EDGE Certification Protocol 2022 PDF

Licensing Protocol for EDGE Certification Providers March 2022 Chapter 6 EDGE Certification Protocol Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies – EDGE Protocols Document – LPEFv5.0 Version 5.0 Page 1 of 15 June 2022 ...

Licensing Protocol for EDGE Certification Providers March 2022 Chapter 6 EDGE Certification Protocol Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies – EDGE Protocols Document – LPEFv5.0 Version 5.0 Page 1 of 15 June 2022  EDGE Certification Protocol June 2022 Copyright © 2022 International Finance Corporation. All rights reserved. The material in this publication is copyrighted by International Finance Corporation (“IFC”). IFC encourages the dissemination of the content for non-commercial purposes. Content from this publication may be used freely without prior permission, provided that clear attribution is given to IFC, the copyright notice of IFC is reproduced on any copies, and that content is not used for commercial purposes. Disclaimer This document is not a legally binding document unless all or part of it is incorporated into or made a part of a separate legally binding agreement between IFC and a counterparty. No advisory, fiduciary or other relationship is created between IFC and any person or organization accessing or otherwise using any of this document. IFC (and any of its respective directors, officers, agents, contractors, interns, suppliers and employees) will not be liable for any damages, losses or causes of action of any nature arising from any use of this document or the provision of this document. Any reference to Affiliates or Partnerships in this document is strictly for the purposes of description and does not establish or prejudice the type of relationship which IFC may choose to enter with a third party. The precise nature of the relationship between IFC and a third party in the context of the EDGE Certification Program is set forth in a separate legally binding agreement. Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies | EDGE Protocol Document ECPv5.0 i  EDGE Certification Protocol June 2022 Table of Contents 1. ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT............................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. SCOPE OF THIS DOCUMENT...............................................................................................................................1 1.2. ORGANIZATION OF THE EDGE PROTOCOL DOCUMENTS.........................................................................................1 1.3. RELATION OF THIS DOCUMENT TO OTHER PROTOCOL DOCUMENTS...........................................................................2 2. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES....................................................................................................................... 2 3. PURPOSE OF THE CERTIFICATION PROTOCOL................................................................................................ 5 4. EDGE PROJECT SELF-ASSESSMENT................................................................................................................. 5 5. EDGE PROJECT REGISTRATION....................................................................................................................... 6 6. EDGE CERTIFICATION..................................................................................................................................... 8 6.1. INITIATION OF CERTIFICATION............................................................................................................................8 6.2. PRELIMINARY CERTIFICATION (DESIGN STAGE).....................................................................................................8 6.3. EDGE CERTIFICATION (POST-CONSTRUCTION STAGE)...........................................................................................10 6.4. EDGE ZERO CARBON CERTIFICATION.........................................................................................................11 Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies | EDGE Protocol Document ECPv5.0 ii  EDGE Certification Protocol June 2022 1. About this Document 1.1. Scope of this document This document — Chapter 6 EDGE Certification Protocol — set outs the process to certify a building with EDGE culminating in an EDGE Certificate being issued. It sets out the roles and responsibilities for the EDGE Client with respect to initial registration, self-assessment and selecting an EDGE Auditor; the roles and responsibilities of the EDGE Auditors in undertaking a Design Audit and a Site Audit; and finally, the roles and responsibilities of the EDGE Certification Provider in reviewing and approving the EDGE Auditor’s Recommendations to issue either a Preliminary (design stage) Certificate or a final EDGE (post construction stage) Certificate. For questions regarding the use of the EDGE logo and brand please refer to the EDGE Brand Asset Guidelines for Branding and Media available on the EDGE Buildings website1. 