For showers, the water efficiency requirement is within one star of the Category F under WELS rating, which means showers must be either:

• 3 Star Range E (6.0 - 7.5 L/min); or,

• 3 Star Range F (4.5 - 6.0 L/min); or,

• 4 Star Range E (6.0 - 7.5 L/min); or,

• 4 Star Range F (4.5 - 6.0 L/min)

Note that a 3 Star WELS rating high pressure shower sitting at the range of 7.5-9L/m isn’t compliant.

For credit 12.1 Glare Reduction, the warehouse floor is included when it is identified as primary space, see the industrial space definitions on page 9 of the Industrial Guidance. If the warehouse is used for distribution or storage then it can be excluded from credit 12.1 as it is secondary or tertiary, not primary, space.

The exception to the primary area nomination for credit 12.1 is loading docks which are required to comply regardless of their nomination (primary, secondary, tertiary or external). To summarise, credit 12.1 applies to primary warehouse space, primary office space and loading docks. Similarly credit 12.2 applies to primary warehouse and primary office space only.

Where an industrial project is a speculative build (i.e. where the tenant is unknown) then the warehouse space shall be considered primary and included within the nominated space for credit 12.1 and 12.2 as a primary space.

To determine the shading requirement for external loading docks projects can either use compliance method 12.1A or 12.1C (noting method 12.1B is for internal blinds and therefore not suitable). Fixed external shading may be required to achieve compliance with credit 12.1, depending on the orientation of the loading docks. With loading docks being a source of pollutants into the warehouse space (from vehicle exhaust fumes) it is recommended that the project team consider this impact when designing the shading features for the loading docks, particularly when also targeting credit 9. If fixed shading is applied tightly around the loading dock, this could increase pollutant concentrations within the warehouse space. Noting however that loading docks are not an acceptable fresh air inlet for credit 9 due to exhaust pollution contaminating the incoming air.

Normal working hours for the warehouse will either be as specified by the tenant or where the tenant is unknown should be assumed as 4am-11pm (in line with occupancies for an industrial working space with >1 shift as per Table 47 in the GHG Modelling Guidelines).

Additional guidance regarding breezeways:

The compliance of a breezeway with the requirements of 12.1 will depend on the design and orientation of the breezeway, and location of the loading dock points along the breezeway. It is up to the project team to analyse the shading from direct sunlight provided by the breezeway through method 12.1A or 12.1C to show compliance with the credit and present this analysis clearly within their submission.

With any breezeway design good ventilation should be considered alongside the glare requirements, particularly where projects are targeting both credit 12 and credit 9.

If a breezeway is designed to be closed occasionally (e.g. if roller doors are installed which are open during deliveries and closed other times) then this space could be considered internal and the project team would need to include it within the area definition form, justifying how it has been defined within the area definition

In less populated areas where buses do not start until after 6:30am then the start of the peak morning period may be taken as the second bus time for first compliant bus route.

For example, if there are three bus routes that start at 6:45am, 7am and 7:15am and each run every half an hour then the peak morning period would be taken as 7:15am to 9:15am. The latest peak morning period that may be used is 7:30am to 9:30am. Time between services should then be calculated using the determined peak morning period as per the examples on page 4 of the Public Transport Calculator Guide.

When determining if a route is compliant the Public Transport Calculator Guide states that more than half of the services need to be within the time period to be compliant, however achieving exactly 50% would be considered compliant.

The average interval is to be calculated as the mean as per the Public Transport Calculator Guide.  Numbers can be rounded up or down, for example 30.4mins can be considered 30mins.

The current definition for Mixed Use Projects set in credit 16 Peak Electricity Demand Reduction refers to the NCC (the Australian Building Code) usage classification.

As a clarification for New Zealand projects, the definition is amended as below:

“A mixed-use project or building is deemed to be a building in which no single New Zealand Building Code Clause A1 Classified Use accounts for more than 80% of the building gross floor area (GFA), excluding car parks, etc.”

Showers located in statutorily required accessible bathrooms cannot be claimed in the count for shower facilities.

Extra bathrooms/showers with disability access, not required statutorily, which meet the Sustainable Transport credit requirements can be counted.

