Green Campus Spotlight: PSU pursues LEED certification for existing buildings

Portland State University has been committed since 2004 to achieving LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification through the U.S. Green Building Council for all new construction, with nine certified buildings and more to come—including the Karl Miller Center and the Viking Pavilion at Peter Stott Center, both currently undergoing renovations.

Now PSU has set its sights on greening existing buildings through the LEED for Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance (LEED O+M) certification. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, it can take up to 80 years to “pay back” the environmental impacts of demolishing an old building and constructing a new one, even if the resulting building is extremely energy efficient. 

LEED O+M looks specifically at implementing sustainable practices to reduce the environmental, economic and occupant health impacts of buildings over the lifetime of the building. With building operations comprising approximately a third of the campus’s total greenhouse gas emissions, reducing the impacts of the University’s existing buildings is an important strategy in meeting our Climate Action Plan goals. The LEED O+M rating system address five major categories in building operations and maintenance:

• Sustainable sites: looking at exterior building site maintenance programs such as landscaping and stormwater management
• Water efficiency: reducing the water consumption in buildings through upgrades of fixtures
• Energy and atmosphere: performing energy studies and implementing energy efficiency measures
• Materials and resources: using environmentally preferred products and practices for cleaning, alterations and waste stream management
• Indoor environmental quality: looking at ventilation and occupant comfort

After conducting a feasibility study in early 2016, PSU decided to initially pursue certification on two existing buildings: Joseph C. Blumel Residence Hall and the Urban Center Building. Working with consultants Green Building Services, PSU's Capital Projects and Construction and the Campus Sustainability Office have begun the certification process using a campus-wide approach that takes into account shared sustainability initiatives of the broader campus. Current work includes developing a number of campus operational policies and plans that align PSU practices with LEED criteria and the University's sustainability goals, as well as performing building energy audits to identify possible improvements. 

“I am honestly so excited that we are pursuing LEED O+M on campus,” said Molly Bressers, program development coordinator for the Campus Sustainability Office and LEED O+M project coordinator. “PSU has already done so much to integrate sustainable practices and decision-making into our operations, and this provides an opportunity to further formalize and enhance those efforts, while streamlining operations, reducing costs and strengthening our campus partnerships.”   

The project team hopes to have the campus-wide LEED credits approved by spring 2017 and certification of the two individual buildings by the end of winter 2017. PSU may pursue LEED O+M certification for additional buildings in the future.