Who of the following may submit to Green Business Certification Inc. a LEED for Homes project for certification?

The owner or a designated project team member is the entity that initiates the LEED for Homes certification process by registering the project and is ultimately the applicant. While the LEED for Homes Provider organization performs the final administrative step of submitting the reviewed application to the Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), they do so on behalf of the project team. The project team drives the entire process, hires the necessary verifiers, and is responsible for the submission's content and goals. Among the choices provided, the owner or designated project team member is the principal party seeking certification and therefore the most correct answer.

A. The Green Rater submits verification reports and documentation to the LEED for Homes Provider for quality assurance review, not the final certification application to GBCI.

B. The Energy Rater is a technical expert responsible for energy modeling and performance testing; this role does not include submitting the project for certification.

C. The Quality Assurance Designee (QAD) is an individual within the LEED for Homes Provider organization who reviews the Green Rater's work before the Provider submits it.

1. U.S. Green Building Council. (2017). Guide to LEED Certification: Homes.

Page 5, "Step 1: Register your project," states: "The project team completes the key forms and payment to register." This establishes the project team as the applicant.

Page 6, "Step 3: Submit application for review," clarifies the Provider's role: "Your LEED for Homes Provider will complete a quality assurance review and submit your completed certification application to GBCI." This shows the Provider acts as the submission agent for the project team.

2. U.S. Green Building Council. (2021). LEED v4 for Homes Design and Construction Reference Guide.

Page 14, "The Certification Process," outlines the roles. The diagram and text show the "Project Team" initiating the process and the "LEED for Homes Provider" as the entity that "submits the project to GBCI for certification review" after conducting its own quality assurance. This supports that the project team is the applicant, while the Provider is the required intermediary for submission.