Policy Background
Multiple Executive Orders (EOs), laws, and regulations define Federal high performance and sustainable building requirements, including:
Executive Order 13514 Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance
Federal Agencies shall implement high performance sustainable Federal building design, construction, operation and management, maintenance, and deconstruction including by:
- Beginning in 2020 and thereafter, ensuring that all new Federal buildings that enter the planning process are designed to achieve zero-net-energy by 2030;
- Ensuring that all new construction, major renovation, or repair and alteration of Federal buildings complies with the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings, (Guiding Principles);
- Ensuring that at least 15 percent of the agency's existing buildings (above 5,000 gross square feet) and building leases (above 5,000 gross square feet) meet the Guiding Principles by fiscal year 2015 and that the agency makes annual progress toward 100-percent conformance with the Guiding Principles for its building inventory;
- Pursuing cost-effective, innovative strategies, such as highly reflective and vegetated roofs, to minimize consumption of energy, water, and materials;
- Managing existing building systems to reduce the consumption of energy, water, and materials, and identifying alternatives to renovation that reduce existing assets' deferred maintenance costs;
- When adding assets to the agency's real property inventory, identifying opportunities to consolidate and dispose of existing assets, optimize the performance of the agency's real-property portfolio, and reduce associated environmental impacts; and
- Ensuring that rehabilitation of federally owned historic buildings utilizes best practices and technologies in retrofitting to promote long-term viability of the buildings.
And advance regional and local integrated planning by:
- Ensuring that planning for new Federal facilities and leases consider sites that are pedestrian friendly, near existing employment centers, and accessible to public transport; and emphasize existing central cities and, in rural communities, existing or planned town centers.
EO 13514 contains numerous other agency-wide requirements on greenhouse gas and energy reduction, water use efficiency, pollution prevention and waste reduction, sustainable acquisition, electronic stewardship, and other sustainability aspects. EO 13514 builds on the requirements contained in EO 13423, Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management. For more information on both EOs, including a crosswalk of sustainability goal areas by EO and key legislation, visit the Federal Energy Management Program website.
This Executive Order makes mandatory the five Guiding Principles of the MOU for all new construction and major renovations and sets an aggressive goal for applying these practices to our existing capital assets over the next decade.
Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of Understanding
Executive Order 13423 requires Federal agencies to ensure new construction and major renovations comply with the 2006 Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (PDF), which was signed at the White House Summit on Federal Sustainable Buildings. The signing of this MOU marks the first interagency effort supporting sustainable design practices in Federal facilities. As such, it represents a historic step in creating a sustainable federal government and serves as a lynchpin for the sustainable building provisions in EO 13423, and also EO 13514.
The MOU establishes a common set of sustainable Guiding Principles for integrated design, energy performance, water conservation, indoor environmental quality, and materials aimed at helping Federal agencies and organizations:
- Reduce the total ownership cost of facilities
- Improve energy efficiency and water conservation
- Provide safe, healthy, and productive built environments
- Promote sustainable environmental stewardship
Updated HPSB Guidance (PDF) was issued by the Office of Management and Budget on December 5, 2008, based on recommendations by the Interagency Sustainability Working Group (ISWG). Among other items, this guidance includes a revised set of Guiding Principles for New Construction and Major Renovations and a new set of Guiding Principles for Sustainable Existing Buildings. Legislation enacted subsequent to the issuance of EO 13423 was considered in drafting both sets of Guiding Principles.
A set of answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) (PDF) on this guidance are based on comments received during the development of this guidance, and will be updated as necessary.
Other High Performance Sustainable Building Legislation
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) established energy management goals and requirements while also amending portions of the National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA). It was signed into law on December 19, 2007.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005) established a number of energy management goals for Federal facilities and fleets. It also amended portions of the National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA).
For more information on these pieces of legislation, please visit the Federal Energy Management Program website.