Green Star Certification
Registering your new or renovated building for a Green Star certification could have multiple benefits for both you and the building tenants. Well designed “Green” buildings use less energy, while maintaining a healthy indoor environment for the occupants. Due to the perceived building quality, such buildings also tend to attract premium rentals and prestige.
Services Offered
Greenplan Consultants offer the following modelling services to help you maximise your Green Star credits in the following categories.
- ENE-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- ENE-5: Peak Energy Demand Reduction
- IEQ-4: Daylight
- IEQ-5: Daylight Glare Control
- IEQ-9: Thermal Comfort
For more information, please continue reading.
ENE-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
This credit is primarily about the theoretical amount of energy a building consumes in a year – whether derived from the electrical grid, solar, gas, or biomass