For existing buildings, refurbishment projects with no alterations to the stormwater catchment can be awarded 1 point for Stormwater Peak Discharge by providing a letter from the building owner stating that there have been no changes to the stormwater catchment (e.g. roofs, site landscaping, existing stormwater infrastructure etc.) as part of the project and therefore there is no increase in the post-development peak stormwater flows.

Please find the latest version of the NSW Environmental Management Systems Guidelines for EMP compliance requirements here.

The requirements for EMPs, as outlined within the NSW Environmental Management Systems Guidelines, are considered best practice. The edition of the guidelines current at the time of construction must be used.

A product compliance rate of 95% or higher (with regards to VOC limits) must be demonstrated for each of the following categories separately in order to be eligible for (1) point: 

• Paints
• Sealants and Adhesives
• Carpets

Where a project cannot provide WELS certifications to demonstrate compliance for the Potable Water credit, onsite testing results can be acceptable in place of WELS certifications.

In this case, the onsite testing should follow the Appendix F Onsite Compliance Schedule in the Homestar v5 Technical Manual. https://nzgbc.org.nz/hubfs/HSTG03%20Homestar%20Technical%20Manual%20v5_0_3.pdf

Can projects target the 6.1 Green Cleaning Policy credit from Green Star - Performance under the Innovation category?

Yes. Projects pursuing a certification under Green Star - Design & As Built, Green Star - Interiors may target credit 6.1 Green Cleaning Policy from Green Star - Performance v1.2 under the Global Sustainability credit.

One (1) point is available where all compliance requirements for credit 6.1 Green Cleaning Policy from the Green Star - Performance v1.2 submission guidelines are addressed. This is on the condition that the Green Cleaning Policy must be implemented for a minimum of 10 years.  

Compliance with the reverberation criterion should be demonstrated for all common areas.

Who can be considered a 'responsible party' to deliver training on sustainable practices and initiatives?

'Responsible Party' refers to people employed by the contractor or subcontractor, who are involved in decision making and will be key to the delivery of the Green Star certification in their relevant trades.

There is no requirement for a Responsible Party to be office based, site based or a combination, as long as they have relevant participation in the project. There are no specific roles defined or excluded from this definition. A contractor's Sustainability Consultant may be considered Responsible Party for the purposes of this Innovation Challenge.

The NZGBC confirms that the scope of credit 20.3 Permanent formwork, pipes, flooring, blinds and cables under Green Star - Design & As Built or credit 20.2 under Green Star - Interiors, includes any mechanical ductwork that contain PVC pipes or cables. This must be accounted for when demonstrating compliance under the credit criteria as stated below:

1 point is available where 90% (by cost) of all permanent formwork, pipes, flooring, blinds and cables in a project either:

• Do not contain PVC and have a recognised product declaration. OR
• Meet the GBCA’s Best Practice Guidelines for PVC.

Where the cost of PVC products in the project is less than 1% of the Project Contract Value this criterion is made ‘Not Applicable’.

For more information please refer to the Literature Review and Best Practice Guidelines Life cycle of PVC building products found on the GBCA website.

Projects may pursue one (1) innovation point through Credit 30A Innovative Technology or Process where the use of 750 MPa steel fitments of a reduced diameter are installed in lieu of equivalent 500 MPa fitments** (also known as ligatures) under the following conditions:

• A minimum of 70% of the structural columns for the entire building, by length, are concrete and require steel reinforcement; and
• 95% or more of the fitments used in these columns are ≥750 MPa replacing the equivalent 500 MPa fitments**; and
• 95% or more of the fitments are supplied by a Steel Maker that meets the Responsible Steel Maker requirements in the Responsible Building Materials (20.1) credit; and
• is a trademarked product; and 
• The project team achieves either
  • One (1) point in the Reduced Use of Steel Reinforcement (Concrete framed building) credit (19B.2B) not including the reduction in mass of fitments; or
  • An improvement of 4% in the Climate Change Impact category of the Life Cycle Assessment credit (19A) across all modules, excluding the B6 Operational Energy module.

