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GreenCheck
In This Section
EPA created GreenCheck as a framework for “greening” its real estate projects and tracking its facilities’ compliance with federal requirements, including Executive Order (EO) 13514, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings, EO 13423 and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005).
Through GreenCheck, EPA has established a formal process to review and ensure construction, renovation, alteration, repair, and leasing projects comply with energy and environmental regulations and Agency policies.
GreenCheck encourages project kick-off meetings to bring together all project stakeholders—including the real estate lead, EPA architects and engineers, the architectural and engineering firm, the client, and EPA "area of practice" specialists representing water, energy, and materials—to identify project opportunities, resolve technical questions, and set up technical support for the project. Learn more about GreenCheck:
How GreenCheck Works
GreenCheck consolidates various requirements and Agency policies into a user-friendly checklist to be evaluated at the inception of a project. GreenCheck focuses on project considerations including energy consumption, renewable energy use, water consumption, stormwater management, sustainable materials, waste management, and indoor environmental quality. The process is designed to provide a “one-stop shop” for meeting federal environmental requirements, achieving EPA’s sustainability goals, and fostering an integrated team approach.
Architects and engineers from EPA’s Architecture, Engineering, and Assessment Management Branch (AEAMB), along with representatives from the Agency’s Sustainable Facilities Practices Branch (SFPB), complete a GreenCheck form for each qualifying project. It is the responsibility of the project lead to ensure that the requirements identified in the GreenCheck form are incorporated in the planning, design, and construction phases of the project.
The SFPB and AEAMB branch chiefs assign project team leads and review the information recorded for each project for quality assurance and completeness. The GreenCheck coordinator oversees the process using the GreenCheck project spreadsheet to enumerate and track the progress of all projects. On major projects, a local facility manager is also involved in the GreenCheck process.
History
EPA initiated the GreenCheck process in FY 2007, but the Agency periodically modifies the checklist to keep it current with environmental requirements and EPA’s environmental goals and policies. For example, in June 2010, EPA updated the GreenCheck form to reflect the commitments made in the Agency’s Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan. To date, EPA has completed more than 150 GreenCheck reviews for Agency construction, renovation, and leasing projects.
The Future
GreenCheck remains a living document and a process that is continually being revised based on feedback from project managers and stakeholders. GreenCheck serves as a reminder to all EPA architecture, engineering, and real estate professionals to keep sustainability at the forefront of facility-level projects.
Download the GreenCheck Checklist and Supporting Documents
If you are an EPA employee and have a project that qualifies for GreenCheck, or if you would like to review the document, you can download the GreenCheck Checklist here:
The GreenCheck Checklist (June 30, 2010, version) (Microsoft Word, 684K)
In addition, the following documents are available to help explain and guide the GreenCheck process:
GreenCheck Process Overview (PDF) (2 pp, 63K, About PDF)
Describes the GreenCheck program and provides a brief overview of when the process should be initiated.
GreenCheck Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (PDF) (2 pp, 99K, About PDF)
Answers frequently asked questions about GreenCheck. This document is targeted at project leads.
Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) Summary (PDF) (29 pp, 456K, About PDF)
EPA developed the CPG to promote the use of materials recovered from solid waste. This document is a user-friendly compilation of CPG designated products used in building and construction.