Key Sustainable Guidance in New Construction

1. U.S. General Services Administration. Federal Acquisition Service.Sustainable Procurement in Construction Contracting Linda Du LacPurchasing AgentUSDA Forest ServiceMay 12, 2011

2. Key Sustainable Guidance in New Construction • Executive Orders 13423 & 13514 • Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings • USDA Sustainable Buildings Implementation Plan (SBIP) • Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) • USDA Sustainable Procurement Program (SPP)

3. “Western Collective” Focuses on Sustainability • Western region of the USDA Forest Service • Goal is to facilitate overall coordination of Sustainable Operations practices • Reduce environmental footprint, while advancing the principles of sustainability. • Holistic approach to Sustainable purchasing.

4. Sustainable Procurement Program Categories • Recycled content and recycled • Energy efficient • Biobased • Environmentally preferable • Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) registered • Water efficient • Non-ozone depleting • Non-toxic or less toxic

5. Holistic Approach to Sustainable Procurement in New Construction • Our Example: Construction of the Cle Elum Ranger District Building Addition Cle Elum Lake

6. Geography Fundamental to Sustainable Design, Sustainable Procurement Cle Elum, Washington • 83 miles from major city (Seattle) • Must cross major mountain range to major city • Population 1,925 • Town sits on eastern slopes of the Cascades • Very little precipitation • Snow in winter • Elevation 1,905 feet • Picture from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cle_elum.jpg

7. Cle Elum Ranger Station Contracts • Three contracts awarded • Considered ability to obtain LEED certification • All requiring sustainable products • Architectural & Engineering (A/E) design services • Construction of the new building, • Janitorial

8. Sustainable Products Incorporated into Cle Elum Ranger Station

9. Recycled Content • Re-Used Concrete • Existing on-site concrete sidewalks removed and reused for pavers • Surplus materials hauled to nearby aggregate/cement plant

10. Recycled Content • Used local angular rock

11. Recycled Content • Building materials with recycled content such that post-consumer recycled content plus one-half of pre-consumer content constitutes a minimum of 10% of cost of materials used for project • Top soil was removed during excavation of the site and stockpiled for landscaping use

12. Energy Efficient Including ENERGY STAR, FEMP Designated, and Low Standby Power • Smart Thermostats • Lights are low wattage florescent Energy Star rated • Light sensors • Low E windows and doors • Picture from http://www.zigbee.org

13. Energy Efficient • HVAC system utilized FEMP designated specifications for energy efficient heat pumps and water heaters

14. Biobased • Biobased landscaping materials • Biobased janitorial products • A minimum of 50% of wood-based materials to be certified by accredited sources (FSC Principles and Criteria of Forest Stewardship)

15. Environmentally Preferable • Cleaning products are non-toxic, non-volatile, and biodegradable • Paint has low volatile organic compounds

16. Water Efficient • Low flow faucets

17. Water Efficient • No flush design urinals eliminate potable plumbed water use for flushing (approximately 3 liters per flush) • Requires weekly or more maintenance liquid to contain orders • These urinals work best with daily use to reduce odor • Some manufacturers recommend daily cleaning

18. Water Efficient • Rain Garden • Trees and shrubs selected for draught resistant varieties typically found in the region. Reduced water requirements

19. Water Efficient • Roof eaves drain into a rock covered buried pipe • Drains into the landscaped rain garden

20. Non-Ozone Depleting • Building materials with specified low VOC content • Adhesives • Welding Compounds • Sealants • Primers • Paints, varnishes, lacquers, stains • No products allowed that contain urea-formaldehyde resin

21. Non-toxic or Less Toxic • Ceramic tile adhesives • Floor Sealants • Counter laminates and adhesives • Carpets

22. Cle Elum Building Status Contracting Officers are currently working with the Architect - counting up the points and then updating the project information with LEED - US Green Building Council, for LEED Silver Certification

23. Sample Construction Contract Language for Sustainable Procurement • For Biobased http://www.biopreferred.gov/Procurement_Resources.aspx http://www.dm.usda.gov/procurement/programs/biobased/procurementtools.htm • Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers http://www.wbdg/org/design/greenspec/php • Acquiring Green Products and Services http://www.epa/gov/epp

24. Sample Contact Language (cont.) • For electronic products http://www.epeat.net/RFP.aspx • For products and services that meet ENERGY STAR standards http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=bulk_purchasing.bus_purchasing

25. Sample Biobased Contact Language • For: • Custodial Services • Food Services/Cafeteria • Grounds Maintenance • Construction • Operations and Maintenance • Vehicle Maintenance • Contract language for: • Section C - Statement of Work • Section L - Instructions to Offerors • Section M - Evaluation Factors for Award http://www.biopreferred.gov/Procurement_Resources.aspx

26. In Summary • Construction Contracting Specifications are an integral step in meeting our Sustainable Procurement Requirements • It’s doable • It’s exciting • It’s required!

27. U.S. General Services Administration. Federal Acquisition Service.Linda Du Lac509-997-0198 ext. 5ldulac@fs.fed.us