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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | DABv1.1 | 1/10/2023 | 19 - Life Cycle Assessment/Impacts | Life Cycle Impacts – Concrete | ||
| General | DABv1 | 1/5/2021 | 20 - Responsible Building Materials | Timber |
For FSC and PEFC timber the ‘final claim’ on product is the crucial step in demonstrating that the timber material meets forest certification. The principal of Chain of Custody is that the ‘final claim’ on product demonstrates that all previous steps in the supply chain meet chain of custody requirements. For Green Star or Home Star projects, Green Star and Home Star accredited professionals only require the single claim, at the final point of purchase, to demonstrate that the product can make a conforming FSC or PEFC claim on timber. |
|
| General | DABv1 | 1/6/2021 | 29 - Innovation | Global Sustainability | ||
| General | DABv1 | 1/11/2020 | 15 - Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Greenhouse Gas Emissions | ||
| General | DABv1 | 1/11/2020 | 18 - Potable Water | Sanitary Fixture Efficiency | ||
| General | DABv1 | 1/4/2024 | 12 - Visual Comfort | Glare reduction | ||
| General | DABv1 | 1/11/2020 | 17 - Sustainable Transport | Sustainable Transport | ||
| General | DABv1 | 1/11/2020 | 16 - Peak Electricity Demand Reduction | Peak Electricity Demand Reduction | ||
| General | DABv1 | 1/10/2019 | 17 - Sustainable Transport | Active Transport Facilities | ||
| General | DABv1 | 1/6/2022 | 25 - Stormwater | Stormwater Peak Discharge |
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. |