The Environmentally Responsible Green Office at a Glance

Chapter 3 - Checklist of Green Office Building Activities By Technical Area

This section presents more detailed green office building information and practices by technical area, in checklist format. The detailed information from which this list was compiled is contained in Sections 3, 5, 7 and 9 of the second edition of The Environmentally Responsible Construction and Renovation Handbook (March 2000); which also forms Part B of the GOBP. This more detailed source material should be referred to if additional information is required.

3.1 Water Conservation

Water Conservation - Domestic Water Supply

Basic Measures:

• Water closets (maximum water consumption 6.0 L/flush).
• Urinals (maximum water consumption 3.8 L/flush).
• Faucet aerators (maximum flow rate 4 L/m @ 413 kPa).
• Shower heads (maximum flow rate 7.6 L/m@ 550 kPa).
• Automatic shut-off (manual or electronic) for all faucets and showers.
• Notices posted beside the showerheads explaining use of water conserving features.
• Residential dishwashers - maximum water consumption 24 L/cycle.
• Single load commercial dishwashers - maximum water consumption 5.3 L/rack.
• Conveyor Type Commercial Dishwashers - maximum water consumption 21 L/meter of conveyor width/minute of operation at highest speed.
• Water softeners - demand initiated back flushing with counterflow operation.

Additional Measures:

• Locate water heaters centrally to minimize piping runs.
• Install pedal switch on kitchen sinks.
• Consider installing waterless urinals.

Water Conservation - Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning - (HVAC) Systems

Basic Measures:

• Do not specify open-loop equipment.
• Schedule regular water quality testing for cooling tower sump water.
• Perform cooling tower blow down procedures only when indicated by water quality test results.
• Specify counter flow evaporative cooling towers with a maximum drift loss 0.002 percent of total water flow.

Additonal Measures:

• Check and calibrate humidifier controls annually.
• Consider chemical treatments that suspend minerals and minimize the need for tower blow down.
• Consider using rainwater for cooling tower water makeup.

Water Conservation - Landscaping

Basic Measures:

• Avoid using Kentucky Bluegrass turf (very water intensive).
• If automatic irrigation systems are to be specified the systems should be equipped with both timers and electronic moisture sensors to ensure that the system engages only when the moisture levels in the ground are below acceptable levels.
• Do not conduct irrigation procedures during the day when evaporation rates are highest.
• Set automatic irrigation systems for 15mm/week watering or less, as consistent with the species planted.
• Adjust sprinklers to avoid overspray into parking lots and other non-landscaped areas.
• Use drought-resistant native plants to cover a minimum 70 percent of landscaped areas.
• Use trees and shrubs to provide shade and wind protection.

Additonal Measures:

• Collect rainwater (i.e. rain barrel, cistern, retention pond) for use in irrigation procedures.
• Ensure chemistry of selected soils and mulches meets the needs of the plantings to minimize irrigation requirements.
• Consider installing porous paving surfaces and grass paving surfaces to maximize rainwater retention and minimize run off.

3.2 Solid Non-Waste Hazardous Management

This section deals with issues related to solid non-hazardous waste only. Hazardous wastes should be handled in accordance with applicable provincial regulations.

Solid Non-Waste Hazardous Management - Construction, Renovation, Demolition(CRD) Waste

CRD General Activities:

• Conduct a waste audit prior to commencing activities to determine which materials can be diverted from landfill.
• Prepare a waste diversion work plan.
• Use the National Master Specification (NMS) to write CRD specifications.

CRD Waste Reduction and Reuse Activities:

• Separate building materials and equipment for:
  • donation or sale to other facilities (i.e. used building materials centre, demolition contractors);
  • reuse on-site; and
  • other off-site projects.
• Ensure that Crown Assets remove all equipment and materials identified in its report.

CRD Waste Monitoring and Reporting

• Summarize weight and volume of CRD materials that will be generated throughout the project.
• Summarize weight and volume of CRD materials reused or recycled throughout the project.
• Summarize the cost and savings (i.e. labour costs, shipping and disposal costs and savings).
• Develop projected waste-diversion percentages (using waste audit baseline measurements).
• Identify the condition of the reusable materials.
• Summarize problems that were encountered and document solutions.
• Develop list of recommendations for future projects.

CRD Waste Recycling Activities

• Identify local recycling markets for CRD materials.
• Contact local recycling companies for information on recycling services.
• Decide whether CRD recyclables are to be diverted into single material type outlets (accept source separated recyclable materials) or full service type recycling outlets (accept mixed shipments of recyclable materials which are separated off-site).
• Ensure contract with recycler specifies materials to be recycled, price schedule, pick-up requirements and proper documentation.

