IAQ: Building a Healthy Environment
Part 1: Green Renovations Should Focus on IAQ, Purchasing, Material Handling
Part 2: Green Renovations: Best Practices for Preserving IAQ
Part 3: Green Purchasing: Consider VOCs, Water Use, Energy Efficiency
Part 4: Waste Management: Tips for Recycling, Reuse During Renovation Projects
Green Renovations Should Focus on IAQ, Purchasing, Material Handling
By Laura M. Cavanaugh - December 2009
The opportunities for green repair projects in institutional and commercial facilities go beyond installing high-profile, sustainable features, such as photovoltaic (PV) panels or a vegetative roof.
By establishing sustainability goals focusing on the repair process, as well as physical-design decisions for retrofits, maintenance and engineering managers can reduce the environmental impact related to a range of projects. This approach allows renovations to become a part of an organization's overall sustainability efforts.
To implement a green repair project, managers and the rest of the project team must consider these issues: maintain healthy indoor air quality (IAQ) by minimizing adverse impacts of project processes on the building and the environment; purchasing environmentally responsible materials used in the project; and properly handling unneeded materials.
Advance planning, establishing goals in each of these categories, and setting clear responsibilities will set up the project for success.
