Skip to content

 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
Alternative to Demonstrate Idle and Standby Energy Performance DABv1, DABv1.1 April 2023 15 - Greenhouse Gas Emissions Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Approved Ruling:

Projects may demonstrate compliance with the 'lift idle and standby energy' requirement from the Vertical Transportation criteria by demonstrating that the following energy saving features have been incorporated in the lift specification:

  • Energy efficient Gearless AC Machines with regenerative VVVF drives;
  • Low energy LED lighting;
  • Shutdown of non-essential lighting, screens, etc. when on standby; and
  • The lift idle and standby energy performance level is at least level 3 in accordance with ISO 25745-2

This guidance is based on industry feedback that most lifts cannot currently achieve performance level 1 in accordance with ISO 25746-2 for lift idle and standby energy.

Documentation Requirements:

Please provide the following in your submission:

  • Schedule identifying all vertical transportation systems installed in the building, and the manufacturer and model of each.
  • Extract(s) from the commissioning report demonstrating (through supporting evidence) that the vertical transportation systems have been commissioned and operate as intended by the design.
  • Documentation showing the lift idle and standby energy performance level is at least level 3 in accordance with ISO 25745-2
  • A copy of this TC.