Best Practice (Environmental) Lease Provisions
EPA developed
Best Practice Lease Provisions (PDF) (84 pp, 925K, About PDF)
for use in new lease solicitations. The provisions in this document include sustainable building requirements from the
Energy Policy Act of 2005,
Executive Order 13423, the
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007,
Executive Order 13514, and the
Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings, as well as other building best practices that EPA aims to pursue in its leased buildings. The Best Practice Lease Provisions establish award factors that allow preference to be given in the lease selection process to buildings that have:
- Sustainable design and operations.
- Effective design of the site, building, tenant spaces, and building systems.
- Effective security parameters.
- A design, construction, and management team with proven sustainability experience.
Other best practices for environmental lease provisions include:
- LEED® certification for building construction and tenant improvements, as well as LEED for Existing Buildings recertifications throughout the lease term.
- Energy-efficient mechanical and electrical systems.
- High-efficiency water fixtures.
- Daylighting and shading devices in regularly occupied areas.
- Low impact development stormwater management strategies.
- Sustainable wall finishes, floor coverings, paint, adhesives, and sealants.
- Flush out or air testing prior to occupancy.
- Commissioning services by an independent commissioning agent throughout the design and construction process.
- A Building Management Plan covering building exterior and landscape maintenance; integrated pest management; mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems operations and maintenance; recommissioning; water conservation; recycling; green cleaning; indoor environmental quality; and staff training.
- Ongoing energy, water, waste, and recycling reports throughout the lease term.
The Best Practice Lease Provisions also outline which sustainable building documentation (e.g., updated LEED scorecards, commissioning plans and reports, construction indoor air quality plans, construction waste management plans) is required at each phase of the design and construction process. Furthermore, the document includes EPA’s design and operation parameters for fire protection, life safety, environmental health, and telecommunications in leased buildings.
The Best Practice Lease Provisions are not a U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) document; however, the provisions are overlaid on GSA’s standard Solicitation for Offer (SFO) template to facilitate their use in solicitation and lease development. Although EPA prefers all provisions to be included in their new leases, some provisions may be selectively removed or revised if available buildings in the targeted locality cannot meet the full requirements or the leased space is too small for the provision to be cost effective.
The Best Practice Lease Provisions are continually updated with lessons learned from recent building projects, such as office acquisitions in Seattle, San Francisco, Kansas City, and San Juan.
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