Documentation requirements
Project teams wishing to pursue this innovation point are required to provide the following documentation:

• Structural engineer's specification
• Drawings & summary demonstrating the percentage of columns requiring fitments/ligatures
• Completed spreadsheet Steel_reduction_500N_to_750N_fitments_template.xlsx demonstrating the reduction in mass based on replacing 500 MPa with the smaller, higher grade 750 MPa fitments
• Delivery docket and/or invoice confirming supply
• Evidence of Responsible Steel Maker requirements
• Evidence of the product's trademark in line with the conditions outline

30A Innovative Technology and Process submission template, specifying the pathway achieved 19A or 19B.2B.

A Technical Question should be submitted to the NZGBC if there is any uncertainty in showing compliance to either pathway for the credit Operational Waste.

Note that The City of Sydney’s Policy for Waste Minimisation in New Developments has been updated to a newer version, which provide guidance to more building types other than offices. The new version is recognised as a third-party best practice guideline for operational waste credit compliance.

Low Emission Vehicle Infrastructure would apply only to carparks which will need to be installed for a new buildings.

Does plant density in green roofs and vertical gardens affect the ecological value credit?

No, plant density is irrelevant to the calculation performed by the Ecological Value calculator. The credit recognises the surface area of the soil/substrate in which the plants are rooted, not the total area covered by the plant foliage, nor the plant density.

The Healthcare Guidance requires shell spaces to be defined as primary spaces. However, for hospital projects, some areas may not be completed before Practical Completion but do have nominal fitout design in place. In this case, it is acceptable for project teams to subdivide the shell spaces into primary, secondary and tertiary spaces based on the nominal design rather than defining the entire shell spaces as primary. Note that project teams need to confirm that the proposed design will eventually be built as it is. 

For Industrial office/warehouse buildings can each load over 5% of the total power supply to the building be grouped to the function and each group be individually metered?

Yes, the requirement is for distinct, common and major uses to be metered as per the description on page 86 ‘where the electrical load for a single item exceeds 5% of total electricity (power) demand for the project, or 100kW, it must be individually metered.’ The wording “electricity (power) demand” should be taken to mean electricity consumption in kWh.

It is conditionally accepted that the requirement for continuous simulation load modelling is not required in this instance provided the installed engineering design is consistent with the referenced assumptions in CCC WWDG Table 6-6 and the Australian guidance document for infiltration (biofiltration) treatment Adoption Guidelines for Stormwater Biofiltration Systems.

With respect to designing for the ‘first flush’, this should be defined by the applicant in accordance with relevant design standards and the design developed to ensure all of this flow, with suitable allowance for blockage / clogging of the designed media, is treated before overflow occurs.

It is noted that the Greenstar Table 25.1 pollution removal requirements are all in excess of the minimum expected removal rates presented in CCC WWDG Table 6-6 and it will therefore need to be demonstrated that the design and installation is best practice to achieve the required pollution removal targets with adequate maintenance plans in place to ensure continued performance over the longer term

Individual credits for every project are assessed on the content and quality of the submission as per the requirements in the Technical Manual. Assessors reserve the right to not award points to non-compliant submissions, even if points have been awarded in similar situations in the past. Assessors are not obligated to award points due to previous precedents, as the precedents may no longer be correct or relevant.

The information provided for the Financial Transparency Innovation Challenge is used to provide relevant information to the construction industry on Green Star costs. The Innovation requires the client/project team to participate in a NZGBC report that publicizes anonymous data from project teams. Note that all results published in potential future reports are completely anonymous and are in aggregate form. No project, owner or consultant will be identifiable from the results of the Financial Transparency Innovation aggregated results when they are published by the NZGBC. We highly encourage all Green Star projects to pursue this innovation challenge. 

An AA1000 Licensed Assurance Provider can provide Auditor Verification for Green Star PVC certification. The AA1000 Account-Ability Standards, an international methodology for sustainability-related assurance engagements, is considered an ‘equivalent national or international auditor accreditation system’ as endorsed by the Vinyl Council. A Licenced-Assurance Provider under this standard is qualified to sign off on PVC best practice audit/assurance documentation.

