Overview

The Guiding Principles are a set of established criteria for federal agencies who have committed to "federal leadership in the design, construction, and operation of High-Performance and Sustainable Buildings" (Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of Understanding, 2006).

Subsequently, Executive Order 13514, sec. 2(g) requires that:

"(iii) at least 15 percent of the agency's existing buildings (above 5,000 gross square feet)…meet the Guiding Principles by fiscal year 2015" (E.O. 13514, 2009).

The five Guiding Principles with which federal agency buildings must comply are as follows:

• 1.   Employ Integrated Assessment, Operation, and Management Principles
• 2.   Optimize Energy Performance
• 3.   Protect and Conserve Water
• 4.   Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality
• 5.   Reduce Environmental Impact of Materials

For additional details and background on the Guiding Principles:

Introducing GBI's Guiding Principles Compliance Assessment Program

Meet Guiding Principles compliance with the least amount of disruption to your agency's mission.

The Guiding Principles Compliance Assessment Program, offered by the Green Building Initiative, is the first 3rd-party assessment and rating program designed specifically for federal agencies to assess compliance with the Guiding Principles.

GBI's program provides a simple-to-use survey, third-party on-site assessment, compliance score and rating, detailed reports, and supplemental tools to enhance and clarify the Guiding Principles Compliance process.

Designed to take a minimum amount of time and effort from agency personnel, the Guiding Principles Compliance Assessment Program allows you to focus on your agency's mission while also measuring progress towards compliance with the Guiding Principles.

To date, over 180 federal buildings have gone through the GBI's Compliance Program.

For additional details on the Guiding Principles Compliance Program:

Benefits of a Guiding Principles Compliance Assessment
GBI Customer Service	Staff accessibility and support through the entire process.
Pre-Assessment Checklist & Supplemental Tools	Provides clear instruction and guidance identifying the documentation needed to complete the surveys and site visit.
Compliance Survey	Simple, easy-to-use, and enhanced with tool-tips for guidance.
Assessment by a Third-Party Sustainability Expert	Verification of actual building characteristics and documentation establishes an accurate and consistent compliance assessment.
Compliance Assessment Reporting	Simplifies agency reporting processes with clear, standardized data analysis which provides benchmarking for future comparison.
Compliance Rating (0-100%) & Building Designation	Provides a clear indication of the level of compliance.
Certificate of Achievement & Compliance Plaque	Recognition of the compliance level with a visual representation of the building's sustainability achievements.
A Tested Compliance Program	The experience of an organization and group of sustainability experts who have assessed over 180 federal buildings for compliance with the Guiding Principles.

Download Printable PDF

• Guiding Principles Compliance Program Datasheet

Next Steps

Contact Customer Service: 1.877.424.4241 | info@thegbi.org