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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen separation for open dining environments | DABv1.1, DABv1 | February 2026 | 9 - Indoor Air Quality | Exhaust or Elimination of Pollutants | Link |
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Approved Ruling: Commercial kitchens designed for open dining environments, such as teppanyaki-style cooking stations where no conventional physical separation exists between the kitchen and adjacent areas, are considered acceptable, provided the extract and ventilation systems comply with AS 1668.2:2012 or DW172:2012. In addition, general exhaust must be provided to maintain the kitchen at a negative pressure relative to the adjacent space during all occupied hours. This approach will limit food odour migration during periods when the kitchen hood is not operating.
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