The adoption of the DC Green Building Act of 2006* puts the District at the forefront of municipalities in the United States using the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ as a tool to address climate change. The District is one of only a handful of municipalities in the country that require the private sector to construct green buildings. The Green Building Act sets very specific guidelines for the work of OPM. This legislation impacts OPM in many ways:

New Construction
New non-residential construction with a minimum of 10,000 square feet of gross floor area must be designed to achieve 75 points on the Energy Star Target Finder and be benchmarked annually using Energy Star Portfolio Manager. Within two (2) years of receipt of certificate of occupancy, buildings must be verified as having fulfilled or exceeded the LEED-NC 2.2 Silver standard.

Renovation
Property substantially improved with a minimum of 10,000 square feet of gross floor area must be benchmarked annually using Energy Star Portfolio Manager. Within two (2) years of receipt of certificate of occupancy, buildings be verified as having fulfilled or exceeded the LEED-CS 2.0 Silver standard.

Leased Properties
The Office of Property Management Establishment Act of 1998 has been amended to include priority consideration for the District government’s facility needs to buildings fulfilling or exceeding the LEED-NC 2.2 Silver standard or the LEED-CS 2.0 Silver standard.