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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Estate Compliance with Light Pollution to Neighbouring Bodies | Green Star Buildings NZ, DABv1, DABv1.1 | September 2025 | 26 - Light Pollution, 35 - Impacts to Nature | Light Pollution to Neighbouring Bodies | Link |
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Approved Ruling: For industrial warehouse projects located within an industrial estate, where the site boundary is shared with an industrial or commercial development, compliance with the Light Pollution to Neighbouring Bodies may be demonstrated by meeting the standard AS/NZS 4282:2019 Control of the obtrusive effects of outdoor lighting. In this circumstance, the credit requirement to meet the above standard at the site boundary does not apply. If the adjacent lot to the project is a residence (house, apartment, hotel, hospital or aged care), an environmentally sensitive area or the zoning is unknown, this approach may not be applied, and requirements of the credit for AS/NNS 4282:2019 must be met at the boundary of the site. It is expected that the designers of the outdoor lighting should limit the obtrusive effects as far as practicable whilst meeting the safety requirements of the outdoor working space, i.e. ensure that all lights have a high mounting height to provide controlled light distribution in a downward direction (i.e. narrower beam). |
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