VA: Contract to Green Building Initiative/Green Globes®

Veterans Administration Awards Contract to Green Building Initiative/Green Globes® for Online Evaluation Tool

WASHINGTON D.C. -- 25 January 2011 -- The Green Building Initiative, (GBI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the acceleration of sustainable building practices, was recently awarded a contract with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide online, green building self-evaluations for 173 hospital facilities using Green Globes® Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings environmental rating and assessment tool. As part of the contract, GBI will provide training for VA facilities management personnel who will be performing the web-enabled assessments. This recent award follows a 2009 pilot project by the VA in which 21 hospitals across the US were assessed and certified using the Green Globes system.

The Green Globes Continual Improvement for Existing Buildings (CIEB) tool was selected and GBI was awarded the contract based on VA requirements that included: tool compatibility with a third party green building rating system developed by an ANSI - accredited organization, compatibility with the Federal High Performance and Sustainable Building Guidance dated 12/1/2008, cost, and demonstrated experience with the assessment and certification of other Federal Government facilities. {continued}

Greening The Department of Veteran Affairs: A Year in Review

January 26, 2011 - We are making great strides toward operating more energy efficient facilities, using more renewable energy, “greening” our vehicle fleets, and achieving other milestones on the path to creating a sustainable agency. In 2010, we developed and implemented dozens of projects, which will translate to improved care of our Veterans and their families, cost-savings, better operational efficiency, and a healthier environment for all.

Check out our list of top achievements: {continued}