Page 198 - The Green Building Bottom Line The Real Cost of Sustainable Building

176 CHAPTER 6

Mark of a Difference Program Table of Contents (continued)

3. Tenant Relations
Education and Outreach—Tenant and Visitor Engagement
Tenant Feedback Policy
Training Provision for Tenants and Managers
Building Operation and Management Staff Education
Travel Information Kiosk

4. Mechanical Systems
Building Systems Maintenance

5. Buildings and Systems
Document Sustainable Building Costs and Benefits
Best Management Practices
Waste Stream Audit
Building and Systems Audit
Procurement Practices

6. Tenant Build-out and Common Area Improvement
Best Management Practices

Obtaining LEED for Existing

Buildings Certification

As part of our company-wide commitment to LEED, Melaver began pursuing LEED
certification for the Crestwood in 2004. We began our analysis of whether LEED cer-
tification was feasible by conducting an Energy Star assessment. With an Energy Star
rating, we felt LEED certification would be obtainable. Failing to qualify for Energy
Star would mean LEED certification was impossible. Energy Star, a joint program of
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, began
rating commercial buildings for energy efficiency in 1999. An Energy Star certifi-
cation indicates a facility rates in the top 25 percent of buildings in the country for
energy efficiency. There are approximately 4.6 million commercial buildings in the
U.S., with 170,000 more built each year. As of this writing, only 4,398 commercial
buildings have the Energy Star certification, and of that total, approximately 37 percent
(around 1,645) are office buildings. There are thirty-six Energy Star office buildings
in Georgia. Crestwood is one of them (see Table 6.2).