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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inclusion of Small-sized Natural Material as ‘Excavation Waste’ | Project Specific | DABv1 | November 2020 | 22 - Construction and Demolition Waste | Construction and Demolition Waste |
Any natural stone or rock-like material in waste arising from excavation that is below a size that would preclude its re-use as fill, topsoil or similar re-use (in the reasonable opinion of the waste management contractor or processing facility), complies with the definition of ‘excavation waste’ under Credit 22 of the DAB Submission Guidelines |
| Glasshouses | Project Specific | DABv1, DABv1.1 | August 2021 | 24 - Sustainable Sites | Reuse of Land |
This technical question for Land Reuse is accepted on the condition that the project team can provide evidence that there is a hard surface to the floor of the glasshouses, e.g. concrete, which is not suitable for planting and/or the ground is not suitable for growing food crops. Alternatively, the project team may wish to consider the relocation of the glasshouse to another site not previously used for agriculture and within the Auckland region where it will be reused for growing produce. |
| Complaince Using Daylight = no Simulation Software Required | General | DABv1 | October 2019 | 12 - Visual Comfort | Daylight | |
| Schematic Design/Conceptual Design | General | DABv1 | November 2020 | 0 - General |
Where the credit refers to “Schematic Design”, this can be clarified as Concept Design or Conceptual Design which is the terminology more commonly used in New Zealand |
|
| VOC and Formaldehyde Compliance | General | DABv1 | February 2021 | 13 - Indoor Pollutants | Indoor Pollutants | |
| ISO 14001 | General | DABv1 | December 2020 | 7 - Responsible Construction Practices | EMS | |
| ‘Warm Charging’ Technology | General | DABv1 | May 2022 | 20 - Responsible Building Materials | Structural and Reinforcing Steel | |
| Example of Cement Reduction between Reference and Actual Case | General | DABv1 | March 2020 | 19 - Life Cycle Assessment/Impacts | Life Cycle Impacts – Concrete | |
| Responsible Products Framework as Alternative to NZGBC’s Framework for Product Certification Scheme | General | DABv1.1 | August 2023 | 21 - Sustainable Products | Third Party Certification | |
| Crushed Concrete Reused as Hardfill or Backfill (Credit 22.2B) | General | DABv1.1 | October 2023 | 22 - Construction and Demolition Waste | Percentage Benchmark |