When should I conduct the site visit for my certification application?

Site visits may take place:

• anytime within the 12-month application period, or
• within 120 days following the Year Ending Date (if your application is for the 2019 calendar year, then the Year Ending Data is Dec 31, 2019)
• The property must be occupied and operating normally during the site visit to reflect typical operational conditions. For example, in K-12 schools, the site visit must be conducted while the building is fully occupied and operational (i.e., all students are present as on a regular school day) in order to get accurate indoor environmental standards readings (ventilation/air quality, thermal conditions, and illumination).

The LP is responsible for verifying that the information on an application is an accurate representation for the entire 12-month period, not just on the date of the site visit.

One site visit can be performed for consecutive application years, as long as the date of the site visit meets the above requirements for both certification years. For example, a building that earned 2019 ENERGY STAR certification for the year ending May 31, 2019 with a site visit on August 15, 2019, can re-use that site visit as long as the 2020 application year includes the month of August 2019.

If the site visit is done early in the certification year (which will be the case for the 2nd year in consecutive certifications), the LP is still responsible for ensuring that all the data entered in Portfolio Manager is correct for the entire period, as operational data may change throughout the year.