EDGE: the certification Brazil has been waiting for?

What is EDGE certification?

Specific to the emerging market and already available in 130 countries, the EDGE system, Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiency, is a building certification program developed by the IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, which aims to improve the resource efficiency of projects and demystify sustainable construction. EDGE consists of software that runs on a web platform, a standard and a sustainability certification system. The software can be accessed free of charge and allows the evaluation of a construction project according to a baseline, considering and calibrated to the country in question. To meet the minimum certification requirement, established by the EDGE standard, the project must demonstrate a 20% reduction in the consumption of energy, water and energy embedded in materials, in relation to the baseline.

In addition to allowing you to register your project and submit it to the entity responsible for certification, the software allows you to evaluate different sustainable construction technologies, considering the incremental investment cost, the savings in the operational period, and thus identifying the technologies with the best return for that project. “Evaluating the forecast of technologies or construction strategies has never been so easy. Instead of spending days doing energy simulations, it is possible to have a view of the project's performance in literally a few minutes.” – Says Maxine Jordan, one of the first 3 EDGE Auditors in Brazil.

The program is currently available for new and existing buildings for commercial (offices and retail stores), educational, housing, healthcare and lodging (hotels) uses.

What are the steps for EDGE certification?

1. Baseline definition

Through the online platform, the user fills in a series of basic information about the project, including: typology; geographic location; area; number of floors; expected number of occupants, solar orientation, existence of artificial conditioning, among others. Based on these input data, a reference building is created that will serve as a baseline for comparison with the evaluated building. The annual energy consumption of the reference building will be calculated through a quasi-steady state modeling method¹ based on the ISO 13790 standard and the European CEN standard. Its consumption is defined by the user's input data, equipment and envelope efficiencies, based on Brazilian construction standards and techniques, so that it represents a typical building in the country.

¹ The quasi-steady state modeling is between the steady state modeling that considers only one moment of operation (on the worst day) and the dynamic simulation that considers performance throughout the year.

2. Selection of energy, water and material efficiency measures

Some input fields are mandatory, such as the proportion of glass in the façade, the thermal transmittance of the walls and roof, and the efficiency (COP) of the air conditioning system. The user then selects measures to be included in the project from a “menu” of measures.

Some options in this menu are: LED lighting, high reflectance of the walls or roof, frequency inverters in ventilation systems, inclusion of renewable energy generation, installation of aerators in the taps, etc. Comprehensive technical guidelines are also provided for each measure.

Regarding the materials, the user defines those used in different construction elements such as slabs, roofs, walls, etc. The reduction of the energy embedded in the material is then estimated with respect to the baseline, already calibrated with local construction techniques.

3. Registration and certification

Once the building evaluates a consumption reduction percentage of at least 20% for each of the resources (energy, water and materials) compared to the baseline of the reference building, it can seek certification. The process begins with the registration of the project previously saved and evaluated in the EDGE program. An EDGE auditor must then be hired to carry out a project audit in order to verify all the declared data. Then, after attesting compliance, a preliminary certification is issued (in the case of buildings in the design phase). The final EDGE certification is issued after verification of the compliance of the constructed building.

The entire process, from registration, evaluation, and construction of evidence of the building, can be carried out by the project team itself. It is also possible to hire a consultancy with a specialized professional (EDGE Expert) to support all the procedures related to obtaining certification.

Why one more? What makes EDGE certification different?

EDGE was born from the need for a legitimate, validated, simple, affordable and accessible way to consider sustainable construction and guide decision-making. This need is evidenced by the high cost and complexity of traditional certification programs.

One of its main differentiators is the provision of a free, online platform that is easy to access and use and can provide guiding information for the design of more efficient and sustainable buildings. In this way, it is possible to easily identify the measures with the most significant environmental and economic impacts, ensuring that investment capital is better used and that the sustainable construction market is accessible to all.

It is a powerful tool for project decision-making, aiding the process by identifying which measures have the greatest impact and best financial return. This ensures that investment capital is better utilized and that the sustainable construction market is accessible to all.

How much does it cost?*

Project registration for certification costs $USD 300.

Certification has different costs depending on the chosen Certifier. Currently in Brazil, there is the option of certification by GBCI or SGS/Thinkstep.

The cost of audits also depends on the chosen Certifying body. Through GBCI, audit prices are negotiated directly with the auditor.

It is also possible to hire an EDGE Expert to assist with the process and with the creation of documentation. The EDGE Expert can be hired directly from the list of IFC accredited professionals.

*Values and procedures refer to the years 2017 and 2018. Currently (2019), to check certification costs it is necessary to request a quote through the form available at EDGE system website.

EDGE in Brazil

EDGE has great growth potential in Brazil with regard to stimulating the sustainable construction market. Equivalence studies of energy performance assessment by EDGE and the PBE Edifica method have shown that a commercial building that meets the EDGE standard would have 10% lower (i.e. better) energy consumption than a building with a Level A label by PBE Edifica. Thus, projects with EDGE certification also tend to present excellent performance by the Brazilian Building Labeling Program (PBE Edifica).

With the calls for a recovery in the construction market in Brazil, the opportunity to implement this powerful tool increases. With the training of new EDGE Experts and Auditors by GBCI, a new, cleaner, and more efficient construction page becomes more evident and accessible.

Sign up for free and see the tool in action: Edge Buildings Registration

(published October 7, 2017, updated July 2019)