Innovation improved under Green Star ratings

Social and financial innovations in commercial building will now be recognised alongside environmental factors in the updated Green Star v3 rating tool.

As well as acknowledging a project's significant environmental achievements, the category now covers broader sustainable development principles.

It will highlight and reward key industry shifts, such as designing for resilience, preserving culture and heritage, and financial transparency in terms of measurable costs and benefits.

Green Star is an independent rating system that assesses commercial buildings’ sustainability attributes across a range of criteria, at both Design and Built stage, and is certified by the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC).

While there have been incremental tweaks, this is the first major review of Green Star since 2009. 

NZGBC chief executive Alex Cutler says the new innovation challenges, which recognise initiatives that don¹t currently fit in to the Green Star model, are important to encourage and recognise.

“We are aiming to reward project teams that put special effort into doing innovative research and sharing it with the market, and celebrate buildings that truly benefit the community,” Ms Cutler says. 

 “The updated Innovation category meets the market’s need for flexibility in recognising original, visionary aspects of a project. It also challenges the design and construction sectors to develop more inspiring sustainable buildings.”

NZGBC has introduced eight innovation challenges:

• Adaptation and resilience;
• Contractor education;
• Culture, heritage and identity;
• Financial transparency;
• Market intelligence and research;
• Marketing excellence;
• Material life cycle impacts; and
• Social return on investment.

Project teams can also propose innovation challenges relating to sustainability issues they would like to address. 

The number of points available in the innovation category has doubled, and project teams can also gain recognition using a credit from another World Green Building Council member rating tool. 

Updates to other key categories are as follows:

• Materials: This category is adapting to the big changes expected in this space over the next few years, particularly as Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) comes within reach of more project teams. The changes will bring more consistency to how NZGBC assesses materials, and more flexibility is now offered within the timber, concrete and steel credits. 
• The council has also created a materials calculator to simplify the documentation needed to target these points.
• Energy: The link with NABERSNZ requirements is now more explicit, enabling easy ratings of buildings and office fitouts. The peak energy demand credit has been revised so it is more attainable.
• Water: NZGBC has introduced a new credit for potable water that consolidates previous credits, making it easier and faster to use. A new water credit recognises a wider range of water efficiency strategies, and there¹s clearer guidance on water metering.

Ms Cutler says there has been low achievement in some Innovation credits because projects didn¹t address all the criteria, or because more explanation was needed on how to achieve the credits. “We’re reducing the risk and cost involved by providing more information and making the process more collaborative.” 

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