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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
TVOC and Formaldehyde Level Sampling Points for Industrial Projects Green Star Buildings NZ September 2025 13 - Exposure to Toxins
Approved Ruling:

Industrial projects may use the following alternative approach for warehouse-type spaces to determine the number of sampling points required to meet the TVOC and Formaldehyde Levels criteria in Credit Achievement.

Floor area

Number of samples per floor

< 10,000 m2

3

For every additional 10,000 m2 thereafter

1 additional sampling point


The samples must be representative of where the occupants are likely to spend a majority of their time.

This approach applies to the total warehouse-type spaces, including spaces where paints and sealants are not used.

For office spaces in an industrial project, the number of samples is to be determined in accordance with the Submission Guidelines.