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 access the online Technical Question form here
| Technical Question Title | Tool Version | Date Released | Credit Name | Sub-credit Name | TC Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offsetting Embodied Emissions | DABv1, DABv1.1 | August 2021 | 29 - Innovation | Global Sustainability | Link |
|
Approved Ruling: Criteria: Innovation points (3 for v1.0 / 2 for v1.1) can be awarded for projects offsetting the embodied emissions associated with the construction of the building. To be eligible, projects must fulfil the following:
Note: These innovation points are awarded specifically for the offsetting element. Further reductions in upfront carbon emissions, in addition to the 10% requirement, should be demonstrated by submitting through the existing LCA credit in Design and As-Built.
Additional Guidance: The building’s upfront carbon emissions reductions must occur through good design and material selection. Carbon offsets purchased against the building’s upfront carbon emissions from construction cannot be used to show compliance against the 10% reduction compliance. To demonstrate compliance, project teams should model the proposed and reference buildings following the methodology of the Life Cycle Assessments credit. Projects must document a reduction in upfront carbon according to the materials and products in the scope. If a project team has completed a LCA in accordance with the LCA credit, the results of the global warming potential impact from that assessment can be used to demonstrate compliance with this innovation. All claims of carbon in products must be accompanied by 3rd party verified data, such as in Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) A calculation of upfront carbon emissions reduction should include, but not be limited to, the following materials:
Materials used in the calculator must capture at least 90% of the physical materials and 90% of the financial value of building products. Any materials not listed above that may be significant to the project’s upfront carbon emissions must be captured. Demolition works are excluded from the calculation scope for the current stage.
Supporting Information: Green Star Buildings (Australia): credit for Upfront Carbon Emissions |
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