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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV Forklift Exhaust Provision | DABv1.1, Green Star Buildings NZ | April 2026 | 9 - Indoor Air Quality, 10 - Clean Air | Exhaust or Elimination of Pollutants | Link |
|
Approved Ruling: In an industrial building with an unconfirmed tenant, the vehicle exhaust requirement can be satisfied by: -Providing sufficient electrical capacity to allow for and encourage the use of electric forklifts (or other vehicles operating within the building) AND -A lease clause stating that if the tenant choses to use non electric vehicles, an exhaust system compliant with the credit requirements will be provided by the building owner. Note that if the clause states that the exhaust system must be provided by the tenant this would result in a non compliant base building and the credit outcome would be Not Applicable instead of being awarded. |
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