BUILDING GREEN HOSPITALS CHECKLIST

1. Choose an Environmentally Friendly Site

· Avoid farmland, wetlands, flood plains, environmentally sensitive lands, and hazardous substance sites.

· Rehabilitate vacant areas as necessary.

· Share existing parking/transportation infrastructure.

· Minimize heat island (thermal gradient differences between developed and undeveloped areas).

· Take advantage of existing transit, water, and energy infrastructure in the community.

· Preserve local habitat, greenfields, and natural resources.

2. Design for Sustainability and Efficiency

Building

· Prioritize parks, greenways, and bikeways throughout the new hospital area. Plan sufficient shade.

· Investigate incentives available from the U.S. Department of Energy.

· Consider (re)use of existing buildings, including structure, shell, etc.

· Identify opportunities to incorporate recycled materials into the building, such as beams and posts, flooring, paneling, bricks, doors, frames, cabinetry, furniture, trim, etc.

· Provide suitable means of securing bicycles with convenient change/shower facilities for those who cycle to work.

· Design for durability-life cycle costing/value engineering strategy for finishes and systems to reduce waste.

· Maximize day lighting and view opportunities (building orientation, exterior/interior shading devices, high-performance glazing, photo-integrated light sensors, shallow floor plates, increased building perimeter, etc.).

· Designate an area for recyclable collection and storage that is appropriate and convenient with consideration given to using cardboard balers, aluminum can crushers, recycling chutes, and other waste management technologies to enhance recycling program.

· Consider the installation of an on-site compost vessel.

· Design for adaptability of building design as user needs change.

· Establish a project goal for locally sourced materials and identify materials and material suppliers that can help achieve this goal; this reduces environmental impact due to transportation and supports the local economy.

· Provide capacity for indoor air quality monitoring to sustain long-term occupant health and comfort (carbon dioxide sensors integrated into building automation system).

Energy

· Orient building to take advantage of solar energy for heating and day lighting, and to encourage natural ventilation and passive cooling.

· Consider heat recovery systems where appropriate.

· Use computer-simulation model to assist in maximizing energy performance.

· Install mechanical ventilation equipment.

· Install high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment. Install a lighting control system.

· Install high-efficiency lights, appliances, and fixtures with motion/occupancy sensors where appropriate.

· Consider heating/cooling and energy from renewable sources (e.g., solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, bio-gas, etc.).

· Minimize light pollution by proper and judicious illumination.

· Design the building with equipment to measure water and energy performance.

· Consider task lighting "opening window" technology, and under floor HVAC systems with individual diffusers.