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 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
Credit Criteria for Structural and Reinforcing Steel DABv1.1, DABv1 October 2025 20 - Responsible Building Materials Structural and Reinforcing Steel
Approved Ruling:

Projects may choose an alternative compliance option instead of meeting the standard requirements of Credit 20.1: Structural & Reinforcing Steel by adhering to the following:

  • Steel-framed buildings: At least 60% (by cost) of all fabricated steel components must achieve a Responsible Products Value (RPV) of 10 or more.
  • Concrete-framed buildings: At least 60% (by mass) of all reinforcing bar and mesh must achieve an RPV of 10 or more.

Projects must still ensure that at least 95% of the building’s steel (by mass) is sourced from a Responsible Steel Maker.

RPVs can be calculated and evidenced using the Responsible Products Calculator available on the NZGBC website. For further guidance, refer to the Calculator’s Introduction tab and to Credit 6 in the Green Star Buildings NZ Submission Guidelines document.