Notice2024-16664
Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings; Notification of Public Comment Period for GSA's Green Building Certification System Review
Primary source
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Published
July 30, 2024
Issuing agencies
General Services Administration
Abstract
GSA is seeking comments on its draft recommendations to the Secretary of Energy on those green building certification systems that will most likely "encourage a comprehensive and environmentally sound approach" to the certification of high-performance green Federal buildings, per requirements of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. These draft recommendations are based on the information contained in GSA's 2024 Green Building Certification System Review Findings Report that analyzed green building certification systems and their alignment with Federal green building performance requirements. GSA will be using stakeholder input to potentially augment its final recommendations 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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 146 (Tuesday, July 30, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 146 (Tuesday, July 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61120-61121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-16664]
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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
[Notice-MG-2024-02; Docket No. 2024-0002; Sequence 34]
Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings; Notification
of Public Comment Period for GSA's Green Building Certification System
Review
AGENCY: Office of Government-wide Policy (OGP); General Services
Administration, (GSA).
ACTION: Notification of public comment period.
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SUMMARY: GSA is seeking comments on its draft recommendations to the
Secretary of Energy on those green building certification systems that
will most likely ``encourage a comprehensive and environmentally sound
approach'' to the certification of high-performance green Federal
buildings, per requirements of the Energy Independence and Security Act
of 2007. These draft recommendations are based on the information
contained in GSA's 2024 Green Building Certification System Review
Findings Report that analyzed green building certification systems and
their alignment with Federal green building performance requirements.
GSA will be using stakeholder input to potentially augment its final
recommendations 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.
DATES: Interested parties should submit written comments by one of the
methods shown below on or before August 29, 2024 to be considered in
the formation of GSA's final recommendations to the Secretary of
Energy.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments in response to Notice-MG-2024-02 by any of
the following methods:
<bullet> <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Submit
comments via the Federal eRulemaking portal by searching for ``Notice-
MG-2024-02''. Select the link ``Submit a Comment'' that corresponds
with ``Notice-MG-2024-02'' Follow the instructions provided at the
``Submit a Comment'' screen. Please include your name, company name (if
any), and ``Notice-MG-2024-02 on your attached document.
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ed85848a859d889f8b829f808c838e888f9884818984838a9ead8a9e8cc38a829b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="254d4c424d554057434a5748444b464047504c49414c4b4256654256440b424a53">[email protected]</span></a>.
Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite Notice-MG-2024-
02 in all correspondence related to this case. Visit <a href="https://www.gsa.gov/gbcertificationreview">https://www.gsa.gov/gbcertificationreview</a> for more information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Bryan Steverson, Office of Federal
High-Performance Green Buildings, telephone 202-501-6115, or via email,
at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2f4d5d564e41015c5b4a594a5d5c40416f485c4e01484059"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1e7c6c677f70306d6a7b687b6c6d71705e796d7f30797168">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 436(h) of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
(EISA) requires GSA to evaluate green building certification systems
and provide a recommendation to the Secretary of Energy who, in
consultation with the Department of Defense and GSA, formally
identifies system(s) to be used across the Federal Government. GSA's
Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings has just completed
and published its 2024 Green Building Certification System Review
Findings Report (Findings Report), which can be accessed at <a href="https://www.gsa.gov/gbcertificationreview">https://www.gsa.gov/gbcertificationreview</a>. This report summarizes GSA's formal
review of six green building certification systems (BOMA BEST, BREEAM,
Green Globes, LEED, Living Building Challenge, and Passive House US,
Inc). These systems were assessed against a set of review criteria
contained in statute that evaluate how they were developed and how the
systems align with current Federal green building performance
requirements.
Request for Public Comment: GSA is seeking public comment on its
draft recommendations to the Secretary of Energy on those green
building certification systems that ``will most likely encourage a
comprehensive and environmentally sound approach'' to the certification
of high-performance green Federal buildings. GSA's draft
recommendations can be found on its website: <a href="https://www.gsa.gov/gbcertificationreview">https://www.gsa.gov/gbcertificationreview</a>.
Draft Recommendations
Based on the information contained in its Findings Report, GSA
recommends that agencies consider using LEED or Green Globes for new
construction or major renovation projects. Both of these systems meet
the basic requirements established under DOE Rule: ``Green Building
Certification Systems Requirement for New Federal Buildings
[[Page 61121]]
and Major Renovations of Federal Buildings'' by:
<bullet> Allowing assessors and auditors to independently verify
the criteria and measurement metrics of the system
<bullet> Being developed by a certification organization that
provides an opportunity for public comment on the system and provides
an opportunity for development and revision of the system through a
consensus-based process
<bullet> Being nationally recognized within the building industry
<bullet> Being subject to periodic evaluation and assessment of the
environmental and energy benefits that result under the certification
system, and
<bullet> Including a verification system for post-occupancy
assessment of the rated buildings to demonstrate continued energy and
water savings at least every four years after initial occupancy
For existing buildings, GSA recommends that agencies consider the
use of BOMA Best, BREEAM In-Use, Green Globes, LEED, Living Building
Challenge, Living Building Challenge CORE, or PHIUS CORE Revive. Each
of these systems contains requirements and options that align to
varying degrees with green building performance criteria and provides a
sound approach to certification of high-performance green Federal
buildings. It is important for agencies to ensure that the options
selected within a certification system are those that align with
Federal criteria in order to realize the benefits of using such a
system. GSA recommends agencies use the certification system that best
meets their mission, building type, and portfolio needs and certify to
a level that promotes the high performance sustainable building goals
referenced in Executive Orders 14008 and 14057.
It should be noted that on October 14, 2014, the U.S. DOE published
its final rule that formally identifies criteria that green building
certification systems must meet in order to be used by the Federal
Government. This GSA request for public comment is not for the purposes
of that final rulemaking, but to inform GSA on its related
responsibilities to study green building certification systems and
recommend ones to the DOE that may fit within the framework of the
final rule. DOE's final rule can be found at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document/DOE-EERE-OT-2010-0007-0084">https://www.regulations.gov/document/DOE-EERE-OT-2010-0007-0084</a>.
Kinga Hydras,
Acting Director, Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings,
General Services Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-16664 Filed 7-29-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-14-P
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