LEED-EB Requires Energy Efficiency Measures

Sustainability should be a no-brainer for facility executives. After all, sustainability is the basis of what those who manage buildings do every day: running buildings efficiently and keeping operating costs as low as possible.

But to demonstrate a building’s sustainability, there are several areas on which to focus. The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) rating system provides a good baseline for measuring sustainability, regardless of whether certification is the goal.

When developing a holistic sustainability plan, facility executives should consider strategies in five areas: energy, water, materials and purchasing, waste, and indoor environmental quality. Looking at each of these areas can help determine a baseline, and benchmarking current performance in each area is crucial to determining both a starting point and a finish line.