I tossed LEED in favor of Energy Star as it seems easier to achieve. Anyone with experience with this during the architectual drawing and design phase of the build?
You need to work with an architect that has experience obtaining the certification. This includes as part of the initial design having your Rater develop an energy model that meets or exceeds the requirements and then certifying the final project through an HCO.
You also need a tax professional on the project to make certain you obtain every possible, available benefit from the certification. It will not make a ton of difference in sales price.
The part with the architect is what bothers me. No Architects in the area have experience with that as it's not common and the local codes I heard can be more stringent than Energy Star.
So then do they have to physically meet or can I just send the architectural drawings to the Rater to make changes or add materials? And would that be the architect or mechanical/designers? I emailed Energy Star but if you happen to know.
Did you check with Nakhshab? The drawings can go back and forth but the rater needs to be local to the property because in the end he will have to go verify what came out of the build and prepare a reconciliation showing the actual performance numbers post construction.