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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reference Projects to Achieve Same Level of Service as Proposed Project | DABv1 | July 2022 | 15 - Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Link |
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Approved Ruling: We are issuing this clarification to ensure projects follow the intent of the GHG credit for industrial projects. As stated in GHG Emissions Calculation Guide HVAC Simulation Parameters Table “The intent of this requirement is that the Reference Project generally achieves the same level of service as the Proposed Project.” There is a potential misinterpretation of the Calculation guide for the “HVAC Simulation Parameters” (table 26) which increases the Reference building energy consumption unfairly. To clarify the Reference project must achieve the same space temperature conditions as the proposed project for greater than 98% of occupied hours. Alternatively, the analysis can be undertaken on the basis of both the Proposed and Reference project achieving a PMV of between -1 and 1 for 98% of occupied hours across 95% of the floor area. In addition, the “Reference project HVAC systems” section (14.4.2) defines system coverage and zoning of the Reference building and this is to be the same as the Proposed Building. This is further reinforced through a requirement for the same operating profiles. Note: Even if a simulation set point of 18-26°C is used, the Reference project HVAC system would still need to be sized in accordance with the HVAC System Design Parameters which must be based on the Proposed Project “room design temperature”. We strongly suggest Modellers read the GHG Emissions Calculation Guide in its entirety for a clear energy modelling report with the understanding that the intent of the GHG credit is to have a more energy efficient project compared to the industry norm. This TC is immediately effective for all projects using the GHG Emissions Calculation Guide irrespective of the project registration date. |
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