Green Building Certifications
Add credibility to any green building.
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Using Business as a Force for Good.
The certification of green buildings can lead to many benefits for building owners.
Certifications play a crucial role in enhancing positive impacts and mitigating negative effects on both the natural environment and building occupants' well-being. By actively promoting a healthier future, these certifications minimize carbon emissions, energy usage, and waste while preserving water, prioritizing safer materials, and reducing exposure to toxins. Certifications will also while increase Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) scores.
Moreover, the economic benefits of green building certifications are far-reaching. Often, sustainable improvements qualify for financial and other incentives. Improvements also reduce operational costs, increase the property's value, and attract higher occupancy rates and higher rents.
Wherever you are on the drive to green building certification, we invite you to sit down and discuss how to meet your sustainability goals. Our goal is to consistently provide the highest quality of services while always mindful of our client's time constraints and budgetary needs.
BREEAM Certification
BREEAM is a widely used and recognized sustainability certification for buildings. The certification process assesses and rates the building's environmental performance across energy efficiency, water usage, materials selection, and overall environmental impact.
Nova's accredited advisory professionals provide guidance to achieve BREEAM's trusted mark of sustainability in support of ESG, health, and net zero goals. Buildings can achieve different ratings based on their performance, ranging from pass to outstanding.
A BREEAM assessment and subsequent certification can occur at any point in a project's life cycle, including design, construction, operation, or refurbishment.
What makes BREEAM different?
BREEAM is one of the most rigorous and comprehensive assessments compared to the other green certification programs.
What’s Involved?
Selection of the appropriate BREEAM assessment scheme.
Selection of the appropriate BREEAM management throughout the assessment process, ensuring that your building adheres to the required standards.
Assessment of the building's design, construction, and operational aspects against the certification performance criteria. This may involve completing questionnaires, submitting documentation, and undergoing on-site inspections.
Achievement of BREEAM Certification.
WELL Certification
WELL certification is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and well-being.
The WELL Building Standard includes ten concepts that address various aspects of the built environment: air, water, thermal comfort, light, movement, nutrition, sound, mind, community, and materials. WELL certification positively impacts health and wellness through the built environment, maximizes real estate value, and strengthens your organization's ESG strategy.
Nova's WELL accredited professionals provide certification guidance for new and existing buildings.
What makes WELL different?
WELL certification is unique in that it does not concern the building's energy or sustainability performance.
What’s Involved?
The building's systems and features undergo evaluation to assess their suitability for WELL certification.
An on-site assessment is carried out to confirm the building's adherence to WELL standards. This may involve examining documentation, observing building systems and features, and conducting performance testing.
Review and verification of the report to ensure accuracy and compliance.
Upon successful evaluation and verification, the building is certified as meeting the established WELL standards.
Fitwel Certification
Fitwel is a building certification that focuses on promoting health and well-being. It was developed to provide a framework for optimizing buildings and communities, in support of the health and productivity of occupants.
Fitwel certification enhances your building's value proposition, mitigates health and safety risks, and optimizes ESG performance. Certification is applicable to a wide range of building types, including offices, multifamily residential buildings, retail spaces, and educational facilities.
Nova's team of experts are your reliable advisory partners in all aspects of Fitwel healthy building certification for a single project or an entire real estate portfolio.
What makes Fitwel certification different?
Unlike most green building certifications, Fitwel covers almost all building types.
What’s Involved?
The certification process assesses elements related to design, operations, policies, and practices. It is also flexible, allowing projects to choose strategies that align with specific goals and constraints.
Nova manages all stages of the Fitwel certification process, including:
Evaluation of the project using Fitwel's scorecard.
Benchmarking to better understand how the project scores against the Fitwel standard.
Submitting supporting documentation.
On completion of the process, Fitwel designates the project with a numerical score and associated star rating. The certification and rating is valid for three years.
ENERGY STAR®
ENERGY STAR® certification for buildings, including commercial and industrial facilities, signifies that the building meets specific energy performance criteria. Certification is based on energy use intensity (EUI) and greenhouse gas emissions.
There are several benefits to ENERGY STAR® certified buildings:
Lower utility bills
Increased property value
Higher occupancy rates and higher rents
Better financing terms
Certification is granted annually, requiring consistent high performance from the building to maintain certification each year. Additionally, all information provided in the application must undergo verification by a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) or Registered Architect (RA) to be considered for approval.
Nova's team of expert engineers and architects provides management of the entire ENERGY STAR® certification process.
What makes ENERGY STAR® different?
The ENERGY STAR® certification is ultimately determined by a building's energy use (or estimated energy use).
What’s Involved?
Gather relevant data on energy performance, usage, and other required metrics. This may include utility bills, energy consumption data, and other documentation.
Compare the building's performance against established benchmarks using EPA-approved tools. This may involve assessing energy use intensity (EUI) and greenhouse gas emissions.
Verification of the information provided in the application to ensure accuracy and compliance with Energy Star requirements.
LEED
LEED is the world's most widely used green building rating system, and it's available for virtually all building types.
Obtaining a LEED certification provides a framework for building owners to demonstrate their commitment to environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, and occupant well-being.
Why certify with LEED?
Reduced operational costs
Easier to meet ESG goals
Higher resale value
Faster lease-up rates
Reduced waste, energy use, and carbon emissions
Nova's accredited LEED professionals manage all aspects of LEED application and certification.
What makes LEED different?
LEED is the world's most widely used and recognized green building rating system in the construction and development industry.
What’s Involved?
Determination of project type.
Development of strategies to align with target rating requirements.
Compilation and submission of documentation and project data to demonstrate compliance with LEED standards.
Green Globes
Green Globes certification awards improved environmental, resilience, and health and wellness performance for all types of commercial real estate. The certification's personalized approach helps property owners achieve the most sustainable outcomes based on building type, location, budget, and occupancy needs.
Obtaining Green Globes certification provides options that meet the requirements for projects pursuing financial incentives offered by both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Certification is also good for business, positive for the planet's well-being, and recognizes innovation and continuous improvement.
The Nova team assists in the management of all aspects of Green Globes certification.
What makes Green Globes different?
Green Globes certification is an excellent option for property owners who want to indicate that specific categories of credits do not apply to their project yet can still obtain certification.
What’s Involved?
Development of a strategy for the application process
Compilation of supporting documentation
In person or virtual on-site assessment
National Green Building Standards (NGBS)
The NGBS certifies single-family and multifamily residential buildings, remodeling projects, and land developments. The certification provides a transparent and credible way to demonstrate a commitment to sustainable building practices in the residential sector.
Nova's NGBS Green Verifiers serve as an independent, in-field representatives of the NGBS Green certification system.
What makes NGBS different?
NGBS certification is the only residential green certification program that mandates progressively higher point requirements across ALL categories for a home to attain the next certification level.
What’s Involved?
Achieving NGBS certification involves verifying construction documents, plans, specifications, inspection reports, and other data demonstrating conformance with the points being pursued.
Each NGBS-certified project undergoes two mandatory third-party verification inspections. The accredited Verifier visually inspects green building practices, including a preliminary check before drywall installation and a final inspection upon project completion.
Contact
Vice President, Industrial Hygiene Services Group Leader
Thomas Fiorentino
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