Green Communities
AES is a leader in affordable multifamily and single family Green Home consulting and verification. We have certified over 300 LEED for Homes projects and are consulting on over 500 more Green Building projects. Half of our projects are affordable multi – family developments and as such we have been selected as an Enterprise Green Communities Technical Adviser.
Our Services
AES will guide your project teams from the pre design phase of a project to ensure Healthy, Affordable, Efficient and Durable construction practices are met along with Green Communities certification requirements. We have serve in the areas of
- Integrated Design
- Green Design Review
- Energy Services
- Construction Review
- Desktop ReviewIn this initial stage, AES reviews all Criteria that can be documented and verified prior to site visits. We use information submitted in Step 1 of the Certification process as well as additional information from the team, including the specifications book, construction schedule, project drawings, and HVAC sizing summary.
- Pre-drywall site visitDuring the first site visit, AES conducts a pre-drywall inspection and documents the results in a related checklist. If the development team is working with an ENERGY STAR rater, AES will not duplicate the rater’s scope of work.
- Post-construction site visitDuring this site visit, AES conducts a series of energy and water performance testing procedures appropriate for the building and construction type of the development and documents the results in a related checklist.
If the desktop review or site visits reveal deficiencies, AES will notify the appropriate team member, and provide recommendations and guidelines on how to correct the issue(s). Development teams will be required to fix accordingly.
Following completion of verification review, AES submits a brief report to Enterprise and the development team describing the development’s compliance with the Criteria, any recommendations made to the team for improvement, and performance testing results. The information gathered by AES informs Enterprise of how to best assist development teams seeking certification.
Register or get an estimate for your project today here http://www.alliancees.org/green-communities-estimate-registration/
Design Charrettes
Pre-planning is critically important when designing and constructing a green building. AES encourages projects to use integrated design, bringing key members of the project team together often in the schematic design phase to discuss the project, set goals and accountability, and solve potential problems up front rather than during construction when its often more costly. Contact AES for a quote on this service.
Grants are available for Charrettes!
What is Green Communities?
The Enterprise Green Communities Criteria contains detailed information that addresses aspects of design, development and operations. The Criteria are grouped into the following eight categories:
- Integrative Design
- Location and Neighborhood Fabric
- Site Improvements
- Water Conservation
- Energy Efficiency
- Materials Beneficial to the Environment
- Healthy Living Environment
- Operations and Maintenance
Learn about Enterprise Green Communities Certification
To achieve Enterprise Green Communities Certification, all projects must achieve compliance with the Criteria mandatory measures applicable to that construction type. Additionally, New Construction projects must achieve 35 optional points, Substantial Rehab projects must achieve 30 optional points, and Moderate Rehab projects also must achieve 30 optional points.
- Building Performance Standard 5.1c: Guidelines for Moderate and Substantial Rehab Projects Addendum - Single family and low-rise multifamily brick / masonry buildings built prior to 1980 using the 2011 Criteria have had difficulty achieving a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index of 85, as required by Enterprise Green Communities mandatory criterion 5.1c, without undertaking drastic renovations to the building envelope that are unfeasible under the project scope and budget. In response, Enterprise has developed an alternative compliance pathway for eligible projects. For further details, please download the above addendum.
Download the 2011 Criteria Checklist
Download the 2011 Criteria Overview
Download the 2011 Criteria Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). This resource will be updated and re-posted on a quarterly basis.
What projects are eligible?
- Certification is open to all entities engaged in the development of affordable housing. (Please note that Enterprise defines affordable housing as projects serving residents at or below 60% AMI for rental projects and at or below 80% AMI for for-sale projects. For NSP-funded projects, this definition extends to 120% AMI).
- Projects must designate a minimum of 80% of the total number of units for affordable housing (i.e., no more than 20% of the total number of units can be market-rate housing).
- Projects must designate a minimum of 80% of the total square footage of conditioned space for residential use (i.e., no more than 20% of the total square footage of conditioned space can be commercial / common space).
- The development team must demonstrate their qualifications to successfully carry out the proposed project.
- Project teams submitting a request for certification may include, but are not limited to, participants in the Green Communities Carbon Offset Fund and affordable housing providers participating in local, state and/or federal green building programs.
To achieve Enterprise Green Communities Certification, all projects must achieve compliance with the Criteria mandatory measures applicable to that construction type. Additionally, New Construction projects must achieve 35 optional points, Substantial Rehab projects must achieve 30 optional points, and Moderate Rehab projects also must achieve 30 optional points.
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