1
Green Star NZ Design and As-Built
NZv1.1- Eligibility Criteria
All buildings aiming to achieve a Green Star NZ – Design & As-Built rating are subject to the
following eligibility criteria:
Building Type
Green Star NZ – Design & As Built is intended to rate new buildings and major refurbishments.
The majority of building types are eligible to be rated including mixed use developments.
Note: New Zealand based developments that have a residential component should consult with
the NZGBC. Homestar is the preferred rating tool available for use by new build residential
developments with primarily sole occupant dwellings (whether standalone, terrace housing or
apartments).If clarification is needed on how a specific type of building can fit within this rating
tool, please submit a Technical Question or contact NZGBC.
Spatial Differentiation
To meet the Spatial Differentiation criterion, the project must be clearly distinct. Only distinct
projects are eligible for assessment; project components are not eligible. Shared building
services (such as HVAC plant or water treatment) or amenities (such as waste rooms or bicycle
facilities) do not affect the building's eligibility for Green Star assessment. Sub-tenancies are
considered part of the fitout and cannot be excluded from the rating.
Timing of Submission for Certification
All projects registered for Green Star NZ – Design & As Built must achieve an As Built certified
rating. Registered projects have the option of achieving a Design Review certified rating as an
interim step towards As Built certification.
Design Review Certified Rating
Submissions for a Design Review certified rating can be lodged as soon as the required
evidence is available, but prior to practical completion. The Design Review is intended as an
opportunity for assessment at an early stage, to lend confidence where desired by project
teams.
As Built Certified Rating
Submissions for an As Built certified rating can be lodged after practical completion.
Time Requirements:
Certain timeframes and thresholds must be adhered to in order for a project to achieve a
certified rating. The following milestones are mandatory for all registered projects, and if any
are not met a project's certified rating will either expire or will be cancelled according to Green
Star Certification Agreement.
•As Built certified rating must be achieved within 24 months of practical completion.
•Either a Design Review certified rating or an As Built certified rating must be achieved by the
date occurring 3 years from the registration date.
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•Either a Design Review certified rating or an As Built certified rating must be achieved within
12 months following the receipt of Round1 comments from the NZGBC.
•As Built certified rating does not expire.
•Design Review certified rating must be achieved prior to practical completion.
•Design Review certified rating will expire when either of the following occurs:
a) The project achieves an As Built certified rating; or
b) The project reaches 24 months post practical completion.
•A Design Review certified rating will be cancelled at any time if there is no intent to achieve an
As Built certified rating.
Conditional Requirements
“Conditional requirements” determine projects’ eligibility for targeting a Green Star rating.
Projects must ensure they can fulfil all the conditional requirements before registering to Green
Star. When a project team fills out the Green Star registration document, they must agree that
the project will meet the conditional requirements.
To achieve a certified rating under the Green Star – Design and As Built NZv1.1 rating tool, the
project must meet “Conditional Requirements’ set in the following credits.
· Credit 2 Commissioning and Tuning
· Credit 3 Adaptation and Resilience
· Credit 15 Greenhouse Gas Emissions
· Credit 19 Embodied Carbon Emissions
· Credit 24 Sustainable Sites
NZGBC may request that full documentation be submitted prior to registration to determine
project eligibility (recommended supporting evidence are listed in the corresponding credits).
The New Zealand Green Building Council reserves the right to provide the final ruling on a
project’s compliance with this Conditional Requirements. Projects are required to contact the
NZGBC if they are unsure if they comply or believe they should not be made subject to the
Conditional Requirements.
Other Requirements
Further requirements are set out in the certification agreement. It is the responsibility of the
applicant to comply with all legal requirements in respect of their project.
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DAB v1.1 Appendix: Conditional
Requirements
Commissioning and Tuning
2.1 Conditional Requirement:
2 points are available where the building has set environmental performance targets, been
commissioned, and will be tuned.
The requirements of this credit are project-specific and based on the complexity of the
designed and installed building systems.
The project team shall have commissioning process activities completed for all nominated
building systems that serve the project. See the Guidance section for the definition of
nominated building systems.
