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Designing for Greater Efficiency (DfGE) certificate

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What is the Designing for Greater Efficiency program?

Designing for Greater Efficiency (DfGE) is an education course that was developed and curated by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, to meet the growing demand for skills in green architecture and designing efficient and sustainable buildings, helping the workforce to build capacity related to sustainability in the built environment.

This course equips learners with the knowledge to design resource-efficient and eco-friendly buildings, contributing to a low-carbon, net-zero future for the building sector.

What is the Designing for Greater Efficiency certificate from USGBC and IFC?

The Designing for Greater Efficiency (DfGE) certificate, offered by USGBC and IFC, recognizes individuals for their completion of the program’s coursework and their literacy in sustainable and efficient building design.

The certificate is comprised of a series of courses that teach the principles of efficient building design, green architecture, and eco-friendly construction. Users will earn the DfGE certificate by completing all the required courses.

What is taught in the DfGE series?

DfGE covers the fundamentals of energy and resource efficiency measures in building design from a technical and commercial perspective, using case studies and examples to demonstrate efficient design practices in real-world applications.

The course is taught across 7 learning modules, plus orientation and conclusion modules:

  1. Green Buildings in Context
  2. Form, Skin, and Climate
  3. Engineering Architecture: HVAC & Controls
  4. Lighting and Photovoltaics
  5. Water and Materials
  6. Carbon in Buildings
  7. Making the Business Case for a Project and Yourself

What learning outcomes does the DfGE certificate represent for professional development and industry recognition?

The DfGE certificate has the following learning outcomes:

  • Development of critical thinking skills, quantitative skills, and design approaches
  • Conceptualization and integration of green features across multiple disciplines and building types
  • Quantification of the impact of design strategies to reduce energy and water consumption in operations and embodied energy in materials using IFC’s EDGE building design software
  • Articulation of a compelling business case for sustainable design
  • Effective communication of design strategies and choices with clients and other building stakeholders, including owners, investors, and other design team members
  • Demonstration of knowledge about green design strategies and their relative cost-benefit implications

Upon completion of DfGE coursework, users possess the knowledge and skills outlined in the learning outcomes and the official certificate provides users with recognition and demonstrable value of their capabilities as a building professional with expertise in efficient design and sustainable building.

Is DfGE affiliated or relevant to any specific green building rating system?

The DfGE certificate is rating system agnostic and focuses on skills-based learning, so that certificate holders can apply their skills and expertise across a variety of projects and rating systems. The building science and efficient design principles of DfGE can be applied to many green building rating systems and projects. DfGE was created in alignment with the EDGE rating system, but learning outcomes can be adapted beyond EDGE and are relevant across the green building industry.

How is the DfGE certificate different from the EDGE Expert and EDGE Auditor credentials?

The DfGE certificate is a foundational education program focused on designing resource-efficient, sustainable buildings. It is not tied to any specific rating system, so it does not include in-depth training on the EDGE rating system in particular.

The EDGE Expert and EDGE Auditor credentials, by contrast, are specific to the EDGE green building rating system:

  • EDGE Experts are credentialed professionals trained to guide designers, owners, and project teams through the EDGE design and certification submission process.
  • EDGE Auditors are EDGE Experts who have completed additional training to independently review and assess projects against EDGE standards and certification requirements.

While DfGE certificate holders can apply their sustainable design knowledge to EDGE projects, they are not specifically trained or credentialed to facilitate the EDGE submission or project review process. Customers who have earned the DfGE certificate are well-positioned to then earn the EDGE credentials (EDGE Expert, followed by EDGE Auditor) or other green building credentials.

Learn more about EDGE Auditors and EDGE Experts in our FAQs for EDGE credentials.

Who should pursue the DfGE certificate?

The DfGE certificate is suitable for advanced students and working professionals in the architectural, structural, building services, building design, engineering, construction, and other building-related fields. This certificate can be a complement to LEED and other GBCI credentials or can be a user’s first step in the career and workforce development journey of emerging green professionals.

How can I earn the DfGE certificate?

Users can earn the DfGE certificate on the USGBC educational platform by completing all 7 learning modules and assessments in the DfGE certificate series. The certificate is awarded after users successfully pass the quizzes for each course in the series.

Upon completion, the certificate and digital recognition will be automatically added to USGBC user accounts.

How long is the DfGE certification valid for?

Once earned, the DfGE does not expire, and does not require ongoing credential maintenance and renewal.

How can I purchase the DfGE courses and much does the certificate program cost?

The DfGE certificate courses are available on USGBC’s online course catalog, and users must have a USGBC account to purchase and access the content.

The DfGE series is only available for direct purchase and is not included as part of USGBC’s Course Catalog subscription, however there are several discounts available, including for current Course Catalog subscribers. The pricing chart below shows all pricing tiers for the certificate.

User Status Non-subscriber price Subscriber price Price of subscription
Non-member $175 $150 $250
USGBC member $150 $125 $199
Student $100 $75 $110

All education subscribers receive a $25 discount on this course, with additional discounts based on membership or student status.