What is the Existing Buildings Standard?

The Existing Buildings (EB) Standard provides a method for assessing existing commercial and multifamily buildings relative to the tenets of integrated design and contemporary best practices for high-performance green buildings. The assessment method addresses the evaluation of buildings with respect to reducing life cycle resource consumption, waste, and global/regional/local environmental impacts contributing to human and ecological system health, and provides performance feedback to owners and communities on indicators such as energy and water performance.

The EB Standard applies to a broad range of existing commercial and multifamily building types, including offices, multifamily, health care, data centers, schools, universities, laboratories, industrial, retail, etc.

ANSI/GBI 02-2025, Assessment Protocol for Existing Buildings, was published in the summer of 2025 and is now in Continuous Maintenance.

Rating System

The Standard includes a points-based assessment and rating system that allows users to identify solutions for actions likely to achieve performance levels commonly accepted for desirable environmental and related efficiency outcomes.

Assessment Areas

The six Assessment Areas within the Standard include Responsible Business Management, Site, Energy, Water, Materials, and Indoor Environmental Quality.

As a GBI volunteer, I’m part of creating a significant impact on our built environment’s sustainability, leading to lasting solutions through collaborative efforts.
John A. Mullen
Director of Technical Services and Research, The IAPMO Group

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