The project must comply with all of the following criteria in order to achieve a Green Star rating:
• Environmental Performance targets; and
• Commissioning and Tuning
2 points can be awarded when the above criteria are met.
Adaptation and Resilience
3.1 Conditional Requirement:
To qualify for points of this credit, it is a conditional requirement that the project team
completes the climate change pre-screening checklist (refer 3.1). The project team must
communicate the building’s exposure to climate change hazards, and any identified risks to the
client/building owner.
To achieve a certified rating under the Green Star – Design and As Built rating tool the project
must complete the climate change pre-screening checklist. The risk assessment should be
completed by developed design at the latest.
Both historic and future climate and hazard data (refer section ‘Sourcing Climate Change
Projections’) should be used when completing the checklist. All rows and columns must be
completed. The conditional requirement is achieved on completion of the checklist and doesn't
require identified risks to be treated.
The checklist must be signed off by a member of the project team and shared with key project
stakeholders, including the client/building owner.
If credit 3.2 is targeted, the requirement to complete the climate change pre-screening
checklist (credit 3.1) is considered to have been met.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
15.1 Conditional Requirement
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A Conditional Requirement must be met in order for the project to be eligible for Green Star –
Design & As Built rating. Additional requirements must be met to receive a 5 star or 6-star
rating.
All projects are required to comply with the Conditional Requirement outlined in this credit.
Project teams must demonstrate that the operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the
Proposed Building are at least 20% less than those of a Reference Building.
The Reference Building is a building which achieves the ‘Deemed-to-satisfy’ criteria outlined in
the Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculation Guide.
Additional GHG emissions reductions must be achieved to receive a 5 star or 6 star rating.
Project teams must also demonstrate that they have limited direct fossil fuel sources. The
Proposed Building shall have no greater than 20% of its annual GHG emissions from direct
fossil fuel use on site.
Additional fossil fuel limits must be achieved to receive a 5 Star or 6 Star rating.
Table 15.1: Conditional Requirements and Fossil Fuel Limits
Rating Targeted
Minimum GHG Emissions
Reduction Threshold
(Proposed to Reference)
Direct Fossil Fuel Use GHG
Emissions Limit (Proposed
Building)*
4 Star
20%
20%
5 Star
30%
10%
6 Star
50%
0%
*For 6 Star this includes any building process requirements such as cooking, manufacturing processes, etc.
The next version of the Green Star will also prohibit direct fossil fuel use in 5 Star buildings.
Where fossil fuels are used solely for the purposes of emergency generation then any testing fuel
consumption may be excluded from the assessment as viable alternatives are not available for many
building types, and the quantity of associated emissions relatively low.
Embodied Carbon Emissions
19.1 Conditional Requirement
– 4 Star A minimum reduction in upfront carbon emissions of 10% is required to achieve 4 Star
Green Star rating.
– 5 Star A minimum reduction in upfront carbon emissions of 10% is required to achieve 5 Star
Green Star rating.
– 6 Star A minimum reduction in upfront carbon emissions of 15% is required to achieve 5 Star
Green Star rating.
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There are a total of 11 points available in Credit 19 with 19.1 requiring a mandatory minimum
achievement. There are two pathways for credit 19.1 Upfront Carbon Reduction Assessment,
which include the reduction of such emissions in comparison to a reference building or in
comparison to a pre-determined absolute value.
Sustainable Sites
24.1 Conditional Requirement:
Ecological Protection and Highly Productive land.
To achieve a certified rating the project must not be located on a site of high ecological value
and must not convert or otherwise prevent the use of highly productive land for agricultural
purposes.