Please see the following clarifications for the Industrial Guidance in addition to the TC issued in June 2021: 

10.2 Reverberation - Warehouse floor and distribution areas can be excluded from the assessable areas for the reverberation credit.

17C Prescriptive Pathway: Industrial - This pathway only applies to industrial projects located in regional areas where cycling to work was not practical. When this pathway is adopted, it must be adopted in full. Where industrial projects are located in urban areas, seeking compliance through this industrial pathway will not be acceptable. 

12.0 – Glare Reduction (12.1 Glare Reduction from the NZ version of Design and As-Built Submission Guidelines) - When the guidance for this credit in the Industrial Guidance is adopted, external loading dock areas need to be included as part of the assessable areas, even though they are not typically considered primary spaces. It is important to address glare reduction for external loading dock areas when many building occupants work at the loading dock.

The v1.0 Potable Water Calculator had been updated to provide clear NZ rainfall data and was released in 2022. For healthcare projects using the Healthcare guidance, please copy and paste the rainfall data from the up-to-date v1.0 Potable Water Calculator to the Healthcare Potable Water Calculator for consistency.

The 30% or 60% measurement requirements for demonstrating compliance with Credit 19B.3.2 Structure Reuse is based on gross building volume, as per the compliance requirements.

The current clause regarding projects that are deemed not applicable under the Fire Protection System Test Water criterion (18B.5) refers to Part E of the NCC (the Australian Building Code) on page 188 for Design and As Built.

As a clarification for New Zealand projects, the following amended clause will replace the original clause:

“The Fire Protection System Test Water criterion (18B.5) is deemed ‘Not Applicable’ for projects where:

• A sprinkler system is not required under The New Zealand Building Code, or 

• A sprinkler system is not provided by the project team and does not include a water-based fire protection system.”

Please be advised that project teams cannot use the Household Travel Survey or other NZ Stats data to demonstrate compliance through the performance pathway for Sustainable Transport.

The data used in the performance pathway calculator is grouped by SA2, and so is specific to a small sub-regional portion of the country. Using the Household Travel Survey at a regional level is less accurate, as it can include areas with better public transport, or better walking/facilities than the specific sub-region in which the assessed project sits.

The ecological enhancements to existing features of ecological value can be included in the ‘Ecological Value Calculator’ and can be counted twice but the application should be supported with sufficient explanation and justification and accompanied by relevant plans and illustrations. Where enhancements form only a portion of a feature then the enhancement area entered into the ‘Ecological Value Calculator’ should reflect only the proportion of improvement.  

For the following Indoor Environment Quality credits, compliance need only be demonstrated across 95% of the nominated area:

• Indoor Air Quality:
  • Provision of Outdoor Air
• Acoustic Comfort:
  • Internal Noise Levels
  • Reverberation 
• Lighting Comfort: 
  • Minimum Lighting Comfort
  • General Illuminance and Glare Reduction
  • Surface Illuminance
  • Localised Lighting Control
• Visual Comfort:
  • Glare Reduction
• Thermal Comfort:
  • Thermal Comfort
  • Advanced Thermal Comfort 

For residential buildings, please note that the 95% compliance criteria need to be met for individual dwellings, not as an overall GFA of nominated area. Refer to the submission guidelines for which space types are considered nominated area in each credit.

The Submission Guidelines stipulate that “one (1) point is awarded where project teams demonstrate that internal ambient noise levels, in the nominated area, are no more than 5dB(A) above the lower figure in the range recommended in Table 1 of AS/NZS 2107:2016.”

For the avoidance of doubt, where a single figure dBA value is provided in AS/NZS2107, the noise target shall be no larger than that single dBA value.

Ultra-Low VOC paints can be calculated by volume rather than cost.
For the Innovation - Improving on Green Star Benchmarks credit criterion in Green Star - Interiors v1.2, where it states:
Credit Criterion Benchmark
Indoor 
Pollutants
Ultra-Low 
VOC paints
One (1) additional point may be awarded where over 50% of paints (by cost) specified in the building have a 
maximum TVOC content of 5g/L. This must be verified by one of the approved paint test methods. Theoretical 
TVOC calculations are not acceptable for this Innovation claim.
The following can be used instead:
Credit Criterion Benchmark
Indoor 
Pollutants
Ultra-Low 
VOC paints
One (1) additional point may be awarded where over 50% of paints (by volume) specified in the building have a 
maximum TVOC content of 5g/L. This must be verified by one of the approved paint test methods. 

