the right questions, involving a full range of stakeholders, and having a clear sense of purpose.

Finding 9c: A commissioning process that starts in the planning phase and continues through building occupancy can help ensure that a school building performs in accordance with the stated design criteria and the owner’s operational requirements. Effective commissioning for green schools requires specific expertise in nontraditional elements such as moisture control, indoor air quality, lighting, and acoustics.

Finding 9d: If a green school’s performance and potential benefits are to be maintained over its service life, building systems and features should be monitored. Such monitoring can include the use of sensors and other technologies that provide data about current indoor environmental conditions and the likely performance of a building over time.

Finding 9e: Postoccupancy evaluations can help ensure the performance of existing schools and help improve the design of future schools.

Finding 9f: Green schools represent a significant public investment. That investment can be undermined if educators, support staff, students, and other stakeholders do not have the knowledge or training to appropriately use or operate a green school.

Recommendation 9a: Future green school guidelines should stress the importance of good planning processes that allow for the effective participation of a wide range of stakeholders.

Recommendation 9b: Future green school guidelines should require for all new schools a building commissioning process that begins in planning and continues through occupancy. The commissioning agent should specifically verify that moisture-management features are properly designed and installed, that intended ventilation rates are delivered to building occupants, that the lighting system is adequately designed and installed to ensure effective lighting based on tasks and school room configurations, and that acoustical measures meet the performance standards of ANSI Standard 12.60.

Recommendation 9c: Future green school guidelines should encourage the periodic monitoring of indoor environmental characteristics including moisture levels, absolute humidity, classroom temperatures, and ventilation effectiveness to ensure that performance objectives are maintained over the service life of a school.