The Smart Buildings Center (SBC) and Building Operator Certification (BOC) program are proud to announce the 2022 BOC Operator of the Year: Matthew Wardell, Building Maintenance Supervisor for the City of Kentwood, Michigan.

Each year, BOC requests nominations for people working to improve the energy efficiency of their work environment using skills they learned in the BOC program. We received many impressive 2022 nominations detailing how methods learned in BOC classes are helping people make improvements in their work environments, but Matt’s story stood out among the rest.

In his role at the City of Kentwood, Matt manages nine city buildings, four of which are staffed 24 hours a day. Matt was pivotal in completing the Consumer’s Energy Building Tune Up Program in four City of Kentwood owned buildings from 2020 to 2022. The buildings were benchmarked using Energy Star Portfolio Manager, and all four buildings were significantly improved by Matt’s efforts. His BOC training and hard work translated into the following:

• Energy savings in the four buildings of a total 586,592 kWh annually
• $46,927 in annual electric cost savings
• Energy savings equaling 21% of the total buildings’ energy use
• The City Hall’s Energy Star score increased by 114%
• The City Hall’s Energy Usage Intensity (EUI) decreased by 23.5%

Matt believes BOC training is valuable because it touches on the many different aspects of energy conservation. He has found BOC training to be helpful as it builds and expands on knowledge in the many different areas of operating healthy and efficient buildings. The thing he enjoys most about his work is having a positive impact.

The SBC and BOC program applaud Matt on his efforts to improve the City of Kentwood’s building energy performance and congratulate him on being named as 2022 BOC Operator of the Year!

Know someone who deserves recognition for their work in the industry? Nominations will open for the 2023 BOC Operator of the Year award in May, so stay tuned!

The Smart Buildings Center (SBC) is proud to partner with SEIU Local 49 to support the Portland Green Janitor Education Program (GJEP). The GJEP is a national program developed by the Building Skills Partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles (USGBC-LA), the Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater Los Angeles, and the Service Employees International Union. The program is a qualified USGBC program through which janitors are accredited in green building cleaning practices to help meet the latest energy, water, and environmental sustainability standards. The GJEP curriculum addresses energy efficiency, recycling, waste management, water conservation and other sustainable and green cleaning practices.

The GJEP is certified by USGBC and qualifies buildings for an additional point on LEED certification applications. According to a SeedLA report, 76% of buildings that have utilized the program to educate their staff have seen reductions in energy and water use, and on average participating buildings use 5.6% less energy than non-participating buildings.

The program in Portland is financed through partnerships between building owners, janitorial companies, SEIU Local 49, and grant funding provided by the Portland Clean Energy Fund. So far, Able and ABM janitors at four Portland office towers owned by American Assets Trust and Unico Properties have completed the program.

The GJEP compliments SBC’s mission to enable a cleaner, healthier and more productive future through the use of smart technologies and practices in the built environment. SBC delivers and promotes training programs to educate and elevate the building workforce of the future, providing a career and credential pathway for individuals to obtain a meaningful career in facilities.

“Janitors are on the frontlines of building operations, noticing trends and potential areas of improvement for occupancy comfort and energy savings before anyone else in the building” said Shino Severson, SBC Senior Project Manager. “By investing in training janitorial staff, organizations invest in their future to promote individuals throughout the organization, experience less employee turnover, and realize short- and long-term achievements in improving the health, cleanliness and sustainability of their buildings.”

By increasing the recognition of the important role these individuals play in their buildings, the GJEP can help build the pipeline for those entering the field of facilities through credentials and training. This skilled workforce provides valuable energy and resource savings to building owners and organizations while helping to advance sustainability efforts.

“SEIU Local 49 members appreciate the partnership with SBC to work together for a cleaner future for all” said Scott Cheesewright, SEIU Local 49 Assistant Director of Property Services Organizing. “We’re thrilled that janitors become involved more closely in important building processes and decisions around energy and water use, waste stream management, green chemicals, and workplace health and safety through this critical program.”

To learn more, watch the GJEP promotional video and read the SEIU Local 49 program update.