Green Building Certifications Explained: A Beginner's Guide

Let’s jump into the ABCs of green building certifications. 🌿 Whether you're in design, construction, or management, these certifications are key to creating efficient, eco-friendly, and cost-effective buildings.

In today's world, designing buildings with sustainability in mind isn't just a nice-to-have—it's essential. These eco-friendly buildings perform better, cost less to operate, and are highly attractive to tenants.

One smart way to showcase your commitment to sustainability is by getting third-party building certifications. Whether you're an architect, an owner's rep, or part of a design-build team, understanding these certifications can be a game-changer. Why does it matter? It's all about the bottom line. Clearly defined performance metrics can help you secure:

• Federal, state, and local funding incentives
• Residential mortgage underwriting
• Foundation grants
• Socially-conscious equity investments

Luckily, there are plenty of green building certifications out there to choose from. From comprehensive ones like LEED to specific ones like Zero Energy, there's something to fit every goal. Knowing your options and picking the right one is key to reaping the rewards of a sustainable building.

To help you get started, here is list of some of the most well-known and widely accepted green building certifications out there. It’s not a complete list, but it’s a great starting point.

👋 Curious about other green building certifications or want more details on the ones listed below? We’ve got a Building Certification Directory that can help you! 👋

1. LEED

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a global certification that provides a framework for creating healthy, efficient, and cost-effective green buildings. It's the most popular green building certification out there, with over 197,000 LEED-certified projects in 186 countries.

LEED certification works on a points system, where you earn points for meeting various green building criteria. The more points you get, the higher your certification level: certified, silver, gold, or platinum.

LEED certification is divided into categories based on the type of building and its development stage.

LEED For Building Design and Construction (BD+C)

• Certification for new construction and major renovation of an entire building 
• The most common LEED certification
• An all-encompassing certification that touches on factors ranging from design to construction activities  

LEED For Interior Design and Construction (ID+C)

• Certification for projects that develop the interior of a building but do not have control over a building’s entire operations.
• It can be applied to new interior buildouts or major renovations.
• A common use case is for a company that leases a floor of a building and plans to renovate it to meet LEED standards but does not control the operations of the rest of the building. 

LEED For Operations And Maintenance (O+M)

• Certification for existing buildings and leased spaces that have been operational for at least one year. 
• It centers on ongoing building operations and maintenance. 
• The primary focus is on building efficiency of resource use, like water and energy. 

LEED For Cities and Communities 

• Certification for entire cities and communities – not individual buildings. 
• It is commonly used by governments, private sector planners, universities, and developers. 
• It targets social, economic, and environmental factors in the city and community design. 

LEED ZERO 

• A set of certifications that verify buildings meet their stated net-zero goals. 
• Certifications for carbon emissions, energy use, water use, and waste generation are available for buildings first LEED Certified under a different version of the rating system (i.e. ID+C, BD+C, O+M)

2. Enterprise Green Communities

Enterprise Green Communities certification sets the bar for creating healthy, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly affordable housing. It's the go-to certification for affordable housing, with 230,000 certified units across 32 U.S. states.

This certification emphasizes sustainable development practices that improve residents' quality of life and reduce environmental impact. It covers design, construction, and operational strategies to ensure long-term sustainability and resilience in low-income communities.

3. NGBS (National Green Building Standard)

NGBS certification establishes standards for sustainable residential construction, including new builds, renovations, and land development. Its focus is on creating healthy homes, reducing operating costs, and promoting a sustainable lifestyle.

NGBS achieves this through benchmark criteria in energy efficiency, water conservation, resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality, operations and maintenance, and lot development. Even existing buildings undergoing renovations can earn this certification.

4. Energy Star

Energy Star, an EPA rating system, focuses on building energy use and efficiency. It evaluates the overall energy performance of a building, reflecting actual metered energy consumption and accounting for various energy sources. Energy Star also normalizes building activity and provides comparisons with peer buildings.

