At Certified Energy we take pride helping our clients and their projects in reaching their full potential, ensuring maximum savings and minimum energy use, allowing for cost effective yet sustainable solutions. For more information about Green Star please read the detailed description below, or call us at 1300 443 674, our dedicated staff will be happy to help in any way possible.

Green Star was introduced in 2003 by the Green Building Council of Australia and is Australia’s only nationally-recognised and voluntary system of rating environmental sustainability. As such, buildings and communities that are Green Star-certified can provide the following benefits:

Reduced Operating Costs

Green buildings:

• Provide approximately 26% less energy consumption than typical commercial buildings.
• Produce approximately 33% less greenhouse gas emissions.

Healthier Homes

Green Star-certified buildings can provide the following benefits to occupants:

• Improved ventilation systems, aiding the respiratory health of occupants
• Low-toxic materials, making a generally healthier and safer living environment
• Allowing abundant sources of daylight, making a much more inviting and hospitable space.

Environmental Sustainability

A 2013 study (The Value of Green Star – A Decade of Environmental Benefits) found that buildings with Green Star certification have the ability to reduce environmental impact by:

• Generating 62% less greenhouse gas emissions than the average of Australian commercial buildings.
• Recycling 96% of waste in comparison to 58% for the average Australian construction project.
• Reducing potable water consumption by 51%.

Being green-proactive

Being ‘green-proactive’ is about being agile and adaptable to change, as opposed to reacting to change. Having a Green Star rating means companies can be ‘future-proof’ against the potential rise in energy and water prices.

To be eligible for Green Star certification, you will need to determine which category your project fits into by referring to the Green Star rating tool. The four Green Star rating tools include:

Green Star – Communities

To be eligible for Green Star certification, you will need to determine which category your project fits into by referring to the Green Star rating tool. The four Green Star rating tools include:

Green Star – Communities

The Communities tool assesses the design and construction plans of large-scale projects within a precinct or neighbourhood. The five categories of Community projects include:

• Governance – the showcase of community building and leadership.
• Liveability – the ability for communities to demonstrate a sense of inclusiveness, opportunity and safety.
• Economic prosperity – the encouragement of productivity, suitable living arrangements and educational investments.
• The environment – limiting environmental footprint by managing infrastructure and transport.
• Innovation – strategies that aim to improve sustainability within the physical environment.

Green Star – Design and as Built

The Design and Built tool assesses the sustainability of new building constructions and significant refurbishments across nine categories. These include:

• Management – promotes and rewards efforts of sustainability throughout the project’s life including its design, construction and operations.
• Indoor environment quality (IEQ) – promotes a project’s comfort features such as air quality and its thermal and acoustic comfort.
• Energy – promotes efforts aimed to lower greenhouse gas emissions by using alternative energy sources.
• Transport – rewards projects that reduce the dependency of car transport and encourages alternative transportation methods.
• Water – promotes and rewards efforts aimed at reducing consumption of potable water.
• Materials – acknowledges the excessive consumption of resources and aims to encourage the use of materials with a lower environmental impact.
• Land use and ecology – rewards projects which aim to reduce the negative impact of urban development and increase the capability of local ecology.
• Emissions – encourages efforts to lower the environmental effects of ‘point source’ pollution to the water and air atmospheres and fauna.
• Innovation – strategies that aim to improve sustainable practices within the physical environment.

Green Star – Interiors

The Interiors tool assesses the sustainability of interior fitout constructions across nine categories:

These include:

• Management – promotes and rewards efforts of sustainability throughout the project’s life including its design, construction and operations.
• Indoor environment quality (IEQ) – promotes a project’s comfort features such as air quality and its thermal and acoustic comfort.
• Energy – promotes efforts aimed to lower greenhouse gas emissions by using alternative energy sources.
• Transport – rewards projects that reduce the dependency of car transport and encourages alternative transportation methods.
• Water – promotes and rewards efforts aimed at reducing consumption of potable water.
• Materials – acknowledges the excessive consumption of resources and aims to encourage the use of materials with a lower environmental impact.
• Land use and ecology – rewards projects which aim to reduce the negative impact of urban development and increase the capability of local ecology.
• Emissions – encourages efforts to lower the environmental effects of ‘point source’ pollution to the water and air atmospheres and fauna.
• Innovation – strategies that aim to improve sustainable practices within the physical environment.

Green Star – Performance

The Performance tool assesses the operational performance of building constructions across nine categories:

• Management – promotes and rewards projects that practice outcomes of sustainability.
• Indoor environment quality (IEQ) – aims to achieve occupants’ comfort and well-being through the experience of space.
• Energy – rewards projects that take actions to lower a building’s energy consumption compared to that of buildings with standard practices.
• Transport – rewards projects that reduce occupants’ dependency on vehicles with a capacity of a single occupant and encourages the use of alternative modes of transportation.
• Water – promotes and rewards efforts aimed at reducing consumption of potable water in buildings that use cooling, irrigation and occupant amenities compared to that of buildings with standard practices.
• Materials – acknowledges excessive consumption of resources during the operational phase of the building’s life and waste management.
• Land use and ecology – rewards projects which aim to reduce the local ecology of a building’s location and promotes environmental restoration.
• Emissions – encourages efforts to lower the environmental effects of ‘point source’ pollution to the water and air atmospheres.
• Innovation – strategies that aim to improve sustainable practices within the physical environment.

Green Star certification is assessed via five steps:

1. Registration – Log in and register your project through the Green Star Project Application.
2. Documentation – Become familiar with the documentation required to show that your building, fitout or community project meets the criteria required for the Green Star rating.
3. Submission – Submit your documentation to the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) who will assess your application.
4. Assessment – Your application will be assessed by an independent panel of sustainable development specialists who will rate your project with a score out of six.
5. Certification – Your project’s sustainability will be granted a Green Star-certified rating as an independent rating via a third party.

How much does Green Star cost?

The Green Star certification fee varies depending on the type of project. Give us a call if you need us to assess your property.