Certification

1. Log in to the free EDGE web-based software and pull up your project
2. Click on the green “REGISTER PROJECT” button found in the Design Tab, Project Details section
3. Select GBCI as your certifier and click “YES” to confirm your choice on the pop-up that appears
4. Fill out the information requested, clicking the green “NEXT” button as you move between sections
5. Finally, just click the green “SUBMIT” button and click “YES” to confirm on the pop-up that appears.

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.

• Please note that new construction projects that are approaching construction completion may opt to skip their Design Audit. While exisiting buildings typically skip a Design Audit, buildings undergoing major renovations (greater than 25% of major elements) may opt to undertake a Design Audit.
• Gather all the requested documentation and submit 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 for new construction projects.
• 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) is estimated to be 10 business days (not guaranteed). Note that GBCI review will not begin until certification fee payment has cleared. Expedited reviews (reduced to half of standard timeline) may be available for an additional flat certification fee of $2,750, based on GBCI review capacity. You must reach out to GBCI at minimum 15 business days before your design or site audit begins, if you require an expedited review timeline. Contact [email protected] for expedited certification requests.

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.

Site Audit Deadline for New Construction Projects
For new construction projects, the Site Audit by the auditor during the construction phase review must be carried out 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).

Mixed-Use Buildings
If a building has more than one use and the secondary use occupies less than 10% of the floor area up to a maximum of 1,000 m², the entire building can be certified under the primary use of the building. If the area of secondary use is more than 10% of the floor area or more than 1,000 m², then that portion must be certified separately. For example, if a 10,000 m² residential building has a retail portion of 1,200 m² located within the ground floor, the building areas must be certified separately under the Homes and Retail typologies.

Multiple Buildings
When one project (such as a housing development) with a single owner consists of several buildings, buildings of less than 10% of the floor area of the project up to a maximum of 1,000 m² with the same use may be clustered together as a single building. Buildings larger than 10% of the project floor area or more than 1,000 m² must be considered as separate buildings. In residential projects, however, each individual unit would receive an EDGE Certificate, not the overall building. When multiple types of units are present, each unit type in the project is assessed separately.

Once you’ve earned certification, it’s likely that you’ll want to tell the world. And 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 listed in the Marketing Toolkit.

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” by submitting a written request from the project owner to GBCI.

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.

Go all the way to carbon neutral with 40% or more energy savings on-site, achieving 100% through renewables or topping off with carbon offsets.

• Eligibility: Projects must have achieved EDGE Advanced certification at least one year ago and have at least 75% occupancy. The project must use 100% renewables on-site or off-site for energy, or have purchased carbon offsets to reach 100%. All energy usage must be accounted for, including secondary fuels such as diesel and LPG.
• Renewal: Every four years with 100% renewables or every two years when offsets have been purchased.
• Fees: $500 (₹35,000) for an individual building or $50 (₹3,500) per detached single-family home for each renewal period.

Please contact us if you are interested in pursuing EDGE Zero Carbon certification.