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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSC Mix' Certification | General | DABv1 | October 2019 | 20 - Responsible Building Materials | Timber |
NZGBC recognises 'FSC Mix' certification. The full cost (100%) of the 'FSC Mix' certified product may be used to demonstrate compliance |
| Indoor Pollutant innovation - theoretical innovations | General | DABv1 | July 2021 | 29 - Innovation | Improving on Green Star Benchmarks | |
| C&D Waste Points when Delivering an Integrated Interiors and D.A.B Building | General | DABv1 | April 2021 | 22 - Construction and Demolition Waste | Construction and Demolition Waste | |
| Expired Product Certification | General | DABv1 | May 2021 | 0 - General |
For project that applying the built phase rating, an expired product certification will be accepted provided it expired after the date the final design specification was issued. In this instance, the project team is required to provide a dated specifications/drawing (and evidence this was the final issue) showing that the product was specified whilst the eco-label certification was current. |
|
| Green Star Cyclist Facilites Credit Guidance Document | General | DABv1 | February 2020 | 17 - Sustainable Transport | Active Transport Facilities | |
| Australian NCC Building Classifications and the New Zealand Building Code Clause A1 | General | DABv1 | November 2020 | 0 - General | ||
| AEM Producer Statement (Credit 16) | General | DABv1 | June 2022 | 16 - Peak Electricity Demand Reduction | Peak Electricity Demand Reduction |
Accredited Energy Modellers can use a producer statement instead of a full energy modelling report to demonstrate compliance for credit 14 Thermal Comfort,15 Greenhouse Gas Emissions and 16 Peak Electricity Demand Reduction. Note that the associated submission templates and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator will still need to be submitted. |
| Industrial Warehouses using the standard AS/NZS 4282:2019 | General | DABv1, DABv1.1 | April 2023 | 26 - Light Pollution | Light Pollution to Neighbouring Bodies | |
| Application of GBCA to NZGBC | General | DABv1 | June 2021 | 0 - General |
In order to adopt any guidance/ pathway set up in the Green Star Industrial Guidance released by Green Building Council Australia, projects registered with the Design and As Built tool will need to seek approval from NZGBC via a Technical Question given the differences between the Australian tool and the New Zealand tool.It is accepted to approve a list of pathways and/or guidance in one Technical Question.Note that guidance provided for the Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Materials credits in this document do not apply to New Zealand projects in any case. |
|
| Healthcare Guidance - Clinical Requirements | General | DABv1, DABv1.1 | August 2022 | 11 - Lighting Comfort | Minimum Lighting Comfort |
The Healthcare Guidance does not explicitly allow for specialist medical light fittings to be excluded from this credit. However, the guidance does say that “where a space has a clinical functional requirement, which contradicts the requirements listed in either the Submission Guidelines or the Healthcare Guidance documents, the clinical requirement shall always take precedence. Clinical spaces are considered Not Applicable within most of the Indoor Environment Quality category”. Specialist medical light fittings are part of the clinical requirements, therefore can be excluded from assessment for this credit. |