Sustainable Building Requirements

The following are applicable regulations, Executive Orders, and directives governing Federal sustainable building activities and the date of issuance. Reclamation policy, directive and standards (D&S), and plans for sustainable building implementation are also provided.

Executive Order 13693

Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade 19 March 2015 The goal of EO 13693 is to maintain Federal leadership in sustainability and greenhouse gas emission reductions. Signed by President Obama on 19 March 2015. Section 16 of this EO revokes the following: Executive Order 13423 of January 24, 2007; Executive Order 13514 of October 5, 2009; Presidential Memorandum of December 2, 2011 (Implementation of Energy Savings Projects and Performance-Based Contracting for Energy Savings); Section 1 of Presidential Memorandum of February 21, 2012 (Driving Innovation and Creating Jobs in Rural America through Biobased and Sustainable Product Procurement); and Presidential Memorandum of December 5, 2013 (Federal Leadership on Energy Management); and Presidential Memorandum of May 24, 2011 (Federal Fleet Performance). ​EO 13693 establishes goals for sustainable new construction, modernizations and existing buildings

The Guiding Principles

  • Overview.  Click here for an overview of the Guiding Principle requirements

    • 2008 Guiding Principles

  • High Performance and Sustainable Building (HPSB) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), February, 2006. Over 20 Federal agencies sign the HPSB Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and commit to implementing more sustainable building construction.  The HPSB MOU outlines five "Guiding Principles" for sustainable building design and construction.
  • Executive Order (EO) 13423, Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management, January 26, 2007 (EO 13423), Section 2(f).  EO 13423 establishes the HPSB Guiding Principles as the Federal standard for new construction and major renovation of all Federal buildings.  It also requires that 15 percent of existing Federal building inventory incorporate the Guiding Principles by 2015.
  • High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Guidance, December, 2008.  The Office of Management and Budget approved the HPSB Guidance to update the Guiding Principles for new construction and major renovations and establish Guiding Principles for existing buildings.  The guidance directs Federal agencis to develop Sustainable Building Implementation Plans and report status on compliance with EO 13423, Section 2(f), through the Federal Real Property Profile.

    • 2016 Guiding Principles

  • 2016 Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings and Associated Instructions
    • Dated February 2016, this document updates and replaces the December 2008 Guiding Principles to: 1) Reflect the evolution of sustainable building design, construction, and operating practices since 2008, 2) Incorporate other building-related E.O. 13693 requirements, 3) Increase the economic and environmental benefits of Federal investments in facilities, 4) Enhance occupant health, wellness, and productivity, 5) Include climate resilience in building design, construction, and operations, and protect Federal facilities investments from the potential impacts of climate change, and 6) Provide information on tracking agency green building performance.
  • Determining Compliance with the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings
    • This document is a companion to the revised "2016 Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings" and metrics for agencies to use to evaluate compliance with the Guiding Principles.​ ​​
  • 2016 Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings Crosswalk: New Construction and Modernization
    • To assist agencies with the transition between the 2008 Guiding Principles and the updated 2016 Guiding Principles, the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) developed a crosswalk guidance document to explain and highlight the differences between the 2016 and 2008 versions of the Guiding Principles for new construction and modernization. The crosswalk is based on the evaluation criteria included in the Guiding Principles compliance document and provide an overall comparison of the major scoring and applicability changes between the two versions. It walks through each of the 2016 Guiding Principles and highlight major changes or significant new requirements. ​​
  • 2016 Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings Crosswalk: Existing Buildings
    • To assist agencies with the transition between the 2008 Guiding Principles and the updated 2016 Guiding Principles, the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) developed a crosswalk guidance document to explain and highlight the differences between the 2016 and 2008 versions of the Guiding Principles for existing buildings. The crosswalk is based on the evaluation criteria included in the Guiding Principles compliance document and provide an overall comparison of the major scoring and applicability changes between the two versions. It walks through each of the 2016 Guiding Principles and highlight major changes or significant new requirements.

Reclamation Requirements

  • Reclamation Policy, Sustainable Buildings, ENV-P08, November 2010.  ENV-P08 directs Reclamation's senior leadership responsible for the management of Reclamation building assets to design, construct,  renovate, operate, and lease buildings to achieve the Guiding Principles.
  • Sustainable Buildings Directive and Standard

Reclamation Sustainable Sites Initiatives

As required by Office of Management and Budget guidance, Federal agencies must identify specific focus areas and initiatives to support sustainable building implementation in line with their missions.  Reclamation's Sustainable Sites Initiatives are:

  • Heat Island-Effect Hardscapes
  • Heat Island-Effect Roof
  • Light Pollution
  • Composting

Related Federal Requirements

  • The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-58) (EPAct), August, 2005.  Among other facility-related requirements, EPAct requires that federal agencies design new Federal buildings to perform 30 percent below the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (e.g. (ASHRAE) energy standards or the International Energy Code (20% for renovation).  It also requires the use of Enery Star or FEMP-designated products for items covered by either of these programs.
  • The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-140) (EISA), December, 2007.  EISA requires that Federal agencies:
    • Achieve energy efficiency targets for new Federal buildings and those undergoing major renovation.
    • Achieve 30% of the hot water demand in new Federal buildings and major renovations from solar.
    • Complete comprehensive energy and water evaluations.
    • Increase the study period for life cycle cost analyses from 25 years to 40 years.
    • Use site planning, design, construction, and maintenance strategies to control storm water runoff at projects with a footprint exceeding 5,000 square feet.
    • Design buildings to reduce fossil fuel-generated energy comsumption by at least 55% starting in FY2010 and increasing to 100% reduction by 2030.
  • Improving Pollinator Habitat. The Department of the Interior has issued a memorandum and strategy, ​Increasing and Improving Pollinator Habitat through Landscaping, in response to a Presidential June 2014 Presidential Memorandum, Creating a Federal Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators. The memorandum ​directs bureaus and offices to take steps to improve pollinator health through landscaping design and maintenance at appropriate sites. It includes a number of specific best management practices, guidance on selecting appropriate sites, and links to additional resources and references. Reclamation facilities should attempt to incorporate pollinator-friendly landscaping, where feasible.
  • Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).  FAR Parts 2, 4, 7, 11, 12, 13, 23, 42, 45 and 52.2 - The FAR addresses environmental considerations in contracting and procurement procedures.  These parts outline acquisition planning, energy and water efficiency, renewable energy, use of recovered materials, biobased products, hazardous materials, and waste reduction.  Among other requirements, Part 23 of the FAR prescribes acquisition policies and procedures supporting the Government's program for protecting and improving the quality of the environment and fostering markets for sustainable technologies, materials, products, and services.

 

Last Updated: 2/16/17