Honeywell, USGBC Tool Monitors Building Sustainability

Honeywell and the US Green Building Council are working together to advance facility sustainability by integrating USGBC’s LEED Dynamic Plaque, a near-real-time monitoring tool with integrated building automation technology from Honeywell to measure and provide performance feedback to help optimize operations.

The LEED Dynamic Plaque assesses facility performance in the categories of energy use, water consumption, waste output, occupant transportation and human experience, aggregating data to provide an overall performance score that reflects the LEED rating system. The plaque is an easy-to-understand display that can be mounted in a prominent location so tenants and guests can view and better understand the building’s ongoing rating. It also features an app (pictured) for anywhere access, helping further incentivize occupants to engage in actions that can positively impact sustainability.

By integrating with Honeywell technology, the plaque automatically receives information from core building systems that contribute to a facility’s LEED green building performance score, in addition to input from occupant surveys and waste tracking information. The score updates as data feeds in and can raise awareness of likely issues — and potential fixes — that could affect operations.

The USGBC headquarters in Washington, DC, and the San Francisco office of DPR Construction, a national building contractor that specializes in technically complex and sustainable projects, are the first two locations to pilot the LEED Dynamic Plaque. DPR is using the tool not only to assist in the recertification of its LEED building, but also to help meet its commitment to becoming a net-zero energy facility.

Also this week the International WELL Building Institute launched the WELL Building Standard, which focuses on enhancing people’s health and well-being through the built environment and works with LEED.