Abstract:
Background: The hospitality industry faces increasing global pressures from climate change
and resource scarcity, necessitating the adoption of sustainable approaches. This paper
scientifically evaluates the EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) software as
an effective tool for green building design and certification, focusing on its application in
Iranian hotels. The methodology is based on analyzing official IFC (International Finance
Corporation) documents and reviewing scientific articles from reputable databases.
Findings: The findings indicate that the EDGE software, by focusing on three key areas—
energy, water, and embodied energy of materials—and using a comparative approach against
a local baseline, can provide practical solutions to achieve a minimum of 20% in resource
savings. Case studies from developing countries (such as India and Peru) demonstrate the tool's
effectiveness in significantly reducing resource consumption and operational costs. The
discussion section analyzes the economic, environmental, and social benefits of implementing
this system in Iran.
Conclusion: The paper concludes that EDGE is the most suitable model for sustainable
development in Iran's hospitality industry due to its ease of localization, high effectiveness, and
lower costs compared to other international standards.