| Clarification Type |
Tool Version |
Month Released |
Credit Name |
Tool Category |
Amendment/Approved Ruling |
| General |
V4.1
|
October |
|
WST
|
The NZGBC allows for running waste diversion to be used as evidence for each project stage at the time of completion/submission. Considering waste is monitored throughout the project, which is critical for effective waste management and this credit. However, in accordance with the TM requirement, a detailed Waste report should be provided to support the points claimed. Please ask us for a detailed Waste report template/sample if required.
|
|
V4.1
|
October |
|
EHC
|
NZGBC accept the removal of undercuts/transfer grill provided commissioning is carried out per the TM 4 guidance (pg 52) and a report submitted to include at minimum; Description of the property, location/address of the building, name and address of the tester, time of adjustment, ventilation system manufacturer and type of device, adjusted volume flow rates for standard operation, mass flow/volumetric flow balance for outdoor air and exhaust air (maximum imbalance of 10 %), results of airflow in litres per second at each room terminal. A report should be provided regarding the adjustment of all supply air and extract air valves.
|
|
V4
|
October |
|
DRE
|
This is acceptable provided the office meets the daylighting requirements for bedrooms.
|
| General |
V4.1
|
October |
|
EHC
|
STC ratings are typically determined in a laboratory under controlled conditions, whereas ASTC ratings are site-specific and established through field testing. The NZGBC advises that ASTC(Apparent Sound Transmission Class) within 5 dB of the required STC (Sound Transmission Class) criteria is acceptable for EHC 9 verification.
|
|
V4
|
October |
|
EHC
|
Your request that projects using Homestar v4/4.1 be able to use the Homestar v5 ECCHO modelling tool to demonstrate compliance in EHC-1 in place of another energy modelling tool is APPROVED. The NZGBC allows the use of PHPP models under v4, and as ECCHO is built on PHPP, this tool is also acceptable. Please ensure you are using the latest version of ECCHO available to assessors on the Assessor Resources page of the NZGBC website.
|
|
V4.1
|
October |
|
EHC
|
The request to use the window to wall area ratio rather than the window to floor area ratio to establish eligibility/ determine reference building glazing (in EHC-1) in apartments where all walls are external (i.e. no intertenancy walls) is AWARDED. This is because the use of the window to floor area ratio rather than window to wall area ratio in apartments and terraces is due to the presence of intertenancy walls, which are lacking in this project due to breezeway- corridors. Please note that this type of construction performs less thermally than a similar apartment building where corridors are within an insulated and enclosed corridor, due to the presence of high amount of heat loss surface area with respect to the size of the dwelling, and are thus not encouraged.
|
|
V4.1
|
October |
|
EHC
|
NZGBC advises that the temperature logging results would not be appropriate to show compliance for this credit. Also, we are curious as to how this would be available at the time of certification. Hence to show compliance for the credit without a heating source, an ECCHO or dynamic simulation modeling would be required to show that the house would be thermally comfortable or below 15kwh/m2a heating demand. See appendix B of V4 Technical Manual.
|
|
V4
|
October |
|
STE
|
Request to have uncovered guest cycle-parks counted towards the cycle park requirements of STE-4 is APPROVED. Guest cycle-parks may be uncovered as the bikes are not usually parked for long period of times and this is consistent with Green Star as well.
|
| Technical Clarification |
V4.1
|
October |
|
WAT
|
In both v4 (WAT-1) and v5 (EF3) of Homestar, NZGBC advises that the capacity of any bath installed to be reported as ‘the capacity to overflow’. It is common for baths in New Zealand to be installed without an overflow (since the plumbing regulations require a floor waste anyway). As such bath capacities are often reported in product literature as the ‘working volume’ which is 50mm from the lip of the bath, rather than 50mm from the overflow where one is present. The equivalent ‘capacity to overflow’ of baths without overflows can be assumed to be 80% of the working volume and this figure can be used in the Homestar water calculators.
|
|
V4.1
|
October |
DRE – Density and Resource Efficiency
|
DRE
|
NZGBC clarifies that for Multi-Use residential projects it is acceptable to calculate the conditioned space from the internal edge all unit walls (i.e. for external walls between a conditioned and unconditioned space, as well as intertenancy walls) As the space considered is the area within the thermal envelope that could maintain a temperature band of between 20-25 degrees Celsius for 365 days of the year. Thus, there is no need to include half of the thickness of intertenancy walls. However, Project Assessor may continue to use the existing definition in the V4/4.1 Homestar Technical Manual.
|
