green star rating system
A green building rating tool sets standards and benchmarks for green building, and enables an objective assessment as to how "green" a building is. The rating system sets out a "menu" of all the green measures that can be incorporated into a building to make it green. Points are awarded to a building according to which measures have been incorporated, and, after appropriate weighting, a total score is arrived at, which determines the rating.
There are several rating systems in existence worldwide, including LEED from the US, BREEAM from the UK and Green Star from Australia. After a process of industry and expert consultation, the Green Building Council of South Africa Board decided to base the South African rating tool on the Australian Green Star system, and to customize this tool for South African use.
Green Star is a comprehensive, national, voluntary environmental rating scheme that evaluates the environmental design and achievements of buildings.
Green Star was developed for the property industry in order to:
- Establish a common language;
- Set a standard of measurement for green buildings;
- Promote integrated, whole-building design;
- Recognize environmental leadership;
- Identify building life-cycle impacts; and
- Raise awareness of green building benefits.
Green Star covers a number of categories that assess the environmental impact that is a direct consequence of a projects site selection, design, construction and maintenance. The nine categories included within all Green Star rating tools are:
- Management
- Indoor Environment Quality
- Energy
- Transport
- Water
- Materials
- Land Use & Ecology
- Emissions
- Innovation
These categories are divided into credits, each of which addresses an initiative that improves or has the potential to improve environmental performance. Points are awarded in each credit for actions that demonstrate that the project has met the overall objectives of Green Star.
Once all claimed credits in each category are assessed, a percentage score is calculated and Green Star environmental weighting factors are then applied. The following Green Star Certified Ratings are available:
4 Star Green Star Certified Rating (score 45-59) signifies 'Best Practice'
5 Star Green Star Certified Rating (score 60-74) signifies 'South African Excellence'
6 Star Green Star Certified Rating (score 75-100) signifies 'World Leadership'
Green Star rating tools are the result of the work of Green Building council of South Africa (GBCSA) staff and the GBCSA Technical Working Group (TWG); a voluntary collaboration of environmental and industry experts. A Green Star tool for commercial buildings was initially launched as a PILOT tool with a public feedback period. The Pilot Assessment Process and stakeholder feedback the GBCA receives is used to refine the tool, which is going to be officially released as in November (www.gbcsa.co.za).
The tool is designed to be used by owners, developers and consultants to influence the design of office facilities. The tool enables these stakeholders to minimize the environmental impacts of their developments and to capitalize on, and receive recognition for, their design initiatives (www.gbcsa.co.za).