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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lighting Comfort Criteria | Green Star Buildings NZ | July 2025 | 11 - Light Quality | Lighting Comfort | Link |
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Approved Ruling: Do the requirements under the Lighting Comfort criteria apply to all internal and external regularly occupied areas?
Yes. The Lighting Comfort criteria in Green Star Buildings apply to all regularly occupied spaces within the site boundary of the project for both internal and external lighting. Internal regularly occupied areas are to be defined per the Submission Guidelines. External regularly occupied areas are those that are regularly occupied when external lighting is required, e.g. outdoor dining areas that operate outside of daylight hours. External areas that are not regularly occupied during these times do not need to meet Lighting Comfort requirements.
Non-regularly occupied areas may be excluded from meeting the credit requirements. However, the NZGBC encourage project teams to install high-quality lighting in non-regularly occupied spaces where possible.
Can industrial projects and external areas target alternate lighting properties for Lighting Comfort? Yes. External spaces and internal warehouse spaces with high bay lighting in an industrial project may comply with the following alternate lighting requirement in the Lighting Comfort criteria under the Light Quality credit from Green Star Buildings:
All other lighting properties should comply with the requirements outlined in the Lighting Comfort criteria in the Submission Guidelines.
Where the industrial building has regularly occupied office spaces, these office spaces must meet the credit requirements as per the Green Star Buildings Submission Guidelines.
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