LEED Compliance

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) was created in created in 1998 by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Since then, LEED has come to be recognized as one of the leading green building certification systems in the world. Through LEED, the USGBC provides building owners and operators a consistent framework for green building design, construction, operations and maintenance. These green strategies cover: energy and water conservation, reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, improved indoor air quality and the use of resources that lessen a building’s impact on the environment.

As a LEED-compliant company, Harvard uses Green Certified chemicals, equipment and supplies for our janitorial services. Having also received CIMS-GB certification with Honors, we are leaders in sustainable janitorial services and will provide your facility with a LEED-Compliant cleaning program that meets your LEED business objectives.

Whether you are in the performance evaluation period of LEED certification, or working toward earning Silver, Gold or Platinum levels, we can help ensure that your organization receives the maximum number of points associated with the green cleaning section of the LEED-EB (Existing Building) standard. Even if your organization is not pursuing LEED certification, Harvard can tailor a program that still gives your organization the benefits of a comprehensive, sustainable, green cleaning program.

High-Performance Cleaning Plan

We will devise a LEED-Compliant, high-performance, high-efficiency cleaning program that will help you earn points toward LEED Certification. Our cleaning program will be based on our 5-point definition of clean, and deliver a properly cleaned facility that satisfies your sustainability goals.

High Performance Cleaning Manual

Ashkin Group, LLC

The Ashkin Group is an internationally recognized consulting firm that specializes in working to “green the cleaning industry.” Our Green program was designed by the Ashkin Group, setting HarvardClean apart as having among the highest standards in LEED-Ready cleaning services. Coupled with our GS-42 and CIMS-GB certifications, working with the Ashkin Group puts Harvard in a unique position to deliver a comprehensive green cleaning program that meets and exceeds the most rigorous of sustainable, green standards.

LEED Point Calculation

We guarantee that working with HarvardClean will help your organization earn the maximum number of LEED points.

Cleaning Chemicals

Harvard is dedicated to reducing the impact of commercial cleaning on the environment. We will perform a thorough analysis of your organization’s green and sustainability needs and implement a chemical usage strategy that reduces your facility’s carbon footprint without compromising the effectiveness of our work. As part of our program, Harvard uses the following green cleaning products and materials that comply with standard LEED-EB and GS certifications:

• GS-37 Cleaning products for industrial and institutional use. Includes General-purpose, restroom, glass and carpet cleaners intended for routine cleaning of offices, institutions, warehouses and industrial facilities.
• GS-40 Floor-care products for industrial and institutional use. Includes floor-care products such a floor finish and floor finish strippers.
• GS-41 Hand cleaners for industrial and institutional use. Includes heavy-duty hand cleaners used for routine, non-specialized hand cleaning.

Equipment

Good indoor air quality is essential to a properly maintained facility. That’s why we use Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) Green Label-Approved equipment. The green equipment used in your building will align with the request for proposal (RFP) cleaning specifications while being effective and safe for your facilities and people. In addition to using CRI-Seal of Approval/Green Label certified equipment we are also LEED-EB and GS-42 compliant.

Training

All of our cleaning personnel receive the necessary training in LEED standards through our interactive HarvardAchieve system. Task-based training programs demonstrate how to perform “green” cleaning tasks correctly and consistently for optimum results. In addition to training new hires to work efficiently and effectively, current employees also use HarvardAchieve to receive more advanced training or to receive any specialized training required by your project.

Documentation

In addition to a written scope of work (SOW) and documented building job tasks, we will also will provide you with documentation of our Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) Green Label-Approved equipment as well as certification of our LEED compliant equipment, and our Green Seal products.

We will also assist you with the necessary documentation required for your organization to earn LEED certification points. These records will indicate that a green cleaning program is in place and also provide tracking reports of purchases, spending, training and other activities as required for LEED-EB certification.

Reporting

In order to remain LEED compliant, HarvardClean must submit reports to U.S. Green Building Council (UCGBC). UCBGC performs an audit of our purchase records and certifies that we are using Green Seal products and qualify for LEED certification. Similarly, in order to receive CIMS-GB certification with Honors we received an on-site review by an independent assessor and submitted documentation that supported our compliance with the CIMS Standard. We received GS-42 certification after submitting data and documentation to Green Seal that described the products we use, our service policies and our procedures. We also underwent an on-site audit by Green Seal before receiving our certification.