Certification

For projects located in India, just visit EDGE Online, the online portal through which you will submit your application for certification. You'll be able to complete the registration information, submit payment and sign the certification agreement (the project owner must do this last one).

1. Please fill out the Project Registration Form. The email address of the person receiving the invoice (owner or other billing party identified on your Registration Form) must have an usgbc.org site account. You can create an account for free at http://www.usgbc.org/registration/create-user in just a few moments. This will allow you to pay multiple ways, including credit card, check or wire transfer. You will also be able to see your order history and receipts at any time.
2. Project Owner or their designated agent should review and sign the Certification Agreement. Important: The agreement must be signed by the Project Owner or designated Agent. If an Agent signs the form and/or there is more than one primary Owner then please also provide a signed Confirmation of Agent’s Authority Form and/or Confirmation of Primary Owner’s Authority Form. These forms are available at https://edge.gbci.org/resources#legal.
3. Return the completed forms to [email protected].
4. Pay the registration fee. GBCI will issue an invoice for your project registration once your registration form is received. If you prefer to pay all fees now, then just let us know and we will gladly modify your invoice. Please remember that your certification fee payment must clear before GBCI will begin to certify your project.

Individuals on your project team will be called on to fill certain roles throughout the EDGE certification process. Here's a rundown of who does what:

• Owner: The person (or entity) who has the authority to hold and control the real and personal property associated with your project, and accepts (or authorizes the acceptance of) the certification agreement. While there may be multiple owners for a particular project (if so, please submit a Confirmation of Primary Owner’s Authority Form), we ask that you identify a single individual to administer the certification process. Big takeaway: the owner has ultimate control over the EDGE certification application, meaning that Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI: the organization responsible for administering EDGE certification) will respond to the owner regarding the administration of the project over any other member of the project team.
• Agent: The person (or entity) who is granted actual authority by the owner to register the project and accept the certification agreement.
• Project Administrator: This team member acts as a project manager overseeing the EDGE project and submitting the output document from the EDGE software (known as the self-assessment). The project administrator also accepts the certification results once the project has successfully completed all steps in the certification process.
• EDGE Expert: An EDGE Expert is a professional that helps a developer, owner, and larger project team understand the EDGE standard, software and certification system. The scope of the EDGE Expert’s work includes advice on green design and assistance with preparation of an application for EDGE certification. In many cases, the EDGE Expert serves as both the Agent and Project Administrator.
• EDGE Auditor: An individual who determines by investigation, and evaluation of objective evidence whether a building project meets the requirements of the EDGE standard. The EDGE Auditor completes this assessment by reviewing project documentation (Design Audit) and conducting visits to the project site (Site Audit), and making Recommendations for certification with the EDGE Standard to GBCI. EDGE Auditors must be independent from the developer/owner/project team of a project they audit. This means that a single individual may not serve as an EDGE Expert and EDGE Auditor on a single project.

• You will negotiate EDGE Auditor fees and contract terms directly with your chosen Auditor.
• EDGE Auditor fees are independent of the registration and certification fees paid to GBCI.
• You may only use an EDGE Auditor that is listed on this webpage.
• Please note that your Auditor should not be viewed as a consultant on your project, and is prohibited from providing design and/or consulting services for your project.
• Your contract with the EDGE Auditor must be in place before you apply for certification (step 4).
• If an EDGE Auditor is not available in your region or you do not wish to contract with any Auditors listed on this page, you may request a quote from GBCI to provide you with these services. GBCI may provide these services with either its staff or subcontractors.

• Submit your self-assessment (what you created in Step 1 in the EDGE Software) to your EDGE Auditor for a preliminary review.
• The Auditor will typically respond with their review indicating any issues in the self-assessment and ask you to upload the required supporting documents to the EDGE Software. This review may include an in-person meeting and/or a conference call.

Design Audit

• Gather all the documentation requested and send it all at one time to your Auditor so they can begin the Design Audit (remember you Auditor will need to have access to all the documentation in order to begin the Design audit).
• Your Auditor will check your application for completeness and compliance with the EDGE Standard requirements. The Auditor will indicate which measures were approved and which are pending further information or not approved.
• Provide additional information as requested by the Auditor for the final phase of the Design Audit. GBCI suggests you submit these clarifications to the Auditor as soon as possible after you receive the comments from the Auditor (within 20-25 business days is recommended).
• Your Auditor will review the additional information, and if the Auditor is satisfied that the building design meets the EDGE Standard, they will make a Recommendation to GBCI for Preliminary Certification.
• GBCI will conduct a thorough quality review to make sure that the Design Audit is complete and issue a Preliminary Certificate for the building project, assuming no further issues are found. Note that the Preliminary Certificate will expire 12 months after the project is practically complete, or 36 months after issuance, whichever comes first, unless an exception request has been received in writing and granted by GBCI.

• After your building project is constructed, your EDGE Auditor will undertake a Site Audit to make sure that the completed building includes the EDGE Measures that were selected in the design. You'll schedule the site visit with the EDGE Auditor directly. Your Auditor will also request construction phase documentation prior to scheduling the site visit. You must provide all the requested documentation to your Auditor before they can begin the Site Audit. Note that the Site Audit must take place within 12 months of the project’s practical completion.
• If your Auditor is satisfied that the completed building meets the EDGE Standard, they will make a Recommendation to GBCI for EDGE Certification.
• GBCI will then conduct a thorough quality review to make sure that the Site Audit is complete and issue an EDGE Certificate for the building project.

