U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Building Technologies Program – Commercial Buildings

Building Purpose and Project Goals

Set sustainability goals during the project planning phase, when the potential for energy savings and sustainability is the greatest. Certain levels of energy and environmental performance should be set; however, specific measures need not be identified at this time. Following standardized green criteria—such as the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system for commercial buildings—will help to identify candidate goals. The sustainability goals must also support the project's goals for function, aesthetics, security, cost, and schedule. The challenge is to integrate environmental goals without compromising any of the project needs and objectives.

Consulting design guides will also help set sustainability goals. The Sustainable Building Technical Manual: Green Building Design, Construction, and Operations is a how-to guide that describes the process and suggested practices for developing sustainable, energy-efficient buildings.

Green Building Advisor 1.1 is an interactive CD-ROM-based software tool that helps users identify design strategies that can be incorporated into specific building projects. This tool will help determine ways to reduce the environmental impacts of a particular building or renovation project.

Project Goals

  • Functions: What other functions will the building house? Besides spaces to meet the primary needs of the building, functions required in most buildings include circulation space, storage, and restrooms. Meeting spaces, break rooms, and other specialty-use spaces may be needed.

  • Code compliance: What local and state codes apply? Note that a code-compliant building meets the minimum requirements. A high-performance building should be designed to substantially exceed code requirements.

  • Safety and security: Identify all building-specific safety and security issues. Knowing all the issues up front will streamline integration of safety and security design solutions into the whole-building design. Addressing these issues later in the process may compromise the building's sustainability design strategies.

  • Energy goals: Clearly state the energy and environmental goals of the project.