Here’s what that means, and how Green Globes, GBI’s whole-building certification system built around the same core priorities, can help.
High-performance
School Programs
Green Globes is recognized alongside certification systems such as CHPS and LEED in state high-performance building policies, including Colorado’s BEST Program for public schools as well as broader publicly funded building policies in various states like Connecticut, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Maryland that encompass public school projects.
CHPS Certifications
Are Being Phased Out
CHPS, the Collaborative for High Performance Schools, has been one of the most widely used green building rating systems for K-12 schools in the United States for two decades.
It focused on the specific needs of school environments: indoor air quality, energy performance, daylighting, and acoustics, all of which affect how well students learn and how comfortably staff and students occupy a building.
CHPS Designed, Verified, and Verified Leader certifications will no longer be offered after June 30, 2027. Projects already registered with CHPS can typically continue toward certification during a transition period, but new projects will need a different certification path going forward.
Green Globes:
A Simple Transition from CHPS
Green Globes evaluates buildings across many of the same categories that made CHPS effective for schools:
Indoor Air Quality
Energy Performance
Daylighting
Acoustics
Water Efficiency
Materials & Resource Use
Site Sustainability
Access the online
self-assessment
With separate pathways for new construction and for existing buildings or major renovations.
How Green Globes Certification Works
Every certification process varies somewhat by project, but the general journey looks like:
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Start a free trial. Review the Green Globes criteria relevant to your project, before committing to anything.
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Register the project. Provide basic project information to begin the assessment process.
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Complete the online assessment. Work through the relevant category questionnaires, which cover the same broad areas (air quality, energy, daylighting, and so on) that CHPS addressed.
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Third-party review and certification. An independent GBI Assessor evaluates the submission before a rating is awarded.
How This Applies to Different Kinds of Projects
New construction: Districts building new schools can pursue Green Globes New Construction (NC), which addresses design and construction phase performance.
Major renovations: Districts modernizing existing buildings can pursue Green Globes for Existing Buildings (EB), which is comparable in scope to what CHPS Verified covered for renovation projects.
Multi-project or bond programs: Districts managing several projects under a single bond cycle may find it useful to have one certification framework that applies consistently across new construction, exisisting buildings and renovation work. GBI offers portfolio level discounts, and our dedicated team and user-friendly tools makes managing multiple certifications simple
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What is CHPS?
Founded in 1999 as a catalyst for California's state agencies and major utilities to address energy efficiency in schools and help reduce energy costs in K12 education facilities in the United States, CHPS has since expanded its work to address all aspects of high-performance school design, construction, and operation nationwide. -
Is CHPS certification going away immediately?
No. CHPS Designed, Verified, and Verified Leader certifications remain available until June 30, 2027. Projects already registered can generally continue through a transition period; the sunset primarily affects new projects that haven't yet registered. -
Does my state recognize Green Globes for school projects?
It depends on the state. Some states, like Colorado, name Green Globes explicitly in their school construction requirements. Others may not. Checking your state's specific program requirements, or contacting a GBI specialist, is the most reliable way to confirm.
Schools Using Green Globes
