Sequence 24 Findings of the EISA 436(h) Ad-Hoc Review Group on Green Building Certification Systems, 8145-8146 [2013-02408]

Agencies

• General Services Administration

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 5, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8145-8146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-02408]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

[Notice-MG-2012-04; Docket 2012-0002]


Sequence 24 Findings of the EISA 436(h) Ad-Hoc Review Group on 
Green Building Certification Systems

AGENCY: Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings; Office of 
Government-wide Policy, General Services Administration.

ACTION: Request for information.

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SUMMARY: GSA and its Federal agency partners in the EISA 436(h) Ad-Hoc 
Discussion Group are seeking public input regarding possible approaches 
GSA may take in fulfilling its requirement from the Energy Independence 
and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 to provide a formal recommendation to 
the Secretary of Energy that identifies a green building certification 
system(s) most likely to encourage a comprehensive and environmentally-
sound approach to the certification of green Federal buildings. GSA is 
using the deliberations from the EISA 436(h) Ad-hoc Discussion Group as 
well as verbal and written public input from previously held listening 
sessions in June and July 2012 and this Federal Register Notice to 
inform its final recommendation to the Secretary of Energy. The 
information being asked for in this notice is not for the purpose of a 
proposed GSA rulemaking or a GSA regulation; GSA is requesting input 
from the public to better inform its recommendation to the Secretary of 
Energy on what green building certification system(s) the Federal 
government should use.

DATES: Interested parties should submit written comments by one of the 
methods shown below on or before 60 days after publication in the 
Federal Register to be considered in the formation of GSA's 
recommendation to the Secretary of Energy.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in response to Notice-MG-2012-04 by any of 
the following methods:
     Regulations.gov: https://www.regulations.gov. Submit 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking portal by searching for ``Notice-
MG-2012-04''. Select the link ``Submit a Comment'' that corresponds 
with ``Notice-MG-2012-04.'' Follow the instructions provided at the 
``Submit a Comment'' screen. Please include your name, company name (if 
any), and ``Notice-MG-2012-04'' on your attached document.
     Fax: 202-501-4067.
     Email: bryan.steverson@gsa.gov
     Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory 
Secretariat (MVCB), ATTN: Hada Flowers, 1275 First Street NE., 7th 
Floor, Washington, DC 20417.
    Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite Notice-MG-2012-
04, in all correspondence related to this case. Visit https://www.gsa.gov/gbcertificationreview for more information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: GSA Sustainability Program Advisor: 
Bryan Steverson, 202-501-6115, bryan.steverson@gsa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    GSA and its Federal agency partners in the EISA 436(h) Ad-hoc 
Discussion Group are seeking public input regarding possible approaches 
GSA may take to carry out its responsibilities under the Energy 
Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA, Pub. L. 110-140) to 
evaluate green building certification systems and provide a formal 
recommendation to the Secretary of Energy on how green building 
certifications systems and related standards can be most effectively 
used by the Federal government to advance high performance in 
buildings.
    Section 436 of EISA requires the Director of GSA's Office of 
Federal High-Performance Green Buildings to evaluate green building 
certification systems every five years to identify a system and 
certification level that ``will be most likely to encourage a 
comprehensive and environmentally sound approach to the certification 
of green federal buildings.'' EISA requires the GSA Administrator to 
provide his/her recommendation to the Secretary of Energy, who then 
consults with the Secretary of Defense and the GSA Administrator, to 
identify the system(s) appropriate for use in the Federal sector to 
certify green buildings.
    GSA first evaluated certification systems in 2006 focusing on new 
construction. Based on this 2006 review, GSA recommended the U.S. Green 
Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) 
to the Secretary of Energy for use in the Federal sector. GSA completed 
its most recent evaluation of green building certification systems in 
May 2012 focusing on certification systems for new construction, major 
renovations, and existing buildings. In this review, three systems were 
evaluated in depth: Green Building Initiative's Green Globes (2010), 
U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental 
Design (2009), and the International Living Building Institute's Living 
Building Challenge (2011). GSA evaluated the three green building 
certification systems against 27 new construction and 28 existing 
building statutory and Executive Order requirements. The study found 
that Green Globes aligns with more of the Federal requirements for new 
construction than LEED or Living Building Challenge while LEED aligns 
with more of the Federal requirements for existing buildings than Green 
Globes or Living Building Challenge. Ultimately, the 2012 report found 
that none of the existing green building certification systems as 
designed meets all of the Federal government's needs for high 
performance building metrics and conformity assessment, especially when 
considering the Federal sector's statutory requirements in this area. 
However, better alignment between Federal requirements and green 
building certification system metrics and documentation could reinforce 
and continue the important role that green building certification 
systems currently play within Federal portfolios and in

