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 download the Technical Question form here
| Technical Question Title | Clarification Type | Tool Version | Month Released | Credit Name | Sub-credit Name | Amendment/Approved Ruling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use of Same Materials for LCA; RBM and SP Credits | General | DABv1 | October 2019 | 19 - Life Cycle Assessment/Impacts | Life Cycle Impacts | |
| Acoustic Absorption Performance | General | DABv1 | November 2020 | 10 - Acoustic Comfort | Reverberation |
For the Reverberation Criterion, where 'note 3' applies, how do I apply the phrase '50% of the area in the space'? The performance of the installed acoustic absorption, irrespective of quantity or location installed, must result in a reverberation time equivalent to or lower than the reverberation time predicted for treating at least 50% of the combined floor and ceiling area with a material having a noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of at least 0.5.Alternatively, compliance can be demonstrated by treating 50% of the combined floor and ceiling area with a material having a NRC of at least 0.5.Acoustic absorption should be applied in locations appropriate to the function of the space, and located to maximise the acoustic performance of materials selected. |
| External Loading Dock 2 | General | DABv1 | September 2021 | 12 - Visual Comfort | Visual Comfort |
When the guidance for this credit in the Industrial Guidance is adopted, external loading dock areas need to be included as part of the assessable areas, even though they are not typically considered primary spaces. It is important to address glare reduction for external loading dock areas when many building occupants work at the loading dock. |
| Sustainable Transport Performance Pathway must be Adopted in full for Industry in Regional Areas | General | DABv1 | September 2021 | 17 - Sustainable Transport | Sustainable Transport Prescriptive Pathway | |
| Relocation/remodelling of Existing Carpark (Credit 7) | Project Specific | DABv1, DABv1.1 | July 2020 | 7 - Responsible Construction Practices | Responsible Construction Practices | |
| Key functionality vs Acoustic Separation | General | DABv1 | June 2021 | 10 - Acoustic Comfort | Acoustic Separation |
Where there are key functional requirements for the spaces which are more important than the acoustic separation between spaces, the credit may be achieved even when the sound insulation target is exceeded. Please submit a Technical Question to justify in this case in order to preclude these spaces from the assessment |
| Green Star documentation | General | DABv1 | December 2020 | 0 - General | ||
| ICA Independence | General | DABv1 | October 2019 | 2 - Commissioning and Tuning | Independent Commissioning Agent |
Providing all other requirements of the Commissioning and Tuning - Independent Commissioning Agent credit criterion is met, an Independent Commissioning Agent (ICA) can be considered independent if they report directly to the building owner or the owner's designated representative, even if they are paid by the contractor. |
| PV Panels and affect of ADPE Environmental Indicator | General | DABv1 | December 2023 | 19 - Life Cycle Assessment/Impacts | Life Cycle Impacts | |
| Aged-care facilities - 5.2 End-of-Life Waste Performance | Project Specific | DABv1, DABv1.1 | August 2022 | 5 - Commitment to Performance | End-of-life Waste Performance |
For aged care facilities that are delivered like residential projects, it is acceptable for projects to show compliance to the original criterion under credit 5.2 End-of-Life Waste Performance in the Submission Guidelines, where the Healthcare Guidance is also adopted. Note that this exception only applies to this specific project type. For all the other healthcare projects using the Healthcare guidance, the guidance needs to be adopted in full as specified in the Healthcare Guidance. |