Impact Area Introductions

Each impact area begins with performance goals that specifically address the environmental focus of the impact area. The introduction then identifies and provides global context for factors and agents driving change in its unique impact area. A Profile section provides information about how these drivers influence the built environment, and describes how the topic can be divided into smaller pieces that can more easily be addressed. These pieces can then be used to identify how management modifications, improvement upgrades, renovations, and behavior changes can help sites and BMS achieve higher performance.

Though not all strategies contained in the Guide may be addressable or immediately applicable at all sites, the goal is to facilitate the implementation of as many strategies as possible. Thus, the second half of each introduction proposes both a preferred approach to identifying and prioritizing strategies as well as a description of special considerations that may influence post’s planning and management decisions. Additionally, the introduction highlights anticipated benefit from strategy implementation. The Practical Application section helps posts account for their unique cultures, regional climate conditions, and specific development patterns, as well as the age, size, and systems of their facilities.