• For an additional fee, an appeal review allows you to submit supplementary information, and amend the application in the event your Preliminary or EDGE Certification is denied or if you would like to document additional savings. Your EDGE Auditor and GBCI will review the additional or amended information provided.
• GBCI will respond with an appeal review report; depending on the complexity of the appeal and/or the number of measures that are addressed, it may take up to 20-25 calendar days to issue the report and a new or amended Preliminary or EDGE Certificate.

Technical Inquiries
Your EDGE Auditor is your primary point of contact for all technical inquiries throughout the certification process. The Auditor can help answer technical questions about the EDGE certification system and clarify requirements in instances where you are unable to find an answer in published guidance, and/or your project has a unique or complex scenario for which you and your consultant require additional support. Please note that your Auditor should not be viewed as a consultant on your project, and is prohibited from providing design and/or consulting services for your project.

Complaints and Grievances
If you have concerns or complaints about your EDGE Auditor, please contact us at [email protected].

Certification Timeline

GBCI Quality Check Timeline
Once the Auditor submits their Recommendation to GBCI, the final decision regarding preliminary certificate (outcome of design audit) or EDGE Certification (outcome of site audit) will be provided in approximately 15 to 20 business days. Note that GBCI review will not begin until certification fee payment has cleared. Expedited reviews (reduce from 15-20 business days to 10-12 business days) may be available for an additional certification fee, based on GBCI review capacity. Please be sure to reach out to GBCI as soon as possible if you require an expedited review timeline; at minimum 10 business days before your design or site audit begins. Contact [email protected] for expedited certification requests and fees.

EDGE Auditor Design and Site Audit Timeline
The Auditor is expected to provide an anticipated timeline to the project team on the activities that they will complete for a project. The timeline may vary from project to project and the responsiveness of an owner/project team to requests for information/documentation from their Auditor, will factor into the overall timeline.

GBCI has provided the following as a general guideline on what to expect from your Auditor. Note that the Audits will begin only after the project team has provided all the required documentation to the Auditor.

Deadline for Submitting for Review
For all projects, you will need to submit for your Site Audit (construction phase review) no later than 12 months after your project is substantially completed (the date on which your building receives a certificate of occupancy or similar official indication that it is fit and ready for use). If you decide you no longer want to pursue EDGE Certification for your project, please contact us at [email protected] so we can close your application.

Campus Projects (Multiple Buildings at the Same Site)
If you intend to certify multiple buildings within a campus environment, then a separate EDGE software file must be created for each building. Each building will be required to meet the EDGE Standard and the EDGE Certification will be provided to each building.

Mixed Use Buildings (Multiple Space Use Types within a Single Building)
If you are pursuing certification of a building, which has multiple space use types (such as residential and retail or office and retail), then a separate EDGE software file must be created for each space type. Each space type must meet the EDGE Standard and will receive a separate Preliminary Certificate and EDGE Certification.

Once you’ve earned certification, it’s likely that you’ll want to tell the world. You should! EDGE Certification benefits your business’ bottom line and underscores your sustainability efforts. It’s a cause for celebration. The EDGE Certification logo may be used to represent the associated project's achievement per IFC's guidelines. These logos may be included in collateral and other marketing materials, and on physical installations such as EDGE plaques, decals and banners.

You’ll also receive a formal certificate of recognition, and may promote your certification in a number of ways that will be detailed in our forthcoming public relations guidelines.

We use your project data for the greater good: to educate and provide resources for EDGE project teams and others around the world, showcase your strategies, and share the size and power of the green building movement.

Registered and certified EDGE projects are considered “public” projects by default and are included in the public project directory. A listing in this directory allows the general public and members of the media to look up your project listing and its related details.

Here's a full list of the data and project elements that may be listed in the public project directory:

All public projects also benefit from publicity opportunities: we may utilize your project data to create case studies highlighting your project's features, reference your project on our website or to the media, or create other derivative works.

Information that may be used for articles, project profiles, other features:

• Service providers
• Project team members
• Promotional or other project photographs
• Project strategies for certification
• Quotations from team members

You may opt-out of the project directory and publicity opportunities as a “private project” at the time of registration: specific instructions on how to do so are available in EDGE Online. All private projects that earn certification will be prompted once more to transition to public status (we can’t help ourselves, we love sharing good news!). You will need to re-confirm your “private” status at that time, if you wish to retain it.

Note that if a project chooses to remain private, it must not be marketed or represented to the general public as either a registered or certified EDGE project. These projects aren't entitled to use or display any intellectual property, including the EDGE Certification trademarks and logos. These projects may communicate their status as either a registered or certified EDGE project to government entities for the limited purposes of complying with building and tax laws, and administrative proceedings related to land use entitlements.

In rare situations, a Preliminary Certificate or EDGE Certification may be revoked. We’ve created the Certification Challenge Policy to ensure that all EDGE project submittals and subsequent reviews by EDGE Auditors and GBCI are done so with integrity, accuracy and truthfulness. A certification challenge may be initiated by GBCI or by any third party within 18 months of a project’s certification. In line with the policy, you’ll need to retain all project documentation related to your certification, and the achievement of measures, on-site at your certified project for two years after receiving certification, to ensure that this information is available in case of a challenge.