Green Globes Certification: Costs, Process & Benefits
Green Globes certification is gaining popularity for its accessibility, flexibility, and affordability among building owners looking for green building certifications. Here, you’ll learn all about Green Globes certification: how to get started, the steps for certification, and its overall cost.
What Is Green Globes Certification and Why Does It Matter?
Green Globes is a science-based certification program started by the Green Building Initiative. It evaluates the environmental sustainability performance of commercial and residential buildings. So, having a Green Globes certification proves your commitment to achieving sustainability goals. It may also come with additional benefits, from tax credits to prestige.
The Green Globes certification process is more accessible, streamlined, and affordable than other green building rating systems, like UL Verified Healthy Building. The program largely calls for a self-assessment, and it is customizable around your building’s function and needs.
When considering what are the criteria for Green Globe certification, they can be broken down into five main focus areas:
Energy: Overall energy efficiency based on an evaluation of the building’s energy usage and renewability
Water: Water conservation practices of the building
Emissions: Few (or no) greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide
Indoor Environment: Indoor air quality markers, like ventilation, temperature, light, and pollutants
Project Management: Environmental management for under-construction building projects, including design and commissioning
Green Globes Certification Levels and What They Mean
Green Globes gives buildings up to 1,000 points based on their environmental performance. They then receive a specified number of Green Globes based on the percentage of points they earn:
One Green Globe: 35% to 54%.
Two Green Globes: 55% to 69%
Three Green Globes: 70% to 84%
Four Green Globes: 85% to 100%
As you can see, only buildings earning at least 35% of the available points meet the minimum certification requirements. Generally, the more criteria your building meets, the better is your score, and the more globes you get.
Who’s Eligible for Green Globes Certification?
Green Globes provides certifications for existing buildings, new and current construction projects, interiors, and core and shell projects, and the certification procedure differs by the building and project type.
The minimum Green Globe certification requirements also vary slightly for each, but they’re flexible depending on the function and needs of the building. However, most buildings are required to:
Have an area of at least 400 square feet
Be designed for occupancy
Have a conditioned space
Have an occupancy period not exceeding 18 months
Check and make sure your building or project meets all the applicable requirements before applying the certification process.
Green Globes Certification Costs and Timelines
While Green Globes certification timelines can vary, the entire assessment for existing buildings can take 3 to 5 months.
Getting a Green Globes certification is more affordable than any other green building certification system. However, the assessment fees are the biggest variable, depending on the project type (new construction, existing building, etc.) and building square footage.
Here’s a typical Green Globes certification cost breakdown:
Project registration: $1,500
Assessor travel stipend: $2,000
Optional expedite fee: $6,000
Complexity fee (for hospitals, laboratories, etc.): $2,000 to $5,000
While the final certification fee can range from $4,500 to $6,000, certain projects may incur fees for a design review. This review can typically cost between $5,000 and $9,000, but this fee can be as high as $17,050 for some super-large spaces (500,000+ square feet). New construction projects are offered an optional pre-design review at $3,300 to $14,000.
Navigating the Green Globes Certification Process and Requirements
The Green Globes certification process is easy to navigate and comprises only five steps:
Create an account and register your project or building.
Complete the preliminary self-assessment questionnaire of your building or project, and submit the supporting documentation.
Request a quote and purchase the assessment services you need.
Complete at least one third-party on-site assessment, which may include an examination of the site and interviews with the occupants and staff.
Eventually, receive your score and certification level, along with a final report.
Green Globes vs. LEED: Comparison of process, scoring, timeline, and cost
LEED certification is one of the most well-known green building certifications and comes with more accolades than the Green Globes certification. However, while Green Globes is fairly beginner-friendly, completing the LEED process requires more specialized expertise, often resulting in consultation fees. This usually makes LEED more expensive than Green Globes, despite the lower project fees.
In the Green Globes certification vs. LEED comparison, you’ll notice that their requirements aren’t quite the same, yet they have several similarities. For example, the certification process for both takes about 3 months. They also have similar scoring systems, with four levels. The only difference is that you need 40 out of 100 points with LEED, instead of 35% with Green Globes.
The Green Globes and LEED certifications are considered reliable emblems of sustainable, efficient, and high-quality buildings. So, you may want to consider getting both of them for your project or building.
If you’re new to green building certifications, you can start with Green Globes and then move on to LEED. Also, Attune can help you prepare for both at once by suggesting sustainable building retrofit techniques.
How Attune’s Technology Helps Meet Green Globes Requirements
Just like the Green Globe building certification, Attune focuses on clean and renewable air, water, and energy.
We specialize in evaluating your building to make it as efficient and sustainable as possible. With our monitoring systems and consultation services, you can monitor your IAQ, maintain a healthy environment, and manage energy and water with ease.
Start on your path to Green Globes certification by scheduling a demo with Attune today.
FAQs on Green Globes Certification
What is Green Globes certification? It’s a certification process that ranks a building’s sustainability and efficiency.
How is Green Globes different from LEED? Green Globes is more streamlined and accessible, while LEED has stricter standards.
Is green certification expensive? The certification cost depends on your building’s size and purpose, ranging from as little as $5,000 to as high as $30,000.
