Sustainability is certainly no new idea. In fact, it's a heavily sought approach to both design and management — from one end of the equator to the other. With global trends in carbon footprint reduction and designing environmentally efficient buildings (or modifying existing structures), sustainable, state-of-the-art projects can be found scattered around the world.

Aside from determining a building's performance goals in the design-phase, moderating and ensuring efficiency in performance post-occupancy is necessary to prevent wandering astray from initial goals. But with all the "green" certifications on the market, which are the most valuable? With certifications from government agencies and organizations for both the physical structure and its manager(s), what labels and certifications should facility managers strive to achieve?

Through several expert interviews and careful analysis of energy-savings reports, we've come up with the certifications that are most valuable, and why. 

ENERGY STAR is the initial expert recommendation, doubling as a building block for other certifications — like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). ENERGY STAR-labeled products and appliances use significantly less energy than standard products. Additionally, ENERGY STAR offers a very valuable tool for buildings and facilities — that just so happens to be free. 

ENERGY STAR's Portfolio Manager is a free resource allowing building managers to gauge their facility's performance in comparison to similar facilities — offering insight to what areas need improvement in terms of efficiency and resourcefulness. 

The question becomes: Why not use this tool? Surprisingly, a 2011 International Facility Management Association (IFMA) survey showed that 85 percent of facility managers had a sustainability plan intact; however, only 45 percent of those surveyed were ENERGY STAR participants. 

A 2008 study conducted by CoStar demonstrated ENERGY STAR-labeled buildings outperformed their unlabeled peers in areas like occupancy, sale price and rental rates — sometimes by wide margins. According to the study, “ENERGY STAR buildings are selling for an average of $61 per square foot more than their peers.”

An ENERGY STAR Summary of Financial Benefits claims, “Managers of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) with large ENERGY STAR portfolios confirm that both tenant comfort and occupancy are higher in their ENERGY STAR-labeled buildings.”

With the research showing cost-savings over time, outperformance of peers and increases in value, it almost seems inefficient not to take advantage of this. 

Secondly, experts recommend LEED certification for buildings. It can be a costly investment, so it may not be feasible for all organizations to undertake this role, but for those with the means to make the investment(s), LEED certification offers many benefits. 

Aside from demonstrating corporate social responsibility and a commitment to environmental performance goals, LEED certification suggests prestige. 

David Braslau, vice president of Project Development at Constellation Energy, reiterates why facility managers should strive for this certification, "Prestige. LEED certification is viewed in the industry as much harder to obtain than a passing ENERGY STAR score — a much higher bar. For commercial owners, it’s a marketing tool. It attracts tenants who are environmentally conscious."

Chuck Lohre, president at Green Cincinnati Education Advocacy, gives Cincinnati-based Messer Construction kudos for recently achieving LEED-EBOM (Existing Building: Operations and Maintenance) certification. Its employees proposed a $60,000 sustainability investment to management, arguing that it could be repaid in four years with energy savings. In actuality, the project was repaid in just 15 months, and the company is saving $3,000 in utility costs monthly.

Lastly, experts suggest professional accreditations. Some of the common accreditations include LEED’s Accredited Professional, IFMA’s Sustainability Facility Professional, Association of Energy Engineers’ Certified Energy Manager and American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers’ High-Performance Building Design Professional Certification. But how valuable are these accreditations really?

Having a facility manager with a holistic understanding of a building, its maintenance and high-performance is an incredible asset. Constellation Energy’s senior vice pPresident of Demand Response, Peter Kelly-Detwiler goes on, “It’s an environment, an ecosystem — everything from the bike rack to the performance of the technology to the occupants’ behavior. If someone on staff can understand that and can hold true to that, it keeps the initial investment and achievement from wandering out of compliance.”

He finished our interview with, “Having a [credentialed] facility manager is kind of like having a doctor living in the building.”

What experience or suggestions do you have for facility managers taking sustainability measures? Do you have a story emphasizing the importance of green certifications?