How green is your building?

 People often make vague references to how "green' their building is. The Green Building Council of South Africa has a very comprehensive system of "star ratings" which definitively rate a building's greenness. You may want to pressurize your employers to make sure their premises are green, We have worked through the Green Building Council's thick manual and come up with this short list of questions you can ask your boss about the building in which you work:

Management

Is there a building users guide explaining all aspects of how the building is best used to achieve green objectives? If not, when will there be one available?

Has an a air tightness test been carried out showing leakage rate of less than 15 cub m/hr/sqm at relative pressure of 50 Pa?

Indoor Environmental Quality

Is 95% (or more) of the usable area is naturally ventilated in accordance with SANS 10400-O (minimum 5% openable area)?

Are external views are available to 60% (or more)  of the usable area, by direct line of sight?

Does 60% or more of the usable area have a Daylight Factor of not less than 2% at desk height level under a uniform design sky?

Energy

Does the building comply with SANS 204: 2008 (Energy Efficiency in Buildings)?

Transport

Is there reliable public transport within 1000 m?

Are any four of the following within 400 m of public entrance of building: ·         bank/atm ·         convenience store/ supermarket ·         medical facilities ·         post office ·         restaurant ·         Gym ·         Library ·         School.

Does your building accommodate cyclists with showers and bicycle racks?

Water

Are 50% (or more) of the toilets in the building flushed with harvested rainwater?

Is 50% of more of landscape irrigation achieved with harvested rain water?