Our expertise · Green Building & Affordable Housing
Enterprise Green Communities Consulting
Two submissions, one plan: from funding commitment to postbuild proof.
Enterprise Green Communities certifies affordable-housing developments, new construction and rehabilitation alike, against a criteria edition that sets mandatory measures and optional choices for each development type. Certification runs in two stages: a prebuild submission that documents the design commitments and the plan behind them, and a postbuild submission that proves they were implemented, and both have to be planned before construction begins. Affordable-housing developers, owners and housing authorities pursue it when a funder or housing agency has written it into the deal, and because the criteria touch energy, water, systems and operations at once. Green Summit helps affordable-housing teams translate the criteria into a coordinated design, construction and documentation plan, connecting certification work with energy modeling, utility allowances, building systems and the project's housing commitments; the certification program retains its review authority throughout.
- RESNET Rating Provider No. 1998-221
- Licensed engineering firm
- Founded 2014
- Audit-ready documentation
Who this is for
Affordable-housing developers, owners and housing authorities, the builders and design teams delivering their projects, Tribal housing organizations and the raters who verify the measures.
What we do
- Review the criteria. We identify the edition that applies, the development type, the mandatory measures and the optional measures the project will select, and we map each one to the funding commitment it satisfies.
- Integrate the technical work. We coordinate energy and water measures, building systems, verification responsibilities and supporting records with the broader team, so the energy model, the utility allowance and the certification draw on the same building facts.
- Support prebuild and postbuild. We organize the submissions, the construction evidence, the operations information and the responses to outstanding requirements, and we schedule the postbuild evidence to be collected while the work can still be seen.
Our process
- Establish the commitments at the outset. We identify the housing and certification commitments in the funding and agency documents at project start.
- Assign measures, studies and evidence. We assign each measure, technical study and piece of evidence to a responsible party, with the date it is due.
- Track implementation. We follow the work through construction and postbuild documentation until the last requirement is answered.
Benefits
- A clearer path from funding commitments to project deliverables.
- Less fragmented information collection across the housing and energy scopes.
- Better preparation for operations and certification closeout, with the operations information assembled before residents move in.
- Utility allowance, energy model and certification inputs organized consistently, each still following its own governing method.
Why Green Summit
Green Summit combines affordable-housing analysis, engineering, certification support and utility-allowance knowledge in one team. Founded in 2014, we are a licensed engineering firm and RESNET Rating Provider No. 1998-221, and we build every record to be audit-ready from day one.
Our role starts with the criteria review and ends with the postbuild record. We help teams coordinate these related decisions, and we keep the boundaries clear: the certification program retains its review authority, the housing agency governs the utility allowance and the owner holds the funding commitments.
Frequently asked questions
What is Enterprise Green Communities?
Enterprise Green Communities is a green-building certification written for affordable housing. A project follows the criteria edition that applies to its development type, meets the mandatory measures, selects optional measures and documents the work in a prebuild submission and a postbuild submission. Green Summit coordinates the plan, the technical studies and the evidence; the program reviews and certifies.
Is Enterprise Green Communities only for new construction?
No. The criteria address multiple affordable-housing development types, including rehabilitation. We identify the edition and the requirements that apply to your specific project, because a rehabilitation carries measures and evidence a new building never has to think about.
Does ENERGY STAR replace Enterprise Green Communities?
No. An energy certification may form part of the selected criteria, but Green Communities addresses a broader set of project requirements and documentation, and each program reviews its own submission.
What is the difference between prebuild and postbuild work?
Prebuild work organizes the design commitments and the supporting plan. Postbuild work demonstrates implementation and the required closeout evidence. Both must be planned before construction, because postbuild proof depends on evidence collected while the work is still visible.
Can you coordinate utility allowances with the energy model?
Yes. We organize the relevant building inputs consistently across both, so the unit types, systems and fuels described to the certification program match the ones in the allowance study. The utility allowance and the certification calculations still follow their own governing methods and acceptance requirements.
Can this include decarbonization and C-PACE review?
Yes, as related scopes. We evaluate carbon planning and financing suitability against the actual ownership, housing restrictions, debt and local program rather than assuming eligibility, and we tell you when a property does not fit.
Let's connect the criteria to the work on site.
Tell us the development type and location, whether it is new construction or rehabilitation, and which funder or agency requires the certification.
Related solutions
- Green Building Consulting & Certification Strategy
- LIHTC Utility Allowance Studies
- Affordable Housing Energy & Retrofit Coordination
- ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction
- Decarbonization Consulting
- C-PACE Advisory & Financing Support
Program and technical references
2026 Enterprise Green Communities Criteria
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