At project registration the project team must provide evidence to confirm that:
• The type of development that is proposed in the project area meets the intent of the
underlying planning zone;
• The site protects ecologically significant areas (as defined below) within it and, preferably
avoids, but, has at most less than minor adverse effects on ecologically significant areas
either within the site or near to the site and upon which the development could have
impacts (e.g. wetlands downstream);
• The project does not transform, convert, or change to another land-use any Highly
Productive Land (as defined below) or otherwise prevent its continued use of for primary
production purposes
To achieve a certified rating under the Green Star – Design & As Built rating tool the project
must protect and have less than minor effects on any ecologically significant area present within
the site at the date of site purchase or option contract, Ecologically significant areas are defined
as:
• Natural wetlands, Lakes, and Rivers
Either a default 100m ‘setback’ should be included between these features and construction
activity (whether they are on the applicant’s property or on an adjacent property), or a plan
provided that an ecological professional approves as sufficient to prevent (avoid or minimise)
adverse effects upon the feature(s) within 100m or with sufficient hydrological connection to be
potentially affected.
• Land containing significant indigenous vegetation, naturally uncommon ecosystems, or
significant habitats for indigenous flora & fauna – especially for any nationally threatened
species or organisms
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.
• Any legally protected area defined under the Conservation Act 1987, Reserves Act 1977,
QEII National Trust Act 1977, or RMA Section 108 (1), (c) and (d).
• Where mapped, any Significant Natural or Significant Ecological Areas as designated by
Councils.
If the site is part of a greenfield development, NZGBC recommend use of local authority GIS
mapping to assist determining compliance. Please contact NZGBC for further guidance.
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Where any of the above listed conditions is present on a project site, the project team should
notify and discuss with NZGBC to determine whether this affects the project’s eligibility. If the
development does not require a Resource Consent for activities in relation to potential impacts
to significant ecological/natural areas (e.g., vegetation removal, reclamation or matters under
the National Environmental Standard for Freshwater), then it is deemed eligible under this
Conditional Requirement subject to further assessment.
24.1.1 Conditional Requirement: Ecological Value
The evidence confirming that the site prior to development meets the requirements may be in
the form of:
• Correspondence from the relevant local Council OR a qualified Ecologist confirming that
the site prior to development meets the criteria; OR
• Local planning maps with relevant overlays applied; OR
• A letter from the local Territorial Authority; OR
• A qualified Environmental Specialist’s report; OR
• An Assessment of Environmental Effects for Resource Consent approved by Local
Council, and clearly demonstrating that the site is not ecologically significant; OR
• If any ecologically significant sites are potentially affected, the project must
provide evidence which sets out how any impacts will be mitigated through avoidance or
minimisation, at least to a degree that adverse ecological effects are less than minor
(prior to any restoration, offsetting or compensation measures) having regard to Section
6c of the Resource Management Act and the provisions of the relevant territorial
authority Plan. If any less than minor effects are predicted then restoration, offsetting or
compensation measures resulting in a net gain must be demonstrated for the
biodiversity values for which the area is designated as ecologically significant. If no
adverse effects are predicted then no mitigation is required.
Regardless of the evidence type supplied, if it is clear that either no sites of ecological
significance are present or that adverse effects can be avoided altogether then the project will
be deemed eligible. If further justification of ecologically significant status or potential effects
mitigation is required, expert evidence may be requested during the assessment phase to
demonstrate the requirement can be met.
24.1.2 Conditional Requirement: Highly Productive Land
Evidence of the LUC class can be provided by referring to the NZ Land Resource Inventory
which maps the LUC distributions across New Zealand at a scale of 1:50,000
https://lris.scinfo.org.nz/layer/48076-nzlri-land-use-capability-2021/
Note that Highly Productive Land (HPL) is defined as land which is classed as either Land Use
Capability (LUC) class 1, 2, or 3. This covers land of the highest capability and versatility to
support primary production. HPL excludes all urban zoned areas and all future urban zoned
areas in District Plans.
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Green Star NZ Interiors
- Eligibility Criteria
All buildings aiming to achieve a Green Star NZ – Interiors rating are subject to the following
eligibility criteria:
Building Type
Green Star – Interiors is intended to rate new and refurbished fitouts. Fitouts constructed in the
majority of building types are eligible to be rated, including mixed use developments. Note:
New Zealand based developments that have a residential component should consult with the
NZGBC. Homestar is the preferred rating tool available for use by new build residential
developments with primarily sole occupant dwellings (whether standalone, terrace housing or
apartments).If clarification is needed on how a specific type of building can fit within this rating
tool, please submit a Technical Question or contact NZGBC.
