Guideline 32 offers guidance for operating and maintaining buildings with goals of sustainability and high performance in mind.

The purpose of this guideline is to assist those who operate and maintain buildings to achieve high performance: safe, productive indoor environments; low economic life cycle cost; low energy, water, and resource use and low impacts on the environment. It applies to the systems of commercial, institutional, industrial and laboratory buildings as they affect occupant comfort, indoor air quality, health & safety; and the energy & water consumed. These systems include the building envelope, HVAC, plumbing, complementary energy systems, utilities and electrical systems.

This guideline applies to the ongoing operational practices for a building and its systems, particularly with respect to energy efficiency, occupant comfort, indoor air quality, health and safety. It is intended to provide steps beyond compliance with ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 180 and to provide concepts, methods and details that will meet the intent of the "minimum standards of care" of ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1.