3.3 Office Waste Recycling

Office Waste Recycling - Multi-Materials Recycling

• To meet separation requirements of the recycling program, central recycling bins should have the appropriate number of compartments.
• Central recycling bins for glass, metal, plastics and polystyrene should be conveniently placed on each floor and properly identified.
• Sufficient and properly signed bins should be placed in areas throughout the building where recyclable materials are generated such as lunchrooms, cafeterias, catering areas and outdoor lunch areas.
• Bins should be checked frequently by cleaning staff to ensure they do not overflow.
• Bins should be wiped down periodically.
• Employees should be instructed to remove excess food and liquids from packaging before placement in recycling bins.

Office Waste Recycling - Office Waste Reduction Planning

• Allocate convenient locations for recycling centres or receptacles.
• Allocate sufficient storage area for recyclables.
• Design recycling centres that complement office decor.
• Incorporate receptacles for recycling materials into lunchroom, coffee station and other heavy traffic areas.
• Bins should be wiped down periodically.
• Ensure recycling stations do not block hallways.
• Place recycling stations within required distance of smoke detectors and fire sprinklers.

Office Waste Recycling - Organic Waste Collection

• Signage should clearly indicate what materials are acceptable to the composting program.
• Ensure that there is support from the property management and staff to ensure handling of the organic waste (especially on floors).
• Educate employees on the importance of eliminating contamination.
• Organic waste requires removal from floor bins and cafeterias daily to reduce odours and pests (flies).
• Organic materials should be collected at least every second or third day, unless there is cold storage in the building.

Office Waste Recycling - Paper Recycling

• Provide a PaperSave bin near each desk where paper-recycling programs are in place.
• Locate PaperSave bins close to central photocopiers, printers and mail centres.
• Provide sufficient and appropriate signage to explain the program to employees.
• New employees should receive explanations of site recycling programs.

Office Waste Recycling - Waste and Recycling Collection Services

• There should be enough waste collection bins throughout the building to meet the needs of the occupants.
• Waste should be compacted where possible.
• Ensure that the collection schedule meets the requirements of the building.
• Review waste collection storage and collection frequencies quarterly.
• Ensure that the waste hauler can provide the name, phone number and tipping rate structure for disposal facilities used. If possible, the disposal facility should be within the local area and must be a licensed operation.
• The haulage contract should allow flexibility in frequency of service.
• Waste and recycling contracts should have collected weights included on invoices or by separate monthly reporting mechanism to allow for auditing purposes.
• Provide feedback to employees about their waste diversion performance.

3.4 IAQ and Material Section

IAQ and Material Section - Construction Practices

• Ensure construction materials are protected from rain and other moisture sources.
• Control fibre and particulate release during installation procedures.
• Verify that all materials arriving on-site meet environmental specifications.
• Commission heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems to ensure they meet design specifications

IAQ and Material Section - Source Control

Basic Measures:

• Ensure basement moisture control prevents soil gases and moisture from entering the building.
• Reduce off-gassing from finishes by selecting water-based (latex or acrylic) paints, caulkings and adhesives. Use third-party certifications, where available, to identify low emissions products.
• Specify only materials with no or low VOCs for interior surfaces in the building (i.e. ceiling coatings, wall coverings and panelling, floor coverings, office partitions, etc.).
• Limit the levels of formaldehyde emissions by eliminating the specification of materials that have been manufactured with urea-formaldehyde. Specifications can be amended to call for products that have been manufactured with phenolformaldeyde, which will not adversely impact on IAQ. If substitutions are unavailable, designs should be modified to ensure that all surfaces with the potential to emit formaldehyde have been effectively sealed with low VOC sealants.
• Limit amount of carpeting in the interior of the building.
• When specifying carpeting, the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) can provide test data on VOC emission rates for many carpets. These test results can be used for disclosure or comparative purposes. However, care should be taken when using industry-driven programs, as the standards for certification may not meet criteria that have been established by third party or non-industry driven certification programs. This information should be used for evaluation purposes only.
• Use "low-emission" or water-based adhesives for affixing carpets.
• Prevent condensation on interior surfaces (such as window frames) by designing all components for a minimum indoor surface temperature of 10°C (50°F).
• Ensure that fresh ventilation air is drawn from clean outdoor locations.
• Do not use ozone generating devices claiming to be air purification devices.