Spatial Differentiation
To meet the project must be clearly distinct and separate. Only distinct projects are eligible for
assessment; project components are not eligible.
Shared building services (such as HVAC plant or water treatment) or amenities (such as waste
rooms or bicycle facilities) do not affect the project’s eligibility for Green Star assessment.
Subtenancies are considered part of the fitout and cannot be excluded from the rating.
Timing of Submission for Certification
All projects registered for Green Star – Interiors must achieve an As Built certified rating.
Registered projects may seek to achieve a Design Review certified rating as an interim step
towards As Built certification.
Design Review Certified Rating
Submissions for a Design Review certified rating can be lodged as soon as the required
evidence is available, but prior to practical completion. The Design Review is intended as an
opportunity for assessment at an early stage, to lend confidence where desired by project
teams.
As Built Certified Rating
Submissions for an As Built certified rating can be lodged after practical completion.
Time Requirements:
Certain timeframes and thresholds must be adhered to in order for a project to achieve a
certified rating. The following milestones are mandatory for all registered projects, and if any
are not met a project's certified rating will either expire or will be cancelled according to Green
Star Certification Agreement.
•As Built certified rating must be achieved within 24 months of practical completion.
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•Either a Design Review certified rating or an As Built certified rating must be achieved by the
date occurring 3 years from the registration date.
•Either a Design Review certified rating or an As Built certified rating must be achieved within
12 months following the receipt of Round1 comments from the NZGBC.
•As Built certified rating does not expire.
•Design Review certified rating must be achieved prior to practical completion.
•Design Review certified rating will expire when either of the following occurs:
a) The project achieves an As Built certified rating; or
b) The project reaches 24 months post practical completion.
•A Design Review certified rating will be cancelled at any time if there is no intent to achieve an
As Built certified rating.
Conditional Requirements
“Conditional requirements” determine projects’ eligibility for targeting a Green Star rating.
Projects must ensure they can fulfil all the conditional requirements before registering to Green
Star. When a project team fills out the Green Star registration document, they must agree that
the project will meet the conditional requirements.
To achieve a certified rating under the Green Star – Interiors NZv1.1 rating tool, the project must
meet the “‘Conditional Requirements’ criteria set in the following credits.
• Credit 2 Commissioning and Tuning
• Credit 15 Greenhouse Gas Emissions
NZGBC may request that full documentation be submitted prior to registration to determine
project eligibility (recommended supporting evidence are listed in the corresponding credits).
The New Zealand Green Building Council reserves the right to provide the final ruling on a
project’s compliance with this Conditional Requirements. Projects are required to contact the
NZGBC if they are unsure if they comply or believe they should not be made subject to the
Conditional Requirements.
Other Requirements
Further requirements are set out in the certification agreement. It is the responsibility of the
applicant to comply with all legal requirements in respect of their project.
9
Appendix: Conditional Requirements
Commissioning and Tuning
2.1 Conditional Requirement:
2 points are available where the project has set environmental performance targets, been
commissioned, and will be tuned.
The requirements of this credit are project-specific and based on the complexity of the
designed and installed fitout systems.
The project team shall have commissioning process activities completed for all nominated
building systems that serve the project.
The project must comply with all of the following criteria in order to achieve a Green Star rating:
• Environmental Performance targets; and
• Commissioning and Tuning
2 points can be awarded when the above criteria are met.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
15.1 Conditional Requirement
All projects are required to achieve the minimum points’ threshold for the 4 Star rating. Projects
targeting 5 and 6 Star ratings are required to meet a higher minimum point’s thresholds for
GHG emissions reduction. In addition, projects targeting 6 Star ratings should not have any
direct fossil fuel usage on site. This includes any building process requirements such as
cooking, manufacturing processes, etc. The next version of the Green Star will also prohibit
direct fossil fuel use in 5 Star buildings.
