The EDGE Standard and the Green Building Certification Process
The standard in one sentence
EDGE - Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies - is an IFC (World Bank Group) green building standard aimed at emerging markets. A project must demonstrate at least 20% savings in each of three categories: operational energy, operational water, and embodied energy in materials, all measured against the local base case.
Certification levels
- EDGE Certified: 20% in energy, water and materials.
- EDGE Advanced: at least 40% energy savings, plus the 20% water and materials thresholds.
- EDGE Zero Carbon: all operational energy met from renewables (on-site or contracted off-site) on top of advanced-level efficiency. Confirm current thresholds in the technical manual before advising a client.
The software is free; certification is a paid, third-party service. Candidates frequently blur the two.
The process
- Register the project and model it in the EDGE App.
- Contract an accredited EDGE Certification Provider.
- Design audit: the provider verifies the model against drawings and specifications and issues a preliminary certificate.
- Construction.
- Site audit: as-built verification using photographs, invoices, equipment nameplates and specifications.
- Final certificate issued for the completed building.
Traps
Expecting a points-based rating; assuming the design certificate is the end of the process; assuming 40% applies to water and materials at Advanced level; believing the base case can be chosen to suit the project.
Worked example
A project models 26% energy, 22% water and 18% materials. It cannot be certified. Adding 25–30% cement replacement or recycled-content steel usually closes an 18% materials gap faster than redesigning the envelope.