Existing Buildings

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, schools, universities, laboratories, industrial, retail, etc.

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.

The six Assessment Areas within the Standard include Environmental, Social, & Governance (ESG) Management, Site, Energy, Water, Materials, and Indoor Environmental Quality.

ANSI/GBI 02-2023, Green Globes® Assessment Protocol for Existing Buildings, was published in the summer of 2023 and is now in Continuous Maintenance. 

“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

Green Building Standards Documents