Where fossil fuels are used solely for the purposes of emergency generation then any testing
fuel consumption may be excluded from the assessment as viable alternatives are not available
for many building types, and the quantity of associated emissions relatively low.
The thresholds must be met through energy efficiency solutions, or the provision of on-site
renewable energy systems. District or near-site solutions are acceptable only if they are zero
carbon. Low-carbon, or off-site solutions will not count towards meeting the thresholds.
Rating
targeted
Minimum points’
threshold
Direct Fossil Fuel
Use GHG Emissions
Limit
4 Star
3
No limit
5 Star
4
No limit
6 Star
6
0%
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Green Star Buildings NZ - Eligibility
Criteria
All buildings aiming to achieve a Green Star Buildings NZ subject to the following eligibility
criteria:
Building Type
Green Star Buildings NZ is intended to rate new buildings and major refurbishments. The
majority of building types are eligible to be rated including mixed use developments. Note:
New Zealand based developments that have a residential component should consult with the
NZGBC. Homestar is the preferred rating tool available for use by new build residential
developments with primarily sole occupant dwellings (whether standalone, terrace housing or
apartments).If clarification is needed on how a specific type of building can fit within this rating
tool, please submit a Technical Question or contact NZGBC.
Spatial Differentiation
To meet the Spatial Differentiation criterion, the project must be clearly distinct. Only distinct
projects are eligible for assessment; project components are not eligible. Shared building
services (such as HVAC plant or water treatment) or amenities (such as waste rooms or bicycle
facilities) do not affect the building's eligibility for Green Star assessment. Sub-tenancies are
considered part of the fitout and cannot be excluded from the rating.
Timing of Submission for Certification
All projects registered for Green Star Building NZ must achieve an As Built certified rating.
Registered projects have the option of achieving a Design Review certified rating as an interim
step towards As Built certification.
Design Review Certified Rating
Submissions for a Design Review certified rating can be lodged as soon as the required
evidence is available, but prior to practical completion. The Design Review is intended as an
opportunity for assessment at an early stage, to lend confidence where desired by project
teams.
As Built Certified Rating
Submissions for an As Built certified rating can be lodged after practical completion.
Time Requirements:
Certain timeframes and thresholds must be adhered to in order for a project to achieve a
certified rating. The following milestones are mandatory for all registered projects, and if any
are not met a project's certified rating will either expire or will be cancelled according to Green
Star Certification Agreement.
•As Built certified rating must be achieved within 24 months of practical completion.
•Either a Design Review certified rating or an As Built certified rating must be achieved by the
date occurring 3 years from the registration date.
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•Either a Design Review certified rating or an As Built certified rating must be achieved within
12 months following the receipt of Round1 comments from the NZGBC.
•As Built certified rating does not expire.
•Design Review certified rating must be achieved prior to practical completion.
•Design Review certified rating will expire when either of the following occurs:
a) The project achieves an As Built certified rating; or
b) The project reaches 24 months post practical completion.
•A Design Review certified rating will be cancelled at any time if there is no intent to achieve an
As Built certified rating.
Minimum Expectations
There is a set of Minimum Expectations that must be achieved by all projects to achieve a Green
Star rating. Projects must ensure they can fulfil all the Minimum Expectations before registering
to Green Star. When a project team fills out the Green Star EOI form, they must agree that the
project will meet the Minimum Expectations.
To achieve a certified rating under the Green Star Buildings NZ rating tool, the project must
meet ‘Minimum Expectations’ set in the following credits.
• Credit 2 Responsible Construction
• Credit 3 Verification and Handover
• Credit 4 Responsible Resource Management
• Credit 10 Clean Air
• Credit 11 Light Quality
• Credit 12 Acoustic Comfort
• Credit 13 Exposure to Toxins
• Credit 14 Thermal Comfort and Amenity Spaces
• Credit 16 Climate Change Resilience
• Credit 21 Upfront Carbon Emissions
• Credit 22 Energy Use
• Credit 23 Energy Source
• Credit 25 Water Use
• Credit 27 Movement and Place
• Credit 31 Inclusive Construction Practices
• Credit 35 Impacts to Nature
NZGBC may request that full documentation be submitted prior to EOI to determine project
eligibility (recommended supporting evidence are listed in the corresponding credits).