Additonal Measures:

• Eliminate trim made from manufactured wood containing formaldehyde and trim from species that emit high levels of VOCs.
• Select furniture and furnishings (e.g. cabinets, desks, tables, chairs and bookshelves) manufactured from materials known not to contain urea-formaldehyde and other VOCs.

IAQ and Material Section - Ventilation System Design

Basic Measures:

• Ensure that the ventilation air system is designed to meet the requirements of ASHRAE 62.
• Ensure ventilation supply and exhaust grilles are located to avoid short-circuiting of supply air directly into the return grille.
• Design outside air louvers and ducts (including economizers) to limit intake air velocities to exclude rainwater entry (maximum face velocity 2.54 m/s).
• Specify air velocities through cooling coils and humidifiers to prevent wetting of downstream surfaces (maximum face velocity 2.54 m/s).
• Eliminate use of fibrous duct-liner or glass fibre ducting.
• Isolate potential pollution sources and vent to the outdoors with separate ventilation systems. Vents should exhaust directly to the outdoors with no recirculation of exhaust air from kitchens, washrooms, smoking lounges, custodial closets, cleaning chemical storage areas and dedicated printing/copying areas. Adding these locations to existing washroom exhaust may be one way of retrofitting dedicated ventilation.

Additonal Measures:

• If possible design air-based systems for a minimum total air movement of 5.1 litres/second/m2.
• Investigate potential for installation of displacement ventilation.
• Investigate potential to use high-efficiency filters (minimum 60 percent dust-spot efficiency) in all makeup and return-air ducting.
• If possible, design air handler and control sequence to provide modulation up to 100 percent of air-handler capacity in outdoor air as outdoor conditions warrant.
• Specify a night purge cycle during air-conditioning season to flush building with night air, thereby removing pollutants that have built up in the interior space. Night flushing avoids the need to condition the air during flushing.
• Evaluate the incorporation of natural ventilation through the use of operable windows.

3.5 Energy Efficiency

Energy Efficiency - Air Distribution

• The zones within a given airflow area should be on the same occupancy schedule and have off-hours setback or on/off controls.
• Divide air distribution system into airflow control areas of not more than 2500 m2 (or one storey), if serving multiple temperature control zones and having a combined conditioned floor area of more than 2500 m2.
• Variable-air-volume (VAV) system fan power requirements must not exceed 2.65 W per L/s of design supply airflow to the conditioned space (calculated according to MNECB Sentence 5.3.1.2[2]).
• Constant volume systems must not exceed 1.6 W per L/s of design airflow (calculated according to MNECB Sentence 5.3.1.2[2] and excluding fans with performance requirements cited in MNECB Subsection 5.2.13).
• All fans in a VAV system (including central fans in distributed systems served by VAV boxes) must have a power reduction of 45 percent or more for an airflow reduction of 50 percent.
• Design all duct systems with provisions for balancing.
• Seal all HVAC ducts and plenums to the SMACNA HVAC Duct Construction Standard and MNECB Table 4.2.2.3.

Additonal Considerations:

• Consider converting CV systems with dual ducts or terminal reheat that use backward-inclined or airfoil fans to VAV operation.
• Consider converting existing VAV systems with inlet vane airflow controls or outlet dampers to variable frequency drives (VFDs).
• If building heating or cooling loads have been reduced lower fan speed on VAV systems. Reduce the fan RPM if vanes or dampers are closed more than 20 percent on a peak cooling day. Lower the fan speed by changing pulley sizes.
• Evaluate changing fan belts to timing belt type drives. "Cogged" drive belts experience less energy loss than ordinary V-belts, are much more durable, and require less maintenance.
• Replace existing motors with properly sized energy-efficient motors when: the motor is due for rewinding or replacement; the motor runs a significant number of hours per year; and/or the motor is significantly below current efficiency standards.
• High efficiency motors run at a higher speed than standard efficiency motors. The drives must be adjusted to account for this difference.

Ventilation and Heat Recovery:

• Consider installing heat recovery ventilation if additional ventilation air is required during the retrofit of an existing building.
• Heat recovery can be applied between the building general exhaust (typically washroom exhaust), reducing the ventilation energy load by about 60 percent.
• Heat recovery can reduce the required capacity and cost of heating and cooling equipment by a corresponding amount.
• Heat recovery can also make it feasible to deliver ventilation at greater than minimum rates required by Code.
• Energy recovery techniques include plate heat exchangers, rotary wheel heat exchangers (with or without desiccant coating for moisture and latent energy transfer), heat pipes, or run-around coils.

