Cleaning staffs can help buildings earn the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED:EBOM) certification because green cleaning is a prerequisite of the standard.

But green cleaning is not the only area in which janitors can contribute. High-speed hand dryers, which use 80 percent less energy than conventional models and also eliminate paper towel waste, can earn credits in five categories:
• Energy & Atmosphere Credit 1: Optimize Energy Performance, which is a mandatory credit for all LEED facilities;
• Materials and Resources Credit 6: Solid Waste Management - Waste Stream Audit;
• Indoor Environmental Quality Credit 3.1: Green Cleaning - High Performance Cleaning Program;
• Innovation in Operations Credit 1 - Innovation in Operations;
• Innovation in Operations Credit 3: Documenting Sustainable Building Cost Impacts


posted on 2/25/2011