EGC 2020 Sunsets Tomorrow: KOW is Ready for Enterprise Green Communities 2026

After more than six years as the prevailing Enterprise Green Communities standard, the 2020 Criteria officially reaches the end of its application window today. September 30, 2026 is the final day to submit an initial Prebuild application under EGC 2020. Beginning October 1, new projects will move forward under the 2026 Enterprise Green Communities Criteria.

For affordable housing developers and design teams, that means the transition we have been preparing for is officially here.

What's Changing with EGC 2026?

The 2026 Criteria continues the core Green Communities focus on creating healthy, efficient, resilient, and affordable housing, while introducing new and revised requirements across several areas. Enterprise has organized the new standard around three primary themes: energy, health, and resilience.

Among the changes are streamlined energy criteria, expanded resilience strategies, updated material requirements, and new or enhanced criteria addressing traffic safety, personal and social safety, accessibility, indoor environmental quality, and resident well-being. The 2026 Criteria also introduces three certification levels: Green Communities Certification, Certification Plus, and Certification Plus Zero Emissions.

For projects in New York City, these requirements must also be coordinated with the 2026 NYC Overlay, which modifies and clarifies how the national criteria apply to NYC affordable housing projects.

KOW is Ready for EGC 2026

Over the past several months, KOW's Sustainability team has been reviewing the new criteria, NYC Overlay, templates, documentation requirements, and certification process so that our projects can transition into EGC 2026 without starting from scratch.

We've already incorporated the new requirements into our internal compliance tools and project workflows and are prepared to guide project teams through the 2026 standard from initial design through certification.

As with EGC 2020, early coordination remains important. Identifying applicable requirements during design allows the architect, MEP engineer, and developers to incorporate them into the project before they become costly construction-phase changes.

Starting an EGC 2026 Project?

KOW is currently working on new Enterprise Green Communities 2026 projects throughout New York City and New York State.

Whether your project is new construction, substantial rehabilitation, or moderate rehabilitation, our team can help determine the applicable EGC 2026 requirements, coordinate them with your funding agency and design team, manage the Prebuild and Postbuild certification process, and integrate related services such as ENERGY STAR, energy modeling, commissioning, and energy code compliance where required.

EGC 2020 may be sunsetting, but KOW is already up to speed and ready for what's next.

Contact KOW Building Consultants to discuss your upcoming Enterprise Green Communities 2026 project.