Energy Efficiency - Building Envelope Insulation

• Thermal transmittance (U-value) of walls, roof and floors-on-ground must not exceed the values of the Model National Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB).
• An assembly's U-value must account for thermal bridging due to framing members.
• The edge of a concrete floor or roof, where it intersects an exterior wall, would be insulated so that its U-value is not more than twice that of the associated wall.
• Wall areas containing recessed heaters, pipes and ducts that partly penetrate the building envelope should have a U-value not exceeding the overall U-value of the remainder of the wall.
• Floors on grade, exterior walls or exterior ceilings containing embedded radiant heating sources should be insulated to 20 percent better than the U-value allowed by the MNECB.
• Attic insulation must be continuous over the top plate of the wall bearing the roof and have a U-value not more than that of the associated wall.
• At discontinuities where the plane of the insulation is offset and cannot physically be joined, each layer should be continuous and overlap for a length of at least four times the distance separating the two layers of insulation.
• Where a concrete or masonry interior wall penetrates an exterior roof or wall, it should be insulated on both sides to a distance of at least four times the thickness of that interior wall to the same U-value as the exterior wall.
• Insulate all required below grade walls over their full height to the U-value specified in the MNECB.
• Airbarrier/vapour retarder systems should be designed and installed in accordance with Part 5 of the National Building Code of Canada (NBC) to provide the required envelope airtightness and resistance to vapour diffusion.

Energy Efficiency - Documentation

• Design documentation for all energy consuming building systems should include a statement of the design intent and operational recommendations. The following details the required information:
  • descriptive information about each system, detailing its function, design capability, performance characteristic and distribution arrangement; and
  • schematic diagrams, control diagrams and sequence of operation

Required information includes stop/start and adjustment procedures, changeover, and start-up/shutdown sequences.

Energy Efficiency - Economizer Systems

• Use outdoor air economizer systems to provide cool outdoor air to the extent available and in the volumes required to displace as much mechanical cooling as possible.
• Install air economizer systems if system is greater than 1500 L/s supply air or 20 kW cooling capacity.
• Use water economizer systems as an alternative to outdoor air economizer systems if designed to operate efficiently.

Energy Efficiency - Electric Power

• Plan energy monitoring for systems with capacity greater than 250 kVA.
• Control exterior power receptacles by a switch or timer (may need to be accessible to tenants).
• Transformers and their power-loss characteristics should comply with the MNECB 7.2.3.1.
• Three-phase motors and their efficiency must comply with MNECB 7.2.4.
• Evaluate and correct voltage imbalances, voltage deviations, poor connections, undersized conductors, poor power factors, insulation leakage and harmonics.
• Document the design and the maintenance requirements of the electrical power system.

Energy Efficiency - Fenestration and Doors

• U-value of windows and skylights should not exceed the values specified in MNECB. Airtightness ratings should be A2 or better.
• Overall U-value of swinging doors should not exceed values in MNECB. (Airtightness should comply with MNECB article 3.2.4.3).
• Install all doors and windows with insulation and air barrier/vapour retarder continuous to and securely attached to the frame.
• Vestibules are required at all entry doors that separate the conditioned space from the outdoors (except where exempted in MNECB article 3.2.2.3).

Energy Efficiency - HVAC Systems

• Size HVAC equipment to meet load conditions as required by ASHRAE 90.1.
• Packaged and field assembled HVAC equipment should comply with efficiency requirement in MNECB 5.2.13.
• Service water equipment used for space heating should comply with efficiency requirements of MNECB 6.2.2.1.
• Use HVAC equipment must be used only under conditions allowed by manufacturer.
• Snow and ice melting equipment for sidewalks and driveways should not be installed unless manual clearing is not possible. If equipment is installed, controls should be automatic or easily accessible manual, with clear signage and trouble lights.
• The supply air handler should achieve the supply air set-point temperature without heating previously cooled air, cooling previously heated air, or heating outdoor air, which is in excess of the minimum required for ventilation.

