Siemens Industry, Inc., has announced that the Green Building Operations and Maintenance Manual: A Guide for Public Housing Authorities, developed in collaboration with Green Seal, Inc., is now available to the public online and free of charge. To download a copy visit http:// www.greeningpublichousing.com  or http://www.greenseal.org/GreenBuildingOM.aspx.

The Green Building Operations & Maintenance Manual provides public housing authorities and other building owners a comprehensive resource for reducing the use of energy, water, and toxic chemicals and for operating facilities in a more sustainable, healthy manner. A selection of public housing authorities funded the manual through an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Green Seal, and Siemens, collaborated to develop the manual and customize it for regions of the U.S., with geographically-specific guidelines and information.

“For the first time,” says Mike Kearney, senior director for Siemens Industry, Inc. Building Technologies Division, “public housing authorities and building owners have access to a peer-developed source that provides practical, actionable guidance in an easy-to-use format that transcends the ‘how’ and reveals ‘why’ these recommended actions are important for the longevity of the housing developments they manage. Over time, the practices outlined in the manual will help both residents and their surrounding communities improve their quality of life.”

Although developed specifically for public housing authorities, any building owner or maintenance staff can take advantage of the guidance to implement more sustainable, energy efficient, and healthier practices.

“The Green Building Operations and Maintenance Manual is unique in that no other green operations resource focuses on multi-unit housing or provides such comprehensive, detailed guidance for free. The guidance is more than academic; these are practices facilities managers can start implementing today to take a significant step toward a sustainable society,” says Dr. Arthur B. Weissman, president and CEO of Green Seal.

The manual covers a broad range of facility maintenance and management best practices including HVAC systems, plumbing fixtures, lighting, landscaping, and recycling. Unit maintenance is addressed, as well as a section providing suggestions and tools on ways building owners and operators can engage residents and encourage them to participate in improving the sustainability of the communities in which they live.