, 25
Contract Award, 70 GHGs, 55
Contract Documents, 59 Green Building Facilitator, 8, 44
Corrective Work, 76 Green Building Initiative (GBI), 92
Cost Control, 61 Green Building Institute, 12
Cost Management, 5, 6 Green Globes, 8, 12, 43, 58, 60, 92
Greenhouse gas, 55, 90, 91
D Greywater, 92
Grid Neutral, 26
Deconstruction, 73, 86, 91
Ground Source Heat Pumps, 25
Design Management and Administration,
57
H
Design Review, 60
Design Team Selection, 44 High performance building, 92
Design to Principle, 55 HVAC, 2, 20, 22, 23, 24, 27, 84, 86, 90
Design-bid-build, 46 Hydro power, 30
Design-Build, 46
Document Control, 59, 76 I
Instructions to Bidders, 69
E
Integrated Project Delivery, 46, 92
Energy Conservation, 17 International Organization for
Energy Efficiency, 17 Standardization (ISO), 92
Energy Efficiency Assessments, 22 ISO 14000, 92, 93
Energy Modeling, 21, 62
Energy Performance Contracting, 47 K
Energy Star, 8, 41, 91, 108
Key Performance Indicators, 23
Energy Use Intensity, 18
ESCO. See Energy Service Company
Evaporative Cooling, 25
L
LEED, 108
F Lifecycle, 85, 93
Lifecycle Assessment, 62, 93
Final Acceptance, 80
Lifecycle cost, 93
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), 96
Lifecycle Monitoring, 85
Free Cooling, 24
Lighting, 23
Fuel Cells, 29
Funding Sources, 30
M
G Management Information System, 4, 52
Micro-turbines, 29, 30
GBI. See Green Building Institute

N Q
National Institute of Building Sciences, 90, Quality Management, 4, 7, 8, 9, 42
108 Quality Management Plan, 4
Net zero, 94 Quality Management System, 42, 58
NIBS, 53, 108
Non-Conforming Work, 76 R
Rainwater harvesting, 94
O
Re-Commissioning, 84
Off-the-Grid, 26 Renewable energy, 2, 95
Operation and Maintenance/Owner’s Renewable Energy, 28
Maintenance, 85 Renewable Energy Credits, 95
Owner Authorization and Approvals, 58 Requests for Information (RFIs), 76
Retro-commissioning, 84, 95
P Risk Assessment, 63
Risk management, 14, 48, 63
Photovoltaic, 28
Risk Management, 13
Post-construction checklist, 83
Post-Construction Phase, 83
S
Pre-Bid Conference, 70
Pre-Construction Conference, 73 Safety, 12, 88
Pre-Design Phase, 41 Scope of Services, 43
Pre-Design Project Conference, 53 Seasonal Commissioning, 85
Procurement Phase, 67 Select Bidders List, 69
Procurement Planning, 67 Solar, 28
Professional Practice, 10 Source Energy, 26
Progress Payments, 79 Sub-Metering, 22
Project Commissioning Plan, 50 substantial completion, 75
Project Delivery Strategies, 45 Substantial Completion, 79, 80, 86
Project documentation, 78 Sustainability Checklist, 75
Project Implementation Tools, 48 Sustainability Objectives, 2
Project management, 5 Sustainability plan, 3, 9, 42, 48, 49, 96
Project Management, 3 Sustainability Quality Audits, 77
Project Management Plan, 48 Sustainability Reviews, 60
Project Procedures, 4, 9, 73 Sustainable Design and Construction, 96
Project Procedures Manual, 4, 9, 51, 73 Sustainable Design Guidance, 45
Project Safety Plan, 4 Sustainable development, 63, 96
Proposal document Protocol, 70 Sustainable Forest Management, 96
Proposal/Bid Opening, 70 Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), 96
Sustainable materials, 96

T V
Thermal Solar Collectors, 28 Value Analysis, 63
Time management, 6 Value engineering, 63
Training, 79, 80, 85, 89
W
U
Warranty Call-Back, 85
U.S. Green Building Council, 93, 97, 108, Waste management, 51, 68, 78, 91, 93
See USGBC Wind, 29
USGBC, 6, 11, 60, 63, 76, 97
Z
Zero Energy, 26
i NIBS Facilities Information Council National BIM Standard: www.wbdg.org/bim/nibs_bim.php

ii Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories, www.eetd.lbl.gov/ee/ee-1.html
iii Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories, www.eetd.lbl.gov/ee/ee-1.html
iv ENERGY STAR www.energystar.gov/buildings/facility-owners-and-managers/existing-buildings/use- portfolio-manager/understand-metrics/what-energy
v Energy Policy Act of 1992: www.afdc.energy.gov/laws/key_legislation#epact92
vi Energy Policy Act of 2005: www.afdc.energy.gov/laws/key_legislation#epact05
vii American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: www.afdc.energy.gov/laws/key_legislation#recovery
viii Summary of Energy efficiency legislation for buildings: www.afdc.energy.gov/laws/key_legislation#recovery
ix US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: https://www4.eere.energy.gov/femp/requirements/requirements_filtering/buildings_energy_use?tid%5B%5D=272&=Apply
x California Title 24-efficiency standards: www.energy.ca.gov/title24/
xi National Program Requirements: www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/bldrs_lenders_raters/downloads/National_Program_Requirements.pdf
xii ENERGY STAR: www.energystar.gov/buildings/facility-owners-and-managers/existing-buildings/use-portfolio-manager/understand-metrics/what-energy
xiii ISO: www.iso.org/iso/home/standards/management-standards/iso50001.htm
xiv The ENERGY STAR program provides free tools to assist in establishing benchmarks:
www.energystar.gov/buildings/about-us/how-can-we-help-you/benchmark-energy-use/benchmarking
xv US DOE / Evaporative cooling: energy.gov/energysaver/articles/evaporative-coolers
xvi Alternative Energy News: www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/wind-power/
xvii US DOE Fuel Cells: energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/fuel-cells
xviii National Institute of Buidling Sciences; Whole Building Design Guide: https://www.wbdg.org/resources/microturbines.php
xix U.S. DOE/ENERGY STAR www.energystar.gov/buildings/facility-owners-and-managers/existing-buildings/find-financing/find-rebates-incentives-and-financing
xx Pacific Gas and Electric www.pge.com/en/b2b/energytransmissionstorage/newgenerator/netenergymetering/index.page
xxi AABC Commissioning Group (ACG) Certified Commissioning Agent: www.commissioning.org
ASHRAE CPMP (Commissioning Process Management Professional) certification www.ashrae.org/education--certification/certification/commissioning-process-management-professional-certification

Building Commissioning Association (BCA) certification www.bcxa.org/certification
Educational certification from University of Wisconsin www.cx.engr.wisc.edu
EBB Qualified Commissioning Administrator www.nebb.org/certified/nebbs_certification_program
ABB Certified Commissioning Supervisor www.tabbcertified.org/site/public/content/index/home
xxii ASTM E2432—Standard Guide for the General Principles of Sustainability Relative to Buildings: www.astm.org/Standards/E2432.htm
ASHRAE: www.ashrae.org
US GBC LEED: www.usgbc.org
NIBS National Performance Building Design Guide: www.npbdg.wbdg.org
xxiii ASHRAE Guideline-0-2005, “The Commissioning Process”: www.ashrae.org/publications/page/1279
xxiv International Organization for Standardization: www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail?csnumber=37456
US EPA: www.epa.gov/nrmrl/lcaccess
xxv ASHRAE Guideline 0-2013: https://www.ashrae.org/standards-research--technology/standards--guidelines/titles-purposes-and-scopes#Gdl0
xxvi ASHRAE: www.ashrae.org
xxvii The Collaborative for High Performance Schools www.chps.net
xxviii ASHRAE Guideline 0-2013: https://www.ashrae.org/standards-research--technology/standards--guidelines/titles-purposes-and-scopes#Gdl0
US General Services Administration: The Building Commissioning, www.wbdg.org/ccb/browse_doc.php?d=5434

Building Commissioning Association: www.bcxa.org/resources/pubs/index.htm
The National Institute of Building Sciences: www.wbdg.org/project/buildingcomm.php
xxix ASHRAE: www.ashrae.org/certification/page/2086
Building Commissioning Association: www.bcxa.org/certification/index.htm

xxx ENERGY STAR Program: www.energystar.gov
xxxi GBI: www.thegbi.org
xxxii International Organization for Standardization: www.iso.org/iso/home.html
xxxiii Green Building Certification Institute: www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1815
xxxiv NIBS: www.wbdg.org/resources/lcca.php
xxxv US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory: www.nrel.gov
US DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: www.eere.energy.gov

xxxvi US EPA: www.epa.gov/greenpower/gpmarket/rec.htm
xxxvii Forest Stewardship Council: www.fsc.org
Sustainable Forestry Initiative: www.sfiprogram.org

xxxviii US EPA: www.epa.gov/epp, NIBS: www.wbdg.org/resources/greenproducts.php
National Institute of Standards and Testing (NIST): www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/software/bees

xxxix US Green Building Council: www.usgbc.org

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Sustainability

7926 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 800

CMAA: Construction Management Association of America

Printed in the United States of America

Previous edition: 2010

CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines | i

ii | CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines

CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines | iii

Randy Britt, LEED AP, Parsons

Joyce Dawson, CCM, LEED AP, Anne Arundel Community College

Lonnie Coplen, LEED AP BD+C, ARC Alternative and Renewable Construction

Lourdes Gonzalez, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, ND, Primera

Don Green, CCM, CCP, LEED AP, Heery International, Inc.

Judith Kunoff, FAIA, LEED AP, FCMAA

Don Laford, CCM, AECOM

Get Moy, PE, LEED AP, PMP, AECOM

Kathleen Neff, LEED AP, Schneider Electric

Walt Norko, PE, CCM, CMAA

Shannon O’Connell, PE, LEED AP, Parsons

Jim Ogden, LEED Fellow, 3QC

Laurie Schoeman, LEED AP BD+C, Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.

Vanessa Wendling, SunEdison

Douglas Wrenn, CCM, QCxP, MBP, Inc.

CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines | v

Jennifer Creighton, LEED AP, McKinstry | Energy & Facility Solutions

Joyce Dawson, CCM, LEED AP, Anne Arundel Community College

Juan Giron, PE, LEED, City of Phoenix

Lourdes Gonzalez, AIA, LEED AP, Primera

Don Green, CCM, CCP, LEED AP, Heery International, Inc.

Judith Kunoff, AIA, CCM, LEED AP, MTA NYCT

Don Laford, PE, CCM, URS Corporation

Christopher Magent, PhD, LEED AP, Alexander Building Construction

Mickey Rosenblum, CCM, SES Construction and Fuel Services LLC

Ron Whisker, CCM, LEED AP

vi | CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines

In the context of this document, the Brundtland Commission definition of sustainability

Sustainability is evolving dramatically as a practice, progressing from sustainable building

CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines | vii

LEED®—an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design™—is a

MasterFormat is a registered trademark of the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI)

ENERGY STAR is a registered trademark of the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Envision is a registered trademark of the Institute for Sustainable Infrasstructure.

EcoLogo is a registered trademark of UL LLC.

BRE, BREGlobal, BREEAM, EcoHomes, Smartwaste, SmartLIFE, Envest, the

viii | CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines

1. As a professional, the CM is responsible for maintaining a current understanding of

CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines | 1

1.1 Sustainability Objectives

Thus, common features of a sustainable project include:

Strategies to achieve sustainability objectives include:

2 | CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines

1.2 Project Management

• Understanding the owner’s requirements. A project with sustainability

• The Sustainability Plan, which is unique to a project with sustainability

CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines | 3

4 | CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines

1.3 Cost Management

1. Developing a realistic, all-inclusive budget that meets the owner’s goals,

CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines | 5

Sustainable projects may require early estimation and post-construction verification of

1.4 Time Management

6 | CMAA 2016 Sustainability Guidelines

Contract milestones addressing sustainable design and construction requirements should be

1.5 Quality Management