Additonal Measures For Hydonic Systems:

• Add radiator controls to each radiator or group, to eliminate radiators that operate "wild" at full output and require opening windows to maintain comfort conditions in winter.
• Replace old, inefficient boilers.
• Decentralize systems. Several smaller units strategically located around a large facility reduce distribution losses and offer flexibility in meeting the demands of differing schedules and loads.
• Multiple small boilers may be staged to meet loads using less energy than a single large central plant.
• Modernize boiler controls with DDC controls, which allow logic-intense functions such as optimizing fuel/air mixture based on continuous flue gas sampling, managing combustion, controlling feed drum levels and controlling steam header pressure.
• Install an economizer in the flue to preheat boiler feedwater. Efficiency increases about 1 percent for every 5.5 C° increase in feedwater temperature. Ensure that stack temperature remains above the acid dew point and that excess stack temperature is not due to a maintenance problem such as scaling.
• Install an oxygen trim system to optimize fuel/air ratio.
• Install automatic flue dampers to reduce heat loss through the flue during the boiler off cycle.
• Retrofit standing gas pilots with electronic ignition.
• Add automatic, demand operated blow down controls to reduce waste from uncontrolled continuous blow down.
• Add waste heat recovery to blow downs. Use recovery tanks and heat exchangers to preheat feedwater.
• Consider retrofitting boiler fire tubes with turbulators when re-tubing.
• Ensure boiler casing and boiler piping are insulated with at least 25mm insulation.

Energy Efficiency - Lighting

• All exterior lights must provide at least 60 Im/W.
• Use schedule controllers and/or photocells to control exterior lighting.
• Facade lighting must be less than 1.2 W/m2 of face.
• Overall building lighting power density shall not exceed 11.5 W/m2.
• There must be one control per circuit - next to an entrance, visible and readily accessible.
• Occupancy sensors should be used in spaces not continuously occupied (e.g. washrooms, utility rooms, etc.).
• Use photoelectric on/off or dimming controls to provide daylighting in common areas greater than 40m2 and within 6m of appropriate windows in the building perimeter.
• Where workstations have been equipped with task lighting, switches should be installed in close proximity.
• Exit signs should be rated less than 12W each or be self-luminating.
• Fluorescent lamp ballasts should comply with MNECB 4.2.5.
• Document design intent and operational recommendations for lighting systems.

Energy Efficiency - Other Components

• Every duct or opening discharging air from a conditioned space to the outdoors or to an unconditioned space must have a motorized damper (some exceptions apply, see MNECB 5.2.3.1 [2] to [4]).
• Outdoor air intake ducts or openings must have a motorized damper (some exceptions apply, see MNECB 5.2.3.1 [2] to [4]).
• Locate dampers as closely as possible to the plane of the building envelope.
• Design dampers to close automatically when system is not in operation.
• Use only low-leakage dampers.
• Dampers can be located inside outdoor heating and cooling equipment.
• Automatic controls should turn off ventilation equipment during unoccupied periods.
• Automatic controls should set back heating temperature or set up cooling temperature set points during unoccupied periods.
• Controls should be interlocked to ensure prevention of simultaneous heating and cooling of space.
• All zones should have their own heating and cooling thermostatic controls. For perimeter radiation, all orientations should have their own controls.
• Seasonal hydronic pumping systems should be automatic or readily accessible and have clearly labelled controls to shut down the pumps when they are not in use.
• In comfort conditioning applications, automatic controls should limit humidifier operation to times when space RH is below 30 percent. Dehumidifier operation should be limited to times when the space RH is above 60 percent.

Energy Efficiency - Piping For Heating and Cooling Systems

• Design hydronic systems with incorporated balancing devices.
• Insulate pipes containing fluid with design-operating temperatures outside a range of 13oC to 40oC to MNECB Table 5.2.4.3 (unless exempted to MNECB Sentences 5.2.4.3 [2-6]).
• Hydronic heating and cooling systems with pumping power of 7.5 kW or more should have variable flow capability able to reduce system flow to 50 percent of full design flow or less.
• Insulate HVAC piping outside the building envelope to MNECB Table 5.2.4.3.

Energy Efficiency - Service Water Heating

• Hydronic heating and cooling systems with pumping power of 7.5 kW or more should have a variable flow capability able to reduce system flow to 50 percent of full design flow or less.
• Service water heaters, storage tank boilers and pool heaters should comply with MNECB Table 6.2.2.1.
• Insulate storage tanks not located in conditioned spaces with a maximum U-value of 0.55 W/m2/oC. Those located within conditioned space should have insulation with a maximum U-value of 0.8 W/m2/oC.
• Protect all insulation materials from physical damage.
• Locate all heating equipment (excluding storage tanks) in a temperature-conditioned space.
• Insulate all service hot water piping in accordance with MNECB Table 6.2.3.1 and sentences 6.2.3.1(2) to (4).
• Separate remote heaters are required for portions of any system with less than 50 percent of the total design flow at a second temperature above 60oC.
• Set automatic, adjustable controls to maintain the water temperatures at the minimum allowable requirement.
• Insulate all hot water pipes.

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