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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPDs for the Cement that goes into the Concrete for the Credit of Sustainable Products | General | DABv1 | May 2021 | 21 - Sustainable Products | Sustainable Products |
Project teams can claim EPDs for the cement that goes into the concrete for the credit of Sustainable Products in Design & As Built and MAT-7 criteria A in v3, if the concrete used cannot be recognised under these credits. For Design & As Built projects, the cost of cement should be entered into the material calculator rather than the cost of concrete. For v3 projects, project teams could choose industry wide EPDs in the material calculator as the means of compliance for the concrete when the cement EPDs are provided. Note project teams cannot claim EPDs of the cement, where the cement had been used on a concrete which also has an EPD and they are claiming the concrete too. Counting EPDs for both the cement and concrete in the assessment is considered double dipping. |
| Omission of Systems | General | DABv1, DABv1.1 | June 2024 | 2 - Commissioning and Tuning | Commissioning and Tuning |
If the project team chooses not to include one of the systems listed in the Submission Guidelines, justification is to be provided why it has been excluded. The building envelope/façade does not need to be considered as part of the nominated building systems unless it includes an active component such as automated windows. |
| Concrete Eligibility for Life Cycle Impacts - Concrete | General | DABv1 | October 2019 | 19 - Life Cycle Assessment/Impacts | Life Cycle Impacts – Concrete | |
| Shower benchmarks - 2 or 3 Star WELS (9l/m). | General | DABv1 | October 2019 | 18 - Potable Water | Sanitary Fixture Efficiency | |
| Natural Ventilation | General | DABv1 | May 2022 | 9 - Indoor Air Quality | Provision of Outdoor Air | |
| Jellyfish Filter | Project Specific | DABv1, DABv1.1 | November 2020 | 25 - Stormwater | Stormwater Pollution Targets |
Provided the Jellyfish Filter is sized to meet the calculated flow rates based on the manufacturers specifications and the configuration required, the treatment device will meet the 90% FREE OIL removal rate (Table 25.2, Column A) based on the construction of the device and the documentation provided. |
| Climate Database | General | DABv1 | June 2021 | 18 - Potable Water | Potable water | |
| Standing losses factor(fstanding) and distribution losses factor (fdistribution) of Domestic Hot Water (DHW) systems | General | DABv1 | January 2021 | 15 - Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Greenhouse Gas Emissions | |
| Annual Sunlight Exposure Metric | General | DABv1, DABv1.1 | January 2023 | 12 - Visual Comfort | Glare reduction | |
| Bespoke Kitchen Hoods | General | DABv1, DABv1.1 | December 2023 | 9 - Indoor Air Quality | Exhaust or Elimination of Pollutants |