The New Zealand Green Building Council reserves the right to provide the final ruling on a
project’s compliance with this Minimum Expectations. Projects are required to contact the
NZGBC if they are unsure if they comply or believe they should not be made subject to the
Minimum Expectations.
Other Requirements
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Further requirements are set out in the certification agreement. It is the responsibility of the
applicant to comply with all legal requirements in respect of their project.
Green Star Buildings NZ Appendix:
Minimum Expectations
Credit 2 Responsible Construction
To qualify for points for this credit, it is a Minimum Expectation that the builder or head
contractor has an environmental management system in place and a environmental
management plan to cover the scope of construction activities. The builder must divert at least
40% of construction and demolition waste from landfill and the head contractor provides
training on the sustainability targets of the building.
The project must comply with all four of the following criteria in order to achieve a Green Star
rating:
• Environmental Management System
• Environmental Management Plan
• Construction and Demolition Waste
• Sustainability Training
Credit 3 Verification and Handover
To qualify for points for this credit, it is a Minimum Expectation that the building is set up for
optimum ongoing management due to its appropriate metering and monitoring systems, has
set environmental performance targets, designed and tested for airtightness, been
commissioned and will be tuned. The project team also creates and deliver operations and
maintenance information to the facilities management team at the time of handover.
The project must comply with all three of the following criteria in order to achieve a Green Star
rating:
• Metering and Monitoring
• Commissioning and Tuning
• Building Information
Credit 4 Responsible Resource Management
To achieve a certified rating the project must demonstrate that operational waste and recovery
streams can be separated and recovered in a safe and efficient manner.
The building must demonstrate compliance with the minimum Expectations through one of the
two available pathways:
1. Performance Pathway: Specialist Plan
A qualified waste auditor or waste specialist prepares and implements an Operational
Waste Management Plan (OWMP) for the project in accordance with best practice
approaches and this is reflected in the building’s design or;
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2. Prescriptive Pathway: Facilities
• The Building is designed for the separation of waste and recovery streams
• The Building provides a dedicated and adequately sized waste and resource
recovery storage area(s)
• The building ensures safe and efficient access to the waste and resource recovery
storage area(s) for both occupants and the waste and resource recovery collection
contractors.
• Final sign-off by waste specialist or waste contractor is required. See guidance for
more information.
Credit 10 Clean Air
As a minimum the project must demonstrate that pollutants entering the building are
minimised, and a high level of outdoor air is provided to ensure levels of indoor pollutants are
maintained at acceptable levels.
The project must comply with all three of the following criteria:
• Ventilation System Attributes
• Provision of Outdoor Air
• Exhaust or Elimination of Pollutants
Credit 11 Light Quality
To qualify for points of this credit, it is a minimum expectation that the building provides
daylight, and its lighting is of high quality. Lighting within the building must meet minimum
comfort requirements and there must be good lighting levels suitable for the typical tasks in
each space and the building must provide adequate levels of daylight.
The project must comply with all three of the following criteria:
• Lighting Comfort
• Glare from Light Sources
• Daylight
Glare from Light Sources must be limited within the regularly occupied areas. Three options are
provided for demonstrating compliance with the Glare from Light Sources criteria: a
performance method and two prescriptive methods. A combination of methods can be used to
demonstrate compliance to suit different spaces. See the submission guidelines for more
information.
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Credit 12 Acoustic Comfort
It is a minimum expectation that An Acoustic Report is prepared to describe how the building
and acoustic design aims to deliver acoustic comfort to the building occupants.
The Acoustic Report must be prepared describing how the building design will deliver acoustic
comfort to the building occupants.
Credit 13 Exposure to Toxins
A Minimum expectation must be met in order for the project to be eligible for a Green Star
Buildings rating.