The following guidance applies to the weighted sound reduction index for partitions:

The partition between the spaces should be constructed to achieve a weighted sound reduction index (dB Rw) of:

• At least Rw 45; for all partitions separating enclosed spaces which are:
  • Fixed without a door; and/or
  • Glazed partitions without a door
• At least 40, for all partitions fronting a room (from an open plan area);
• At least 35 (in composite with door and partition) for all partition types that contain a door; and

At least 50 through floors between occupied spaces

For projects using the DAB NZv1.0 Healthcare Guidance: Innovation Challenge – Respite Spaces. While projects are encouraged to have individual spaces for the purpose of respite, spaces such as Staff rooms, Whānau spaces and Patient lounges are still considered respite spaces even if occupants are regularly moving in and out of the space.

Both the Green Star Design and As Built and Communities tools have as a conditional requirement that the land to be built on is not Prime Agricultural Land. The Government is proposing a National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land (NPS-HPL) to improve the way highly productive land is managed under the Resource Management Act 1991 - more information here.

In light of our recent survey and developments in central government around this issue NZGBC has decided the forthcoming Highly Productive Land guidance is very likely to be used in Green Star. From this point forward any mention of “Prime Agricultural Land” will be replaced with “Highly Productive Land.” Once the final NPS-HPL Statement is issued, if any significant modifications to this TQ is necessary, an updated TQ will be issued.

The criteria for Highly Productive Land will be:

1. The capability and versatility of the land to support primary production based on the LUC classification system - currently this will be LUC1-3 land using this website using the "NZLRI Land Use Capability" layer

2. Highly Productive Land excludes all urban zoned areas and all future urban zoned areas in district plans.

Project teams are highly encouraged to ensure their site fulfil the minimal requirements in the Sustainable Sites credit prior to expending time on a project.  If there are any questions about this credit the project team is highly encouraged to contact NZGBC for clarification

Projects may engage a Green Star Accredited Professional (GSAP) and Independent Commissioning Agent (ICA) from the same organization on the condition that:

1. The project team can sufficiently demonstrate that each role is being performed independent of the other.

2. The compliance requirement for both Credit 1.0 Green Star Accredited Professional and Credit 2.4 – Independent commissioning Agent are met.

The below documentation is recommended to demonstrate sufficient independence between the GSAP and ICA:

• An organizational chart showing all people involved.
• A role description for each person who contributed to the ICA or GSAP role,
• The New Zealand Business number (NZBNs) of any independent contractors involved in the commissioning process, and a clear election of two separate people that can be named as ICA and GSAP who were an integral part in the provision of the relevant services,
• All other documentation requirements as per the Submission Guidelines.

NB: The ICA cannot be from the same firm as the consultants involved in the design or installation of the nominated systems

1 point can be awarded when 95% of engineered wood products meet the formaldehyde emission limits by area. Project teams are not expected to calculate all the surface areas of each engineered wood product. Only the largest face of each product is to be calculated for credit compliance. 

Retail projects may mark credit criterion 11.3 Surface Illuminance as 'Not Applicable' (NA) due to the specific requirements for lighting design within retail fitouts.  It is noted that the outcome targeted by the ‘Surface Illuminance’ criteria of the Lighting Comfort credit is not always relevant in retail spaces which focus on the lighting of product and creating visual interest.

This TC is released to supersede the previous TC issued in May 2020 for credit 22. 

The Design and As-Built and Interiors tool, Construction and Demolition waste Credit 22 has a minimum requirement that must be met BEFORE the other credits can be approved.

The “Reporting Accuracy" credit criteria states the following: “The minimum requirement is met where the waste contractors and waste processing facilities servicing the project demonstrate compliance with the Green Star Construction and Demolition Waste Reporting Criteria.” Environmental Choice New Zealand (ECNZ) issued (EC-59-19) Construction & Demolition Waste Services specification (found here https://environmentalchoice.org.nz/specifications/ec-59-19/ ) fulfils the Reporting Criteria minimum requirement.