Energy Star New Homes  

• Certification for newly constructed homes 
• It utilizes a point system (1 to 100) to express how a building performs in relation to other buildings. A score of 75 or higher qualifies for Energy Star. 

Energy Star Multi-Family New Construction (MFNC) 

• Certification for newly constructed residential buildings with more than one residential unit (not townhomes) and residential portions of mixed-use structures 
• It has several pathways to certification, such as using energy modeling or implementing a set of predetermined energy-saving measures developed by the EPA. 

Energy Star Existing Buildings 

• Certification for existing commercial structures  
• It utilizes a point system (1 to 100) to express how a building performs in relation to other buildings. A score of 75 or higher qualifies for Energy Star. 

5. Fitwel

Fitwel certification, developed by the Center for Active Design, promotes health and well-being within buildings. It evaluates how a project's design, operations, and behaviors can be optimized for human health. Key components include categories like indoor air quality, access to physical activity, and occupant safety.

6. WELL

The WELL Building Standard focuses on optimizing a project's design, operations, and behaviors for human health and well-being. It addresses elements such as air, water, natural light, fitness, comfort, and mental well-being. Note that WELL certification expires and requires re-certification after three years.

7. BREEAM

BREEAM, the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, is an international certification that evaluates the sustainability of buildings across environmental, social, and economic performance. Although it started in the UK, BREEAM now covers 535,000 buildings in 74 countries, offering certification for new and existing buildings, communities, and infrastructure projects.

8. Passive House Institute US (PHIUS)

PHIUS certification promotes energy-efficient passive buildings with strict standards for energy use, air tightness, and thermal comfort. Its mission is to create high-performance passive buildings, drawing on the Department of Energy’s research on climate and market conditions. This standard seeks to balance investment and payback by considering factors like climate zone, source energy, and costs.

9. SITES

SITES is a certification framework that encourages sustainable land development and management for outdoor spaces. It focuses on balancing urbanization with natural spaces by evaluating site design, water management, and soil conservation. The goal is to create designs that protect the natural environment and enhance the benefits they provide to communities. SITES embraces the unique conditions of each project and promotes flexibility in design.

10. Green Globes

Green Globes is a certification system for green building design and operational management for all types of commercial real estate. It emphasizes environmental sustainability, health & wellness, and resilience. Designed for flexibility, it allows building owners to select the most impactful sustainable practices for their specific buildings.

11. Living Building Challenge (LBC)

The Living Building Challenge (LBC) is an international performance standard aimed at creating projects and spaces that give more than they take. These projects are intended to positively impact both humans and the natural systems they interact with. To achieve LBC certification, all requirements must be met, which can be challenging for existing buildings without renovations.

12. Total Resource Use and Efficiency (TRUE)

TRUE certification focuses on achieving zero waste in businesses and facilities. Unlike systems that only focus on waste diversion, TRUE evaluates and promotes waste reduction and upstream prevention policies. Similar to LEED, TRUE uses a points system that awards certification levels from certified to platinum. It can be applied to individual projects, campuses, and regional groups.

Bonus Certification to Consider: Zero Energy

Zero Energy certification, offered by the Living Building Institute, recognizes buildings that produce as much onsite renewable energy as they consume annually. It prohibits fossil fuel combustion energy use. This certification is achieved through a mix of onsite renewable energy development and energy efficiency measures. Projects must verify their net-zero renewable energy performance through actual measured energy performance rather than modeling.

Finding the Right Path to Sustainable Certification

Choosing the right certification system can be tricky, but it’s a crucial step on your journey to a sustainable project. Certifications provide the foundation for sustainable design and offer a trusted way to prove your project's green credentials. This not only helps cut down on greenwashing claims but also allows you to command higher rents, secure better access to capital, and reduce operational costs. Send me a LI message if you want to chat more about any of these certifications or need advice as to how to get started!