BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. — Siemens Industry Inc. announced that the Green Building Operations and Maintenance Manual: A Guide for Public Housing Authorities, developed in collaboration with Green Seal Inc., is now available to the public online and free of charge.

According to Siemens, the Green Building Operations & Maintenance Manual provides public housing authorities and other building owners a comprehensive resource for reducing the use of energy, water, and toxic chemicals and for operating facilities in a more sustainable, healthy manner. A selection of public housing authorities funded the manual through an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Green Seal and Siemens collaborated to develop the manual and customize it for regions of the U.S. with geographically-specific guidelines and information.

“For the first time,” said Mike Kearney, senior director for Siemens Industry Inc., Building Technologies Division, “public housing authorities and building owners have access to a peer-developed source that provides practical, actionable guidance in an easy-to-use format that transcends the ‘how’ and reveals ‘why’ these recommended actions are important for the longevity of the housing developments they manage. Over time, the practices outlined in the manual will help both residents and their surrounding communities improve their quality of life.”