Therefore, if all the associated waste contractors and waste processing facilities are awarded a licence under this specification then the project meets the minimum requirement for this credit.  

Projects using ECNZ-licensed waste contractors also qualify for 1 credit related to 70% diversion from landfill, provided the ECNZ audit is completed withing two months after Practical Completion of the project in accordance with clause 6.3 c) of EC-59-19.

Can the ISO standard 18504 can be used as a Best Practice Remediation strategy for Site Decontamination?

Yes, for the purposes of site decontamination in Green Star, the ISO standard 18504: Soil quality: Sustainable Remediation can be used an alternative to the current standard referenced in the submission guidelines: “A Framework for Assessing the Sustainability of Soil and Groundwater Remediation”

In Regard to 19A - Life Cycle Impacts in Green Star - Design & As Built v1.0 NZGBC clarifies the following:

19A.1 – Comparative Life Cycle Assessment - Are exceeding benchmark points available for operational energy improvements beyond the three (3) capped points

NZGBC clarifies that exceeding benchmark points can only be achieved if the cumulative reduction from modules other than B6 exceeds 3 points. Please note that under this version of the rating tool no more than 2 points can be achieved for an 'Exceeding Green Star Benchmarks' claim. 

19A.2 – Material Selection Improvement - Should Module B6 be included in the reference case (initial scenario from which reduction % is calculated) when calculating “total cumulative impact reduction (excluding B6)”. 
NZGBC clarifies module B6 is excluded from the reference case. 

19A.2 – Construction Process Improvement - Does the “percentage cumulative impact reduction” refer only to a relative reduction for modules A4 and A5
i.e. the reference case (initial scenario from which reduction % is calculated) excludes all other modules.

It is confirmed that reference case excludes all other modules, and therefore the cumulative impact reduction is relative to the sum of impacts from module A4 and A5. 

The following guidance is provided for projects wanting to target the Soft Landings Framework innovation point in the Commissioning and Tuning credit. 

Minimum Compliance :

All compliance requirements as per Credit 2: Commissioning and Tuning must be achieved prior to pursuing the 'Soft Landings Framework Innovation credit'.

Documentation Requirements

Design Review Submission

• Documentation to support how the ‘Soft Landings Framework’ approach will be implemented throughout the design, construction, commissioning and tuning phases; including meeting minutes and commissioning plans;
• CV of the project’s Commissioning Agent detailing the qualifications and experience relevant to the project; and
• Confirmation from the building owner that indicates their commitment to incorporate the principles of the ‘Soft Landings Framework’ throughout design, construction, commissioning and into building operation.

As Built Submission

• Supporting documentation to support how the ‘Soft Landings Framework’ approach was implemented throughout the design, construction, commissioning, and tuning phases. Where the tuning phase may not have been undertaken at the time of submission, documentation should support how it will be implemented.   
• Meeting minutes and workshop notes demonstrating involvement of the design team in the development and implementation of the ‘Soft Landings Framework’ throughout design, construction and commissioning, all stages of checklist completed as per the soft landing framework relevant at the time of submission and checklist for all future stages.
• CV of the project’s Commissioning Agent detailing the qualifications and experience relevant to the project; and
• Confirmation from the building owner that demonstrates the building owner’s commitment to incorporate the principles of the ‘Soft Landings Framework' in to building operation. 
• Any other evidence to support claims made by the project team.

Thermally treated timber may be recognised through an innovation application for a large proportion of thermally treated timber used in a project.  

To target this innovation, project teams will need to define a percentage benchmark for the thermally treated timber used in construction. In order to define the benchmark, project teams are required to: 

• Describe briefly the assumptions behind the benchmark, and any process that was used to establish them.

• If existing data was used, or a literature review was performed, this must be included. If the assumptions rely on previous experience by the project team, including professional estimates, this must be stated.

• Describe the process being undertaken to ensure the defined benchmarks are being met.

• Demonstrate that the benchmarks were achieved in the project’s As Built submission. For some projects, this may be able to be demonstrated at Tender stage, for the project’s Design submission.

