Our expertise · Green Building & Affordable Housing
ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction
Pick the pathway your building can verify, then prove it in the field.
ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction certifies newly built multifamily buildings that meet the program's energy-efficiency requirements through one of three routes: the ERI, ASHRAE or Prescriptive pathway, and not every route is available to every project. Whichever you choose, a qualifying energy model is only the beginning; mandatory measures, HVAC documentation and construction-stage verification must stay coordinated as the design and the building change. Developers pursue the certification because owners, financing programs and housing agencies may require it, independently of any tax credit. Green Summit supports multifamily development teams through pathway planning, energy analysis, field verification and certification closeout as a RESNET Rating Provider and licensed engineering firm; the program's oversight organization makes the certification decision.
- RESNET Rating Provider No. 1998-221
- Licensed engineering firm
- Founded 2014
- Audit-ready documentation
Who this is for
Multifamily developers, builders and design teams, affordable-housing and Tribal housing organizations building new apartments, and the raters who verify them.
What we do
- Select the project pathway. We evaluate the ERI, ASHRAE and Prescriptive approaches against the building and the program's requirements, establish which routes are actually open to your project and set out who is responsible on each.
- Coordinate design requirements. We review the energy-related design information and the required measures with the owner and project team while the drawings can still change.
- Verify construction and systems. We plan the required inspections, testing and installation documentation and match each task to qualified personnel.
- Complete the technical record. We track corrections, model updates and required records through the certification process, so the closeout package describes the building as built.
Our process
- Review the project. We start with the project type, the location and every certification commitment in the owner, lender and agency documents.
- Coordinate design, modeling and verification. We connect the energy model, the mandatory measures and the HVAC documentation to construction-stage inspections before work is concealed.
- Resolve findings and close out. We work corrections to a close and support the certification submissions the program requires.
What you receive
A project-specific certification plan, the technical analysis behind it, inspection and testing records and closeout support. We establish the program version, the pathway and the oversight organization for your actual project before we represent any of the work as a certification engagement.
Benefits
- Multifamily certification responsibilities coordinated from design through verification, with one team tracking them.
- A more organized record of the work the selected ENERGY STAR pathway requires, ready for review.
- Fewer surprises at closeout, because the model, the measures and the field evidence were kept in step.
- Program eligibility and qualified personnel established for the selected pathway before construction, not discovered at submission.
Why Green Summit
Green Summit combines building-science analysis, rating-provider quality processes and project coordination in one licensed engineering firm. Founded in 2014 and RESNET Rating Provider No. 1998-221, we define the qualifications and evidence the selected program requires rather than treating every credential as interchangeable, and we build the record to be audit-ready from day one.
Our role starts with pathway selection and ends with a closeout package the oversight organization can review. Along the way we tell you which tasks the program reserves for specific qualified personnel, and we never treat a rating credential as authority for every requirement. We support the certification; the program's oversight organization awards it.
Frequently asked questions
What is ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction?
It is the ENERGY STAR certification for newly built multifamily buildings. A project earns it by following one of three pathways, ERI, ASHRAE or Prescriptive, and by meeting the mandatory design, installation and verification requirements that go with that pathway. The program's own oversight organization reviews and awards the certification; Green Summit plans, analyzes and verifies the work that gets a project there.
Are all three pathways available everywhere?
No. Availability depends on program and jurisdiction requirements; the Prescriptive Path, for example, is not available in California. We establish the route that is open to your project before the design commits to it.
Does a qualifying energy model complete certification?
No. The model is only part of the process. Mandatory design, installation and verification requirements still apply, and the building has to be inspected and tested as it is built.
Is certification tied only to a tax credit?
No. Owners, financing programs and housing agencies may require ENERGY STAR certification on its own terms. Any tax-credit qualification is a separate review with its own rules, and we keep the two questions distinct.
When should a multifamily project start the process?
During design. That is when you can still coordinate the selected pathway, the responsible verification team, the inspections and the documentation before work is concealed. Late engagement can leave gaps that cannot be resolved with paperwork alone, because a concealed assembly cannot be inspected after the fact.
Who coordinates the different project participants?
We do. We define the modeling, field verification, contractor checklist, review and closeout responsibilities with the project team, and we establish program eligibility and the qualified personnel for the selected pathway before work begins.
Let's pick the pathway your building can verify.
Tell us the project location, the building type and stage, and whether ENERGY STAR is already named in your financing or agency documents.
Related solutions
- Green Building Consulting & Certification Strategy
- Decarbonization Consulting
- C-PACE Advisory & Financing Support
Program and technical references
www.energystar.gov - reference
Program information reviewed September 22, 2026. Current applicability, qualifications and program terms are confirmed for each engagement.
Or call 321-273-2200 · inquiry@greensummit.com