A green guide for public housing

Siemens Industry, in collaboration with the Green Seal organization, has published a guide for public housing owners and operators to help them reduce the use of energy, water and toxic chemicals. Called "Green Building Operations and Maintenance Manual: A Guide for Public Housing Authorities," the publication is now available free online by clicking here. 

A selection of public housing authorities funded the manual through an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Green Seal and Siemens collaborated to develop the manual and customize it for regions of the United States with geographically specific guidelines and information.

The manual covers a broad range of facility maintenance and management best practices, including HVAC systems, plumbing fixtures, lighting, landscaping and recycling. Unit maintenance is addressed, as well as a section providing suggestions and tools on ways building owners and operators can engage residents and encourage them to participate in improving the sustainability of the communities in which they live.

"For the first time, public housing authorities and building owners have access to a peer-developed source that provides practical, actionable guidance in an easy-to-use format that transcends the 'how' and reveals 'why' these recommended actions are important for the longevity of the housing developments they manage,” said Mike Kearney, senior director for the building technologies division of Siemens Industry. 

"The Green Building Operations and Maintenance Manual is unique in that no other green operations resource focuses on multi-unit housing or provides such comprehensive, detailed guidance for free,” said Arthur Weissman, president and CEO of Green Seal. “The guidance is more than academic; these are practices facilities managers can start implementing today to take a significant step toward a sustainable society.”