1.2. Organization of the EDGE Protocol documents The EDGE Protocol set outs detailed requirements to ensure that EDGE Certification Programs are implemented consistently around the world. The EDGE Protocol is the base of reference and underpins all EDGE training materials and guidance documents. Should there be any conflict between the EDGE Protocol documents and the supporting training and guidance materials, the EDGE Protocol shall take precedence. Readers are encouraged to refer to the EDGE Glossary for key terms in the EDGE Protocol, which are identified in the text through capitalized nouns (e.g., Provider Territories). It is recommended that the document Chapter 1 EDGE Governance Protocol Overview be read first for a comprehensive understanding of the EDGE Protocol. The operation of the EDGE Certification Programs in Provider Territories is dependent on several organizations 1 https://www.edgebuildings.com/contact-us/brand-assets Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies | EDGE Protocol Document ECPv5.0 Page 1 of 12  EDGE Certification Protocol June 2022 working together to deliver services to Clients. Chapter 1 EDGE Governance Protocol Overview provides the roles and responsibilities of these organizations and their interrelationships, and the remaining EDGE Protocol documents provide the details. It is also important that parties involved in the delivery of the EDGE Programs understand the process of periodic updates to the EDGE Protocol documents, and their responsibilities with respect to implementing these changes, as set out in Chapter 7 EDGE Update Protocol. 1.3. Relation of this document to other Protocol documents For a potential EDGE Client, this document — Chapter 6 EDGE Certification Protocol — is the most important document of the EDGE Protocol to read and understand; it is the only document where a Client’s roles and responsibilities are set out. This document should be read in conjunction with Chapter 2 Licensing Protocol for EDGE Certification Providers, Chapter 4 Licensing Protocol for EDGE Auditors, and Chapter 5 Licensing Protocol for EDGE Experts; Chapter 6 EDGE Certification Protocol is a subset of activities that each of these parties undertake. 2. Roles and Responsibilities The first step in the process is for the potential EDGE Client to save their existing building or design project in the EDGE App online, which also serves as an initial check to make sure it is one of the building types within the scope of the EDGE Program operating in that Local Market. At this point, the building project is issued an EDGE Project Number, which remains assigned to the project throughout the process. It is then the responsibility of the EDGE Client to make sure the building meets the EDGE Standard at EDGE or EDGE Advanced level, and they can do this by using the EDGE App to model different scenarios for design or retrofit choices if needed to achieve the EDGE Standard to which they aspire. Once they have finished inputting the building data, the details of the energy savings, water savings and embodied energy of material savings are Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies | EDGE Protocol Document ECPv5.0 Page 2 of 12  EDGE Certification Protocol June 2022 calculated by the EDGE App. Together, the output of the EDGE App and the supporting documentary evidence are referred to as the Self-Assessment. Once the EDGE Client has completed the Self-Assessment, they register the project with the relevant Certification Provider. Next, the Client selects an Auditor. Clients are responsible for paying EDGE Certification Fees to the Certification Provider and appointing a licensed EDGE Auditor. The potential EDGE Client may separately negotiate fees with the Auditor. Clients are also responsible for the factual accuracy of the certification application. Once appointed, the EDGE Auditor is responsible for undertaking a Design Audit in the case of a new building to be constructed, which includes a desk review of the Self-Assessment and accompanying documentation. If the Auditor is satisfied that the building project design meets the EDGE Standard at EDGE or EDGE Advanced level, they make a Recommendation to the Certification Provider for Preliminary Certification. The Certification Provider then checks to make sure that the Design Audit is complete, and if so, issues a Preliminary Certificate for the building project. In the case of an existing building, or after a new building has been constructed, an EDGE Auditor must undertake a Site Audit to make sure that the physical building includes the EDGE Measures that were set out in the Self- Assessment. If the Auditor is satisfied that the completed building meets the EDGE Standard at EDGE or EDGE Advanced level, they make a Recommendation to the Certification Provider for EDGE Certification based on review of documentation and a Site Audit. The Certification Provider reviews the Recommendation, and if it is satisfactory, issues an EDGE Certificate for the building. Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies | EDGE Protocol Document ECPv5.0 Page 3 of 12  EDGE Certification Protocol June 2022 Self-Assessment EDGE CLIENT/EXPERT Yes No No Process Terminated EDGE AUDITOR Compliant? Re-design? Yes CERTIFICATION PROVIDER Design Audit Yes No Process No Terminated No Re-design? Compliant? Preliminary Yes Certification Recommendation Quality Check Yes Awarded Compliant? Post-Construction Submission Site Audit Yes No Process No Terminated No Re-install? Compliant? EDGE Yes Certification Recommendation Quality Check Yes Awarded Compliant? Operational Stage Application Zero Carbon Operations Audit Yes No No Process Terminated Compliant? Amend? Zero Carbon Certification Yes Awarded Figure 1. Processes followed for EDGE Certification Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies | EDGE Protocol Document ECPv5.0 Page 4 of 12  EDGE Certification Protocol June 2022 3. Purpose of the Certification Protocol The purpose of Chapter 6 EDGE Certification Protocol is to provide assurance that the EDGE Client’s building meets EDGE Standard at EDGE or EDGE Advanced level. The scope of Chapter 6 EDGE Certification Protocol is confirming that the building includes measures necessary to achieve the EDGE Standard at EDGE or EDGE Advanced level confirming that these measures have been incorporated in the design (to achieve Preliminary Certification) and in the finished building (to achieve EDGE Certification). EDGE Certification does not include efficacy testing of the measures post-build. However, EDGE Clients agree to disclose the monthly energy and water usage of EDGE Certified buildings to IFC on an annual basis. IFC may publish this information unless it is requested by the EDGE Client otherwise, in which case data can be used in aggregate without identification of an individual project’s data. The EDGE Certification process includes a Self-Assessment conducted by the EDGE Client. The EDGE Client shares the Self-Assessment and supporting documentation with an Auditor who conducts a Design Audit (for a building not yet constructed) and a Site Audit (for an existing or recently completed building) resulting in an independent Recommendation, which is checked by a licensed Certification Provider who has the authority to issue a Preliminary Certification for a design that has not yet been built or the EDGE Certificate for a building that has been completed or retrofitted in line with the measures laid out in the Self-Assessment. 4. EDGE Project Self-Assessment EDGE Clients and their project teams, which may include an EDGE Expert, perform self- assessment of EDGE Projects to assess whether the project will qualify for the desired EDGE certification. Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies | EDGE Protocol Document ECPv5.0 Page 5 of 12  EDGE Certification Protocol June 2022 The EDGE Client shall use the EDGE App to calculate a building’s expected efficiency savings compared to the Base Case and determine whether the building achieves EDGE Standard at EDGE or EDGE Advanced level. The building details shall be added to the EDGE App. A full description of the required data is available in the User Guide. The EDGE Client shall use the information available to improve the accuracy of the Self-Assessment. This may include, but is not limited to the following: a) Thermal performance of the building fabric; b) Efficiency of building services; c) Proportion of onsite renewable energy; d) Flow rates of water fittings; e) Water treatment and recycling options; and f) Materials used in the project. The EDGE Client shall internally review the EDGE Measures in the Self- Assessment for accuracy. If the EDGE App shows that the building has not achieved the EDGE Standard at EDGE or EDGE Advanced level, the EDGE Client shall review options to improve performance. The EDGE Client may work with third party consultants (for example, EDGE Experts) to complete the Self-Assessment. Once the building’s Self-Assessment indicates it meets the EDGE Standard at EDGE or EDGE Advanced level, the EDGE Client shall register the building for Certification. 5. EDGE Project Registration A potential EDGE Client shall submit an enquiry for a prospective EDGE Certification to a relevant Certification Provider, to ensure that the building project is within the scope of EDGE in terms of the location and intended use. If the project is within the scope of EDGE, the Certification Provider may register the project. Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies | EDGE Protocol Document ECPv5.0 Page 6 of 12  EDGE Certification Protocol June 2022 The potential EDGE Client shall provide the following data to the relevant Certification Provider about the building: a) Building type — such as office, hotel, or home; b) Project name; c) Project company name; d) Project contact details including name, email, phone number and address; e) Project address; f) Project country; g) Expected date for submission of application for Preliminary Certification (for a building that has not yet been completed or retrofitted in line with the Measures in the Self-Assessment); h) Expected date for submission of application for EDGE Certification (for a building already constructed in line with the Measures in the Self- Assessment); and i) Appointed Auditor (when available). If the building is within the scope of the EDGE App, the project shall be registered in the EDGE App by the Certification Provider. When the building falls outside the scope of the EDGE App, the potential EDGE Client shall be notified by the relevant Certification Provider of the reason that EDGE Certification is not applicable. The potential Client or the Certification Provider may contact the EO&M Team to clarify applicability. Once the Client has saved a Self-Assessment in the EDGE App, the software will generate a unique project ID number. Refer to Chapter 7 EDGE Update Protocol, for guidance on how to work with EDGE App upgrades after a project has been registered and before it has been fully certified. Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies | EDGE Protocol Document ECPv5.0 Page 7 of 12  EDGE Certification Protocol June 2022 6. EDGE Certification 6.1. Initiation of certification To initiate the certification process, the EDGE Client shall pay a non-refundable Registration and/or Certification Fee to the relevant Certification Provider or their Third-Party Certifying Body according to the fees set out in the legal agreement with the Certification Provider. This fee may or may not include EDGE Auditor services. The Auditor may be appointed by the Certification Provider. When the Auditor is not appointed by the Certification Provider, the EDGE Client shall hire a licensed EDGE Auditor, and negotiate the auditing fees, which the EDGE Client is responsible for paying directly to the EDGE Auditor. a) The EDGE Client may contract the EDGE Auditor separately for the Design Audit and the Site Audit. b) It is recommended that the EDGE Client use the same EDGE Auditor for both the Design Audit and the Site Audit; however, this is not a requirement. 6.2. Preliminary Certification (Design Stage) The EDGE Auditor shall verify through a Design Audit that the new building design or existing building retrofit proposal meets the EDGE Standard at EDGE or EDGE Advanced level. Preliminary Certification is only applicable for a building that has not yet been completed or retrofitted in line with the Measures in the Self-Assessment. If the building as built is already in line with the Self-Assessment the Client shall proceed directly to EDGE Certification. The Design Audit shall proceed as follows. a) The EDGE Client shall provide full access to the Self-Assessment and all supporting documentation to the Auditor. b) Based on the Self-Assessment, the EDGE Client shall deliver all documentary evidence needed by the EDGE Auditor to verify that the building meets the EDGE Standard at EDGE or EDGE Advanced level. Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies | EDGE Protocol Document ECPv5.0 Page 8 of 12  EDGE Certification Protocol June 2022 c) The EDGE Auditor shall review the Self-Assessment and any supporting documentation from the Client promptly, and make a judgment on the EDGE Client has correctly interpreted the requirements of the EDGE Standard at EDGE or EDGE Advanced level, as set out in the User Guide. d) If the EDGE Auditor finds the documentary evidence to be incomplete or if any of the requirements have been misinterpreted, then the EDGE Auditor shall prepare a summary report for the EDGE Client which clearly indicates the further information required to demonstrate compliance with the EDGE Measures claimed and building description provided in the Self-Assessment. e) The EDGE Client shall be given at least one chance to resubmit outstanding information or correct any errors made in the first application. Further iterations may be possible, depending on the agreement between the EDGE Client and the EDGE Auditor, which would likely include payment of additional auditor and certification fees by the EDGE Client. f) The Design Audit does not require a site visit by the EDGE Auditor. If the building does not meet the EDGE Standard, this status shall be recorded in the EDGE Project Database, and the certification process shall be terminated. If the EDGE Auditor determines the building meets or exceeds the EDGE Standard, they shall submit a written assessment and Recommendation for Preliminary Certification at EDGE or EDGE Advanced level to the relevant Certification Provider or their Third-Party Certifying Body. The EDGE Auditor’s written assessment and Recommendation shall be subject to an independent quality check by the relevant Certification Provider or their Third-Party Certifying Body, to ensure it is complete and prepared as per the process set out in this document, Chapter 6 EDGE Certification Protocol. The Preliminary Certificate shall be issued promptly by the relevant Certification Provider or their Third-Party Certifying Body, and this status shall be recorded promptly in the EDGE Project Database. a) The Preliminary Certificate shall include as a schedule or annex all the EDGE Measures included in the Self-Assessment, taken directly from the EDGE App as submitted by the EDGE Auditor, as verified by the Certification Provider. Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies | EDGE Protocol Document ECPv5.0 Page 9 of 12  EDGE Certification Protocol June 2022 b) The EDGE Client may publicly refer to the building project design as meeting EDGE Standard at EDGE or EDGE Advanced level for design after the Preliminary Certificate has been issued, for example in marketing materials, however they shall not refer to the building project as EDGE Certified. The Preliminary Certificate will expire and no longer be valid 12 months after the building or retrofit is practically completed or 36 months after issuance, whichever comes first, unless an exception is granted in writing by the EDGE Certification Provider. Any such exception should be reported by the relevant Certification Provider to the EO&M Team. a) The extension of the expiry date for the Preliminary Certificate cannot go beyond the expiry date of the EDGE App Version under which the project is registered. For example, if EDGE App Version 2 expires in September 2025, then an extension for a Preliminary Certificate issued under Version 2 cannot exceed September 2025. 