The CBCI EDGE curriculum explains that the EDGE system uses a tiered structure that starts with resource-efficiency certification and can progress to a net-carbon outcome. The foundational level is EDGE Certified, which is achieved when a project demonstrates at least 20 percent savings in energy, water, and embodied energy in materials compared with the baseline. Above this is EDGE Advanced, which retains the same minimum 20 percent requirements for water and materials while requiring a higher performance threshold for energy, meaning at least 40 percent energy savings.
Beyond these two efficiency tiers, the system includes EDGE Zero Carbon, which builds on EDGE Certified or EDGE Advanced by addressing the project’s carbon footprint through a combination of high energy efficiency, on-site or off-site renewable energy to reduce operational emissions, and carbon offsets for remaining operational emissions to reach net zero operational carbon.
The options that mention Silver, Gold, and Platinum reflect other rating systems, not EDGE. EDGE also does not use “EDGE Zero Energy” as the certification level name in the core tier list presented in the curriculum. Therefore, the correct set of certification levels is EDGE Certified, EDGE Advanced, and EDGE Zero Carbon.
