SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS

Asset Classes

Focus Area

Energy and Carbon

Topic

Baseline Practices

Question #

E6.0 — Preventative Maintenance

Question

Is a Preventive Maintenance Plan in place for the building?

Applicability

All asset classes 
Owner/landlord occupied building
Tenant occupied building – some or all systems managed by the owner/landlord

Answer & Scoring

  • Yes – this is a baseline requirement
  • Not applicable – Tenant occupied building: No systems managed by the owner/landlord

Requirements

The Preventive Maintenance Plan must cover the following:

  1. Inventory of the building’s systems and equipment components to be reviewed, including gas-fired boilers and other onsite combustion equipment
  2. Type of preventive action required, with frequency of inspection vs. maintenance actions
  3. Sample logs showing that these actions have been taken and that follow-ups were done when needed
  4. Updates recorded when new equipment is added, and when old equipment is removed
  5. Plan must be signed by the building manager, dated within the last 12 months

The assessment methodology should at least align with an ASHRAE Standard 180-2018 — Standard Practice for Inspection and Maintenance of Commercial Building HVAC Systems.

The ASHRAE Standard 180-2018 also explains that inspection serves to monitor and document the condition of equipment and components over time regarding appearance, functionality and performance, whereas maintenance serves to preserve equipment condition and performance as required by the facility.

Documentation

  • Preventive Maintenance Plan, with maintenance logs

OR

Suggested Lead

In-house: Facility Maintenance in conjunction with Building Manager/Policy Makers

Value

  • When building systems are not properly maintained, it can lead to operational inefficiencies, affect system’s longevity, cause additional carbon emissions, and impact occupants’ health
  • Establish a preventive maintenance plan to reduce the chance of these issues occurring and help the building management team understand the maintenance requirements at their building
  • A Preventive Maintenance Plan is proactive not reactive; the goal is to prevent issues from occurring rather than responding when issues occur
  • Review the Preventive Maintenance Plan regularly to ensure that the plan still reflects the building’s maintenance practices and any equipment updates
  • Keep maintenance logs to track preventive maintenance practices and keep the team accountable

Description

Day-to-day operations and maintenance (O&M) affect energy consumption and carbon emissions and must be considered in every building. Implementation of best practices for O&M increases the longevity and efficiency of building equipment.

Appropriate plans need to be in place and effectively followed to ensure equipment is maintained. Plans should be revisited periodically to ensure building operations are optimized.

References

Adapted BB 3.0 Question

Best Practice 1 — Is a Preventive Maintenance Program in place at the building?