The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) recently released updated building efficiency standards for federal buildings.
The mandatory design and construction standards and performance criteria apply to 300,000 federal buildings. The standards will advance building efficiency, reduce emissions, and increase resilience, according to a GSA news release.
The standards will advance the Federal Sustainability Plan to achieve net-zero emissions from all federal buildings by 2045, and promote the use of American-made, low carbon construction materials.
The P100 standards require that facilities adopt advanced energy conservation strategies and eliminate on-site fossil fuel use. The standards call for grid-interactive efficient buildings, leverage innovative technologies through GSA’s Green Proving Ground, require the use of low-embodied carbon materials, and potable water reuse.
The standards address:
• Electrification: New standards for building equipment and systems to be powered by clean energy sources.
• Embodied Carbon: Requirement to utilize low-embodied carbon materials, including salvaged, reused, regenerative, and biomimetic options.
• Energy Efficiency: Enhanced building envelope performance to minimize energy loss and improve overall efficiency.
• Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings: New measures to support a more resilient, responsive grid.
Related Stories
| Jan 30, 2013
RSMeans cost comparisons: parking structures, town halls, community centers
Construction market analysts from RSMeans offer construction costs per square foot for four building types across 25 metro markets.
| Jan 22, 2013
Virginia State Police Completes New Driver Training Complex
The Virginia State Police begins driver training at a new $27.4 million complex near Fort Pickett; construction of a new firing range is set to begin this spring.
| Dec 15, 2012
SAIC makes ready to lay off 700
SAIC, McLean, Va. (2011 construction revenues: $185,390,000), said it plans to cut its workforce by 700 employees in order to remain competitive in the federal market.
| Dec 9, 2012
AEC professionals cautiously optimistic about commercial construction in ’13
Most economists say the U.S. is slowly emerging from the Great Recession, a view that was confirmed to some extent by an exclusive survey of 498 BD+C subscribers whose views we sought on the commercial construction industry’s outlook on business prospects for 2013.
| Nov 11, 2012
Greenbuild 2012 Report: Government & Military
Public sector remains a bastion of sustainability
| Oct 12, 2012
Joint venture to manage construction of U.S. State Department's Foreign Affairs Security Training Center
The project will establish a center for training in a variety of security disciplines within the U.S. Department of State for the protection of diplomats and U.S. embassies abroad.
| Oct 4, 2012
2012 Reconstruction Awards Platinum Winner: City Hall, New York, N.Y.
New York's City Hall last received a major renovation nearly a century ago. Four years ago, a Building Team led by construction manager Hill International took on the monumental task of restoring City Hall for another couple of hundred years of active service.
| Sep 12, 2012
Harvesting new ways to eliminate waste at the USDA
After installing 20 high-speed, energy-efficient hand dryers in restrooms throughout the USDA headquarters; the USDA reports seeing an immediate 50% reduction in the use of paper towels.
| Sep 7, 2012
Manhattan Construction Co. to build Fairfax office building
Designed by Noritake Associates of Alexandria Virginia, the project is LEED-registered, seeking LEED Silver certification.
| Aug 9, 2012
DMR Architects converts bank building to municipal court
The project consisted of a $4 million renovation to a 2-story building totaling 13,000-sf.