6.3. EDGE Certification (post-construction stage) If the building as built is in line with the Self-Assessment, the Client shall proceed directly to EDGE Certification. The EDGE Auditor shall verify through a Site Audit that the building project meets the EDGE Standard at EDGE or EDGE Advanced level. The Site Audit shall proceed as follows. a) The EDGE Client shall provide full access to the building and all supporting documentation. b) The EDGE Auditor shall verify that the EDGE Measures claimed are physically present in the building as built. c) For buildings which attained a Preliminary Certification, if amendments to the building design or retrofit plan have been made, the EDGE Client shall provide an updated Self-Assessment, which the EDGE Auditor shall verify as per the project design requirements set out above in Section 6.2. d) The EDGE Client shall be given at least one opportunity to amend the Self- Assessment for any non-compliance issues identified by the EDGE Auditor Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies | EDGE Protocol Document ECPv5.0 Page 10 of 12  EDGE Certification Protocol June 2022 during the site visit. A subsequent site visit shall be arranged to inspect the installation once the Client has rectified any non-compliance unless evidence of compliance can be presented to the EDGE Auditor without a site visit. The EDGE Auditor decides if enough evidence has been presented to prove compliance with the Self-Assessment without an additional site visit. If the building does not meet the EDGE Standard at EDGE or EDGE Advanced level, this status shall be recorded in the EDGE Project Database, and the certification process shall be terminated. If the EDGE Auditor determines the building project meets or exceeds the EDGE Standard at EDGE or EDGE Advanced level, they shall submit a written assessment and Recommendation for the relevant EDGE Certification to the relevant Certification Provider or their Third-Party Certifying Body. The EDGE Auditor’s written assessment and Recommendation shall be subject to an independent quality check by the Certification Provider or their Third- Party Certifying Body to ensure it is complete and prepared as per the process set out in this document, Chapter 6 EDGE Certification Protocol. The EDGE Certificate shall be issued by the relevant Certification Provider or their Third-Party Certifying Body who shall record this status in the EDGE Project Database. a) The EDGE Certificate shall include as a schedule or annex all the EDGE Measures included in the building project, which are taken directly from the EDGE App as submitted by the EDGE Auditor, as verified by the Certification Provider or their Third-Party Certifying Body. The EDGE Client may publicly refer to the building as EDGE Certified after the EDGE Certificate has been issued, for example in marketing materials. 6.4. EDGE Zero Carbon Certification To obtain EDGE Zero Carbon certification or Preliminary EDGE Zero Carbon certification for a building, the EDGE client must provide the following information: a) Proof of Certification at EDGE Advanced level Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies | EDGE Protocol Document ECPv5.0 Page 11 of 12  EDGE Certification Protocol June 2022 b) The start and end dates for the twelve-month period for which the building is providing operational data to achieve EDGE Zero Carbon certification; c) A signed declaration by the project owner or their authorized representative that the project has been occupied at a minimum 75 percent of the normal expected occupancy during the twelve-month period; d) Energy bills and/or meter readings for the twelve-month period for every source of energy used in the building. This must include all information in the Operations tab of the EDGE App including: (i) All fuel used on site; (ii) On-site electricity produced; and (iii) Off-site electricity purchased; e) Energy bills and metering data must cover the specified twelve-month period. For energy produced on site, documentation may include readings from a meter, for example, the inverter in a solar system. If the system does not include a meter, estimated energy production based on the specifications of the system may be used; and f) In case carbon offsets have been used to achieve Zero Carbon status, the client must obtain: (i) a certificate from the carbon offset provider that the offset has been “retired”; and (ii) proof that the offsets comply with the World Bank standards specified in the Zero Carbon certification guidance available on the EDGE website2. The Zero Carbon application shall be submitted to the Certification Provider or their Third-Party Certifying Body for review and issuance of the certificate. 2 EDGE Zero Carbon certification guidance is available here on the EDGE website. Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies | EDGE Protocol Document ECPv5.0 Page 12 of 12