The project must demonstrate that building occupants are not directly exposed to toxins in the
space they spend time in. Compliance should be demonstrated for the following:
• The building’s paints, adhesives, sealants, and carpets are low in TVOC or non-toxic, and,
• The building’s engineered wood products are low in TVOC or non-toxic, and,
• Occupants are not exposed to banned or highly toxic material in the building.
Credit 14 Thermal Comfort and Amenity Spaces
As a Minimum Expectation the building provides a high level of thermal comfort to occupants in
the space, by ensuring operative temperature is maintained within a set range.
For 95% of the regularly occupied areas and 98% of the year, a high degree of thermal comfort
is provided. There are several options outlined in the submission guidelines for demonstrating
compliance depending on the type of space. A combination of methods is acceptable.
Credit 16 Climate Change Resilience
To qualify for points of this credit, it is a Minimum Expectation that the project team completes
the climate change pre-screening checklist (refer 3.1). The project team must communicate the
building’s exposure to climate change hazards, and any identified risks to the client/building
owner.
The checklist must be signed off by a member of the project team and shared with key project
stakeholders, including a signature from the client/building owner.
Credit 21 Upfront Carbon Emissions
A Minimum Expectation must be met in order for the project to be eligible for Green Star –
Buildings NZ rating. As a minimum the building’s upfront carbon emissions are at least 10% less
than those of a reference or benchmark building as per the table referenced on page 152 of the
Green Star Buildings NZ Submission Guidelines. The buildings’ upfront carbon emissions
reduction must occur through good design and material selection.
Credit 22 Energy Use
As a Minimum Expectation the project must demonstrate low energy consumption through one
of the following pathways based on the building type:
• Reference building pathway or;
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• Absolute Value Pathway (This will only be available once benchmark data is available)
The reference building pathway criteria requires the project to demonstrate the building’s
energy use is at least 10% less than a reference building.
Credit 23 Energy Source
As a minimum the project provide a Zero Carbon Action Plan and demonstrate that 100% of the
building’s energy is supplied from electricity or other sources of renewable energy.
The project must comply with both the following criteria:
• Zero Carbon Action Plan
• Exclusion of Fossil Fuels On-Site
The Zero Carbon Action Plan must be signed off by the building owner or developer and
included in any operational documents for the buildings. The Plan must include a target date by
when the building is expected to operate as fossil fuel free, and the plan must cover all energy
consumption, procurement, and generation and cannot rely on procuring renewable fuels as its
only solution. It must also include infrastructure provided for tenants or future occupants such
as emergency back up and process loads. Domestic hot water, space heating and cooking are
required to be fossil fuel free in all buildings.
Exclusion of Fossil Fuels On-site – Fossil Fuels cannot be used on site for any domestic hot
water, space heating or cooking under any circumstances regardless of base build or tenant
use.
Credit 25 Water Use
A Minimum Expectation must be met in order for the project to be eligible for Green Star
Buildings NZ. Buildings where the sleeping area <50% of the GFA, efficient water fixtures
should be installed, or the project must demonstrate that the building uses 15% less potable
water compared to a reference building. Where the sleeping area >=50% of the GFA, efficient
water fixtures should be installed, or the project must demonstrate that the building uses 10%
less potable water compared to a reference building.
Credit 27 Movement and Place
To qualify for points of this credit, it is a Minimum Expectation that the building includes
showers and changing facilities for building occupants and the facilities are accessible,
inclusive, and located in a safe and protected space.
Credit 31 Inclusive Construction Practices
As a Minimum Expectation during the building’s construction, the head contractor provides
inclusive facilities and protective equipment. The head contractor also installs policies on-site to
increase awareness and reduces instances of discrimination, racism, and bullying.
Credit 35 Impacts to Nature
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To qualify for points of this credit, it is a minimum expectation that the building is not built on,
or significantly impacted, a site with a high ecological value, the building’s light pollution is
minimised and there is ongoing monitoring, reporting, and management of sensitive
ecosystems within the site.
The project must comply with all three of the following criteria:
• Site Ecological Value
• Managing Light Pollution Impacts
• Sensitive Ecosystem Management Plan
