Green Star Technical Clarification Rulings
Technical Clarifications for Green Star represent our answers to Technical Questions submitted by projects, and provide further guidance and reference to others. The list is regularly updated.
There are two types of Technical Clarifications listed in the table below:
General Clarifications
These are extensions to the guidance provided in the Submission Guidelines. They clarify and sometimes supersede the original Credit Criteria or
Compliance Requirements. General Clarifications set precedent for future project teams to follow. Should a project team wish to apply a general clarification to its project, there is no requirement for further Technical Questions to be submitted. NZGBC Assessors will also use them as precedents to assess submissions.
Project Specific Clarifications
These are published as references for other projects but, unlike General Clarifications, they do not set precedent. They often relate to special
situations where multiple prerequisites exist for a particular project and are less likely to reoccur to another project. Therefore, rulings set for Project Specific Clarifications are often conditional and will likely vary for other projects. Each project still needs to submit its own Technical Questions and provides evidence relating to its own building in order to have a similar ruling approved for that specific building.
Should you wish to apply any Technical Clarification for legacy rating tools to your projects, please submit a Technical Question to the NZGBC to
explain why and how it applies. You can download the Technical Question form here
| Clarification Type | Tool Version | Month Released | Credit Name | Sub-credit Name | Tool Category | Amendment/Approved Ruling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Specific | DABv1 | 1/11/2020 | 22 - Construction and Demolition Waste | Construction and Demolition Waste |
Any natural stone or rock-like material in waste arising from excavation that is below a size that would preclude its re-use as fill, topsoil or similar re-use (in the reasonable opinion of the waste management contractor or processing facility), complies with the definition of ‘excavation waste’ under Credit 22 of the DAB Submission Guidelines |
|
| Project Specific | DABv1, DABv1.1 | 1/8/2021 | 24 - Sustainable Sites | Reuse of Land |
This technical question for Land Reuse is accepted on the condition that the project team can provide evidence that there is a hard surface to the floor of the glasshouses, e.g. concrete, which is not suitable for planting and/or the ground is not suitable for growing food crops. Alternatively, the project team may wish to consider the relocation of the glasshouse to another site not previously used for agriculture and within the Auckland region where it will be reused for growing produce. |
|
| General | DABv1 | 1/10/2019 | 12 - Visual Comfort | Daylight | ||
| General | DABv1 | 1/11/2020 | 0 - General |
Where the credit refers to “Schematic Design”, this can be clarified as Concept Design or Conceptual Design which is the terminology more commonly used in New Zealand |
||
| General | DABv1 | 1/2/2021 | 13 - Indoor Pollutants | Indoor Pollutants | ||
| General | DABv1 | 1/12/2020 | 7 - Responsible Construction Practices | EMS | ||
| General | DABv1 | 1/5/2022 | 20 - Responsible Building Materials | Structural and Reinforcing Steel | ||
| General | DABv1 | 1/3/2020 | 19 - Life Cycle Assessment/Impacts | Life Cycle Impacts – Concrete | ||
| General | DABv1.1 | 1/8/2023 | 21 - Sustainable Products | Third Party Certification | ||
| General | DABv1.1 | 1/10/2023 | 22 - Construction and Demolition Waste | Percentage Benchmark |