[[Page 8146]]

harmonizing Federal green building activities with the private sector. 
To read the full study, please visit https://www.gsa.gov/gbcertificationreview.
    In recognition that there was a high level of interest in this 
green building certification system review, both within and outside the 
Federal sector, GSA asked the Department of Energy and the Department 
of Defense to co-chair an Interagency Ad-Hoc Discussion Group to work 
through a set of related questions and issues:
     Interrelationships among green building certification 
systems and green building code-compliant standards for new 
construction;
     Federal high performance building design, construction and 
operations requirements;
     Metrics to inform building performance tracking and 
reporting;
     How high performance in buildings can reduce the total 
cost of ownership; and
     The appropriate role of green building certification 
systems in advancing high performance buildings in the Federal sector.
    The EISA 436(h) Ad-hoc Discussion Group included representatives 
from major Federal real estate portfolio holders, including GSA, the 
Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Department of 
Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of 
State, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Justice. The Ad-Hoc Discussion 
Group met numerous times during May-July 2012 and held two public 
listening sessions to gather comments. This information and public 
comments collected from this request for information will be used by 
GSA to develop possible approaches that could form the basis of the 
EISA 436(h) recommendation. A full summary of the findings (and 
recommendations) from the Ad-hoc Discussion Group is available at 
https://www.gsa.gov/gbcertificationreview.

Key Concepts

    Based on the deliberations of the EISA 436(h) Ad-Hoc Discussion 
Group and input received from the two public listening sessions, GSA is 
offering several key concepts for additional public comment.
    1. Green building certification systems maintain robust integrated 
frameworks of performance metrics, standards and conformity assurance 
aimed at evaluating building performance. These systems are kept 
current with market developments, including maintenance of professional 
training and accreditation systems for designers, engineers, auditors 
and assessors to ensure professionals maintain their expertise in the 
evolving market. The Ad-hoc Discussion Group found that, properly 
aligned with government requirements, use of these systems saves 
government resources by eliminating the cost to Government of 
developing its own standards while furthering the policy of reliance on 
the private sector to supply Government needs for goods and services. 
GSA seeks public input on this finding.
    2. If pursuing certification, an Agency should select the green 
building certification system that best suits its mission and portfolio 
needs. However, there are important guidelines that should be applied 
for use of green building certification systems in the Federal sector:
    a. At the national level, guidance should be developed that 
identifies specific credits/points that all agencies should focus on 
when seeking certification. These points/credits should be aligned with 
Federal requirements and considered as ``prerequisites'' for Federal 
building certification. GSA is requesting public input on this strategy 
and on which points/credits should be considered as ``prerequisites.''
    b. For internal consistency and efficient use of resources, 
agencies should be encouraged to use only one system at the agency or 
service level. Effective use of these systems requires a high degree of 
familiarity with each system as well as the system's application to 
different building and types. Decisions to use multiple systems within 
one agency should be based on a finding that the organizational 
structure supports effective use of training resources, and meets 
portfolio needs considering broad classes of building and use types. 
GSA is requesting public input on this strategy and whether there are 
other tools that should be used in lieu of or in addition to green 
building certification systems.
    c. Federal experience with green building certification systems has 
demonstrated that the systems are flexible enough to develop 
applications to all building types if Federal agencies have the right 
direction about how to use the systems, and that this direction should 
apply to all buildings, including special building types and building 
types/uses representing relatively small segments in the Federal 
portfolio. GSA seeks input on this finding.
    3. The Federal sector should formalize a process to maintain 
currency with the evolution of green building certification systems and 
underlying standards. GSA requests public input on the proposed process 
below. Elements of the recommended ``currency'' process include:
    a. The Federal sector should maintain currency in the use of any 
green building rating system and automatically adopt the newest version 
of any standard or green building certification system within one year 
after it is finalized, unless there is an overt decision not to adopt 
the latest version.
    b. Representatives from major Federal real property portfolio 
holders and resource agencies should convene to review any updated 
green building certification systems and changes to standards critical 
to building performance in a process similar to the current EISA 436(h) 
interagency review.
    c. GSA's Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings should 
track the evolution of green building certification systems and 
standards, and work with the Departments of Energy and Defense, and 
other agencies as appropriate, to review changes and propose any 
necessary Federal response.
    4. Green building certification systems currently serve as a bridge 
both in supporting the transformation to high-performance within the 
Federal portfolio, and in harmonizing Federal green building activities 
with the private sector. The Federal government should strategically 
engage with green building certification system owners to develop 
better alignment with Federal agency requirements and needs while 
continuing the Federal government's role in market leadership. 
Strategically engaging to develop better alignment with Federal agency 
requirements and needs could include improving performance metrics and 
methodologies; addressing fundamental improvements in content such as 
life cycle impacts and human health and productivity needs; and 
increasing government efficiency by reducing duplication in 
documentation for conformity assurance. GSA requests public input into 
what the Federal role is in evolving green building certification 
systems, standards, and tools to better address Federal agency 
requirements and needs and support evolution in the market.

    Dated: January 30, 2013.
Kevin Kampschroer
Federal Director, Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings, 
Office of Government-wide Policy, U.S. General Services Administration.
[FR Doc. 2013-02408 Filed 2-4-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-14-P