A Public Work in Progress: Incorporating Energy Efficiency Into Guide Specifications for New Federal Construction

Guide specifications, the templates from which individual building project specifications are developed, should require energy efficient products and design. Incorporating energy efficiency requirements into guide specification for building envelopes, mechanical and electrical equipment, and installed special purpose equipment can result in substantial long term reductions in energy consumption and operating cost for federal facilities. This presentation builds on the concepts introduced in a previous Summer Study paper on integrating efficiency requirements into guide specifications (Coleman 2000).

The authors address current efforts to incorporate energy efficiency recommendations into the Department of Defense (DoD) Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) and Unified Facilities Guide Specification (UFGS) (DoD 2002). This initiative unifies guide specifications of the military services and those of other federal agencies. An example of the impact guide specifications have on military housing is presented along with a brief discussion of other efficiency standards and programs. The paper concludes by suggesting actions federal agencies can take to facilitate this process.