7.2 Preliminary (Design) Certification Workflow

7.2 Preliminary (Design) Certification Workflow

Achieving EDGE certification is a structured, two-stage process: Preliminary Certification at the design stage, followed by Final Certification at the post-construction stage. Obtaining an EDGE Preliminary Certificate allows project teams to validate green building design achievements early in the project lifecycle. This early validation is critical for securing green building financing, attracting eco-conscious tenants, qualifying for municipal density bonuses, and marketing sustainable developments prior to groundbreaking.

---

Overview and Validity of Preliminary Certification

EDGE Preliminary Certification evaluates the building's projected performance based on architectural drawings, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) schematics, technical specification sheets, and simulated EDGE App models.

Key Validity & Governance Rules

• Validity Window: An EDGE Preliminary Certificate is valid for 36 months (3 years) from the date of issuance, or until construction is fully completed, whichever occurs first.
• Construction Threshold: Once construction is complete, the Preliminary Certificate expires, and the project must undergo a physical site audit to earn the EDGE Final (As-Built) Certificate.
• Extension Protocols: If construction is delayed beyond 36 months, the project team must apply to the Certifying Body for a formal validity extension, demonstrating that the design specs have not been altered to compromise EDGE compliance.
• Minimum Efficiency Threshold: The design must achieve a minimum 20% reduction in energy consumption, water consumption, and embodied energy in materials compared to the regional EDGE baseline. (If targeting EDGE Advanced, on-site energy savings must reach at least 40%).

---

Step-by-Step Preliminary Certification Workflow

The preliminary certification process follows six sequential steps from project registration to official certificate issuance.

Step 1: Project Registration and Certifying Body Selection

The project lifecycle begins within the online EDGE Software (EDGE App):

1. Account & Project Creation: The EDGE Expert or project administrator creates a project file in the EDGE App.
2. Building Typology Selection: The user selects the appropriate building category (e.g., Single-Family Housing, Multi-Family Apartments, Commercial Office, Retail, Hotel, Healthcare, Education, Light Industrial, or Mixed-Use).
3. Geographic & Climate Baseline Data: The user selects the exact project location (city and country). The EDGE App automatically loads verified climate data (sol-air temperatures, solar radiation, relative humidity, wind speed), local utility tariffs, grid carbon intensity emission factors, and local baseline building practices.
4. Certifying Body Selection & Contracting: The client selects an accredited Certifying Body (such as Sintali, GBCI, or SGS) in the EDGE App and executes a certification service agreement detailing fees and audit timelines.

Step 2: Energy, Water & Materials Modeling

Using the EDGE App, the EDGE Expert inputs design data to model projected savings:

• Base Parameters: Defines total gross floor area (GFA), number of floors, occupant density, window-to-wall ratio (WWR), and orientation.
• Energy Measures: Selects technical measures such as exterior shading devices (solar cut-off angles), high-performance glazing (U-value and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient - SHGC), roof and exterior wall thermal insulation, high-efficiency HVAC systems (COP / SEER), energy-efficient lighting power density (W/m²), and solar photovoltaic (PV) array generation.
• Water Measures: Configures low-flow plumbing fixtures including showerheads (≤ 6 L/min), kitchen faucets (≤ 4 L/min), washbasin taps (≤ 4 L/min), and dual-flush toilets (≤ 3/6 L per flush). Models rainwater harvesting collection systems, greywater recycling plants, and blackwater treatment systems for non-potable flushing and irrigation.
• Materials Measures: Selects structural and envelope materials for floor slabs, roof construction, external walls, internal partitions, floor finishes, and window frames. The EDGE App calculates embodied energy reductions based on material weights and embodied carbon conversion factors compared to local construction baselines.

The EDGE Expert ensures that the summary dashboard displays green compliance indicators across all three categories.

Step 3: Evidentiary Documentation Assembly

Under the strict requirements of the EDGE Evidence Guide, every measure selected in the EDGE App must be substantiated with official design documentation.

Essential Design Stage Evidence Requirements

1. Architectural Blueprints: Stamped site plans, floor plans, building elevations, cross-sections, and window schedules clearly indicating dimensions, shading projections, and material specs.
2. MEP Engineering Drawings: HVAC layouts, single-line plumbing schematics, lighting fixture layouts, electrical riser diagrams, and renewable energy system schematics.
3. Technical Specification Sheets: Official manufacturer product datasheets confirming thermal properties (U-value, SHGC), equipment efficiencies (COP, SEER, EER), plumbing flow rates (L/min or L/flush), lamp efficacy (lm/W), and insulation conductivity.
4. Engineering Calculations: Solar shading calculations, daylight factor analysis, rainwater collection sizing models, greywater balance calculations, and lighting power density (W/m²) compliance schedules.
5. Professional Seals: Calculations, drawings, and spec packages must bear the signature and professional stamp of licensed architects or professional engineers.

Step 4: Internal Quality Control & Pre-Submittal Self-Audit

Before submitting the project for external audit, the EDGE Expert conducts an internal QA/QC review:

• Verifies that numerical values entered into the EDGE App exactly match the figures shown on architectural callouts and manufacturer datasheets.
• Ensures all uploaded files follow clear, standardized file-naming conventions (e.g., ARCH-ELEV-01.pdf, MEP-PLUMB-SPEC-02.pdf).
• Confirms that the self-audit checklist within the EDGE App is fully executed.

Step 5: Third-Party Desktop Audit and RFI Resolution

Upon formal submittal in the EDGE App:

1. Auditor Assignment: The selected Certifying Body assigns an independent EDGE Auditor.
2. Desktop Audit Review: The Auditor performs a line-by-line verification of the EDGE App inputs against the uploaded evidentiary documents.
3. Request for Information (RFI): If discrepancies or missing evidence are identified, the Auditor issues an RFI log detailing required corrections.
4. Re-Submittal: The EDGE Expert addresses auditor comments, updates documents or model inputs, and re-submits the file.

Step 6: Certifying Body QA/QC and Certificate Issuance

Once the EDGE Auditor completes the verification and marks all measures as compliant:

1. Audit Report Submission: The Auditor submits the completed audit package to the Certifying Body.
2. CB Quality Assurance: The Certifying Body’s internal QA/QC team reviews the audit file to ensure strict compliance with IFC EDGE standards.
3. Preliminary Certificate Grant: Upon approval, the Certifying Body issues the official EDGE Preliminary Certificate (Design Stage).

---

Required Design-Stage Evidentiary Summary Table