Sustainable Building Technical Manual - Etn-presco.net

PART VIOperations andMa i n t e n a n c eIntroductionBuilding operations and maintenance (O&M) significantly impact a building owner’scosts, and affect the internal and external building environment. This section describespractices that can enhance environmental quality and the performance of building operations.Used routinely, these practices can lead to substantial economic and environmentalbenefits, such as reduced energy consumption, better indoor air quality, resourceefficiency, and occupant satisfaction.Building O&M plays several important roles. It should maintain proper building temperatureand humidity; promote the ventilation, dilution, and removal of airborne contaminants;and provide other important environmental conditions, such as appropriatelighting and acoustics. It should also ensure the safety and cleanliness of building systemsso that they do not generate pollutants and hazards. For example, a ventilation systemmust sufficiently exhaust and dilute contaminants. It must also be kept clean andfree from excessive moisture so as not to generate contamination. Finally, O&M policyand practices can promote resource efficiency by tenants and building occupants.Operations and maintenance practices are shaped by professional standards, facility characteristics,and an organization’s general management policy. For example, an organization’ssmoking policy determines the extent to which environmental tobacco smoke, anoccupant-generated contaminant, needs to be addressed by O&M. The U.S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC),Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), and other organizations recommendthe prohibition of smoking in buildings. However, where management policyallows smoking in designated areas, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, andAir-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 62-1989 prescribes local exhaust with norecirculation to other parts of the building.