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A local nonprofit is investigating a gap in the green certification market 鈥� existing neighborhoods.

The Earth Advantage Institute is developing an Eco Neighborhoods program that would certify the holistic sustainability efforts of residential neighborhoods, public housing projects, business districts, college campuses and other groups of existing buildings. But before launching a pilot and expanding its focus, Earth Advantage is testing the waters to see if the market would respond well to this type of system.

Earth Advantage last week published basic guidelines for the new program and invited organizations to submit 鈥渆xpressions of interest,鈥� which do not oblige them to participate, but will help the institute decide whether to move forward, and if so, in which direction. So far, interest has come in from nearly 20 entities, including some in the Portland area, the East Coast and the Midwest.

While Earth Advantage and the U.S. Green Building Council both have certification programs for new neighborhood developments, Earth Advantage project manager Randy Hasell said neither group offers a similar program to recognize existing communities’ sustainability efforts.

鈥淭his is a section of the market we feel is underserved,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e’ve been out talking to potential clients about our program for certifying new communities, and they ask, 鈥榃hat about the work we’ve already done?’ 鈥�

Earth Advantage has taken advantage of gaps in the market before. In 2009, it launched a pilot in response to a perceived market need for green certification for small commercial projects. The pilot program is still going strong, according to marketing and communications director Tom Breunig, and the institute may launch a full program in the short term.

Launching a new certification program requires a balance between publicizing the potential program without having a definite standard in place, according to Breunig. Eco Neighborhoods is still in the early research phase 鈥� Earth Advantage will accept expressions of interest until Nov. 30.

Under the current plan, Eco Neighborhoods would offer certification for fully developed neighborhoods that are at least five years old and have demonstrated successes in four main categories: natural, built, social and human environments. The cost of certification and other specifics would be determined based on the results of the market research.

Earth Advantage, which was formed five years ago, has until now functioned primarily as a green building resource, but the Eco Neighborhoods program would go beyond the built environment to analyze more intangible community elements, such as opportunity for cultural events and availability of social services.

鈥淲ith a lot of this work, we feel like we’re pushing the envelope,鈥� Hasell said. 鈥淲e are starting to expand the mission of Earth Advantage to really impact the overall environment.鈥�

If Earth Advantage was to roll out Eco Neighborhoods, Hasell thinks a large number of communities in Portland and around the country would qualify for certification based on work already done, while others might have to work for a couple of years to attain sustainability goals.

The Earth Advantage team hopes that certification would increase the appeal of neighborhood properties and increase visibility for local businesses.

鈥淏eing able to point at a third-party certificate that verifies all the sustainable and livability attributes of a community will help potential home buyers make their decision to buy in specific neighborhoods in a more thoughtful way,鈥� said Shaina Sullivan, a green building specialist at the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland. 鈥淚 look forward to seeing their results.鈥