The current definition for Eligible Project in the section of Glossary refers to the NCC (the Australian Building Code) usage classification.

As a clarification for New Zealand projects, the definition is amended as below:

“Eligible Project - Any New Zealand-based new build or major refurbishment project of any eligible typology (see above for NCC Building usage classifications and relevant New Zealand Building Code Clause A1 Classified Uses), with a minimum occupancy of 1FTE, and meeting all other eligibility criteria available on the NZGBC website, may target a Green Star NZ – Design & As-built Certified Rating using the Submission Guidelines and this Addendum Document as guidance.”

Can projects target the 6.1 Green Cleaning Policy credit from Green Star - Performance under the Innovation category?

Yes. Projects pursuing a certification under Green Star - Design & As Built, Green Star - Interiors may target credit 6.1 Green Cleaning Policy from Green Star - Performance v1.2 under the Global Sustainability credit.

One (1) point is available where all compliance requirements for credit 6.1 Green Cleaning Policy from the Green Star - Performance v1.2 submission guidelines are addressed. This is on the condition that the Green Cleaning Policy must be implemented for a minimum of 10 years.

Projects may demonstrate compliance with the 'lift idle and standby energy' requirement from the Vertical Transportation criteria by demonstrating that the following energy saving features have been incorporated in the lift specification:

• Energy efficient Gearless AC Machines with regenerative VVVF drives;
• Low energy LED lighting;
• Shutdown of non-essential lighting, screens, etc. when on standby; and
• The lift idle and standby energy performance level is at least level 3 in accordance with ISO 25745-2

This guidance is based on industry feedback that most lifts cannot currently achieve performance level 1 in accordance with ISO 25746-2 for lift idle and standby energy.

Documentation Requirements:

Please provide the following in your submission:

• Schedule identifying all vertical transportation systems installed in the building, and the manufacturer and model of each.
• Extract(s) from the commissioning report demonstrating (through supporting evidence) that the vertical transportation systems have been commissioned and operate as intended by the design.
• Documentation showing the lift idle and standby energy performance level is at least level 3 in accordance with ISO 25745-2
• A copy of this TC.

In the Appendix for Non-Innovation claims, the Submission Guidelines state that improving on the benchmark for Construction and Demolition Waste: Percentage Benchmark will not be awarded an Innovation. This is contradictory and incorrect. 

The Innovation point is available to be awarded. The last line of the Submission Guidelines regarding Construction and Demolition Waste: Percentage Benchmark can be ignored.   

Are ducted split system fan coil units (DX split/VRF/VRV) required to provide access to both sides of fan coil units?

No, project teams do not have to provide access to both sides of coils for cleaning and maintenance purposes of such systems, provided the following conditions are met:

1. Design teams may provide access to the upstream side of fan coil units where the coils are protected by a filter rated at MERV 8 or higher and:

• Provide heating only; or,
• Provide cooling only with the coil assembly no more than 4 rows deep; or,
• Provide dual heating/cooling with the coil assembly no more than 4 rows deep

and

2. For fan coil units or air handling units located within a ceiling void, in addition to the above criteria, the project team must fully demonstrate safe access for cleaning and maintenance. This may include:

• Access panels in unit / ductwork is in close proximity to the coil to be cleaned.
• Access panels in the ceiling below the unit is in close proximity to the unit / ductwork access panel.
• The upstream surface of the coil must be accessible within 1m of the ceiling panel.
• For projects where a wall-mounted unit is installed, the project team must demonstrate that access is provided to one side of the coil for cleaning and maintenance purposes. The project team must also demonstrate:
• The filter system used can achieve the same outcome as MERV 8 filter and;
• Coil assembly is no more than 4 rows deep.

Documentation Requirements:

Please provide the following in your submission:

• Evidence that all moisture-producing and debris-catching components such as cooling coils, heating coils, humidifiers and filters in the air handling unit are able to be sufficiently cleaned and maintained through single sided access.
• Section drawing demonstrating any ceiling units can be safely reached through the ceiling access panel.
• Plan drawing showing 100% of the upstream surface of the coil is accessible within 1m of the ceiling panel, allowing for obstructions.
• A copy of this response.