Advise owners and project teams on sustainable building strategy — rating systems, materials, energy/water measures, and the business case.
Who this course is for
Architects, contractors, realtors, and sustainability professionals building a green-building advisory practice.
What you’ll be able to do
- Navigate major rating systems and standards at advisory level (LEED, ENERGY STAR, WELL, Passive House concepts)
- Advise on energy, water, materials, and IEQ strategies by project type
- Build the financial case: costs, savings, incentives, and asset value
- Guide a project team through green requirements without derailing schedule
- Package and sell consulting engagements
Course curriculum
Module 1: The green building landscape and your advisory role
Orientation to the field: what green building actually covers (energy, water, materials, indoor environmental quality, site), the major rating systems and where each fits (LEED, ENERGY STAR, WELL, Passive House concepts, local green codes), and the consultant’s role across a project lifecycle.
Module 2: Energy strategy: the core of every green project
Covers the load-reduction-first hierarchy (envelope, then systems, then renewables), passive design concepts (orientation, shading, daylight), high-performance HVAC and electrification trends, energy modeling at advisory level (what models can and can’t tell you), and benchmarking existing buildings.
Module 3: Water, materials, and indoor environmental quality
Water: fixture efficiency, irrigation and landscape strategy, and rainwater/greywater concept-level options.
Module 4: Certifications and compliance pathways
How to guide a client through ‘should we certify?’: certification cost-benefit by project type, documentation burden realism, the LEED process map (registration to review), ENERGY STAR for existing buildings, and green lease/ESG reporting drivers from institutional owners.
Module 5: The business case and incentives
The money lesson: cost-premium realism by measure (most green strategies cost far less than clients fear), operating savings, utility and government incentive navigation (how to find current programs — these change, so we teach the search method, not a static list), tax deduction awareness (179D-style concepts), insurance and asset-value arguments, and tenant demand data framing.
Module 6: Running engagements and selling the service
Covers the consulting delivery models — charrette facilitation, owner’s advisor, certification management — scoping and pricing engagements, the deliverables clients value (strategy memos, measure matrices, decision support at design milestones), and keeping green requirements alive through value engineering.
How it works
Self-paced online course. Lifetime access. Work through the modules in order, apply the checklists on real jobs, and finish with a Certificate of Completion.
FAQ
Is this a license or certification? No. This is skills training. You receive a Certificate of Completion. Licensing requirements vary by state and trade — always verify your local requirements.
How long do I have access? Lifetime access, including updates.
What if it’s not for me? Contact support within 14 days of purchase.