University of California, Los Angeles
OP-4: Building Operations and Maintenance

"Certified at mid-level under a 3- or 5-tier, multi-attribute, GBC rating system focused on the operations and maintenance of existing buildings (e.g., BREEAM-In Use Very Good)"

For UCLA, this consists of buildings or spaces that have been recorded and performance certified through the ARC Platform system during UCLA’s LEED Lab program, within the last 5 years. This is a new category in this credit, relative to the 2020 submission, because the LEED Lab program and the ARC Platform measurement process was new during 2020-2021.

"Certified at any level under a non-GBC rating system or single-attribute rating system focused on the operations and maintenance of existing buildings."

For UCLA, this consists of buildings or spaces that have been awarded external certifications, such as the Green Restaurant certification, the UCLA Green Office certification, or UCLA’s Green Lab certification.

“Operated and Maintained in accordance with a multi-attribute, sustainable management policy/program, but not certified under an O+M rating system.”

The balance of UCLA's eligible campus square footage is operated and maintained in accordance with the multi-attribute UC Policy on Sustainable Practices as well as UCLA’s multi-attribute Sustainability Plan. This comprehensive policy encompasses attributes from energy and water conservation standards, carbon emissions standards, transportation demand management, sustainable food policy, solid waste management policy, green housekeeping and integrated pest management policy, tobacco-free and healthy campus initiative policies, just to name some prominent examples. Specific criteria for many of these policies are detailed elsewhere in the STARS submission.

A section from the UC Sustainable Practices Policy on Sustainable Building and Laboratory Operations policy requirements addresses sustainable operations and maintenance of buildings. As one example, UC locations must design and construct non-Major Renovation projects with a cost over $5 million (CCCI 5000) to a minimum LEED ID&C (Interior Design and Construction) certified rating, and register with the utilities’ Savings by Design program, if eligible.

Each campus must also certify as many buildings as possible through the LEED Existing Building Operations and Maintenance (EBOM) rating system, within budgetary constraints and eligibility limitations. EBOM certification should advance the University’s educational and research mission by using the buildings as living, learning laboratories.

The Clean Energy and Sustainable Water Systems sections of the UC Sustainable Practices Policy include requirements related to the sustainable operations and maintenance of buildings. Each UC location must implement energy efficiency actions in buildings and infrastructure systems to reduce the location’s energy use intensity by an average of at least 2% annually. As for water, if data are available, UC locations must report or estimate water usage for buildings, landscape, and central plants.

The square footage in this credit is different from the scope of some of our other credits. It represents buildings on the main Westwood campus, which also represents our Long Range Development Plan boundary, without the parking structures. There are some credits that have a scope beyond the main Westwood campus, this is the appropriate scope for this credit.

Additional details on what and how "Floor area of existing building space operated and maintained in accordance with a sustainable management policy/program and/or a green building rating system" counts for this STARS credit may be accessed in the uploaded document.