OVERVIEW
Operations and maintenance (O&M) of existing buildings get short shrift in the green building community.
But greening existing buildings has immediate benefits for owners, occupants, and the planet. And new buildings that look good on paper need a successful handoff to operations. That often includes a year or more of working out the kinks in sophisticated energy systems.
Sustainable O&M encompasses:
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site maintenance, landscaping, and rainwater management
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water efficiency
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energy efficiency, including auditing and commissioning
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environmentally preferable purchasing
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waste management
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indoor air quality management
- green cleaning
IN-DEPTH
Filter results:
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First LEED v4 Projects Certified
News Brief
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LEED Buildings Above Average in Latest Energy Data Release
News Analysis
The largest release of energy data from LEED-certified buildings shows good energy results but leaves room for improvement in data collection and sharing.
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New Energy Data Is Changing How We Judge Efficiency—And LEED
News Analysis
Seeking lessons from New York City benchmarking data, researchers question everything we thought we knew about energy metrics.
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NYC Buildings Gain Three Energy Star Points in Year Two
News Analysis
Although data quality remains rough, multifamily buildings and water use information released for the first time provides fodder for research in energy efficiency.
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Grounds Maintenance Implicated in Butterfly Extinctions
News Brief
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EBie Award Winners Announced for 2013
News Analysis
EBies honor the people behind this year's most impressive performance improvements in existing buildings.
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Making Wall Outlets Safer—and Smarter
Product Review
In addition to protecting against electric shock and fire, SafePlug uses RFID tags to help track energy use from individual appliances and turn them on and off remotely.
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HOBO Data Loggers: No Longer Just for Researchers
Product Review
Understanding how buildings work is becoming more and more important, and Onset Computer offers a wide range of HOBO data loggers to serve this need.
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EBies Honor "Unsung Heroes" of High-Performance Buildings
News Analysis
Envelope, please! The Urban Green Council awards the first EBies for high-performance existing buildings.
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The Greening of Meetings: Event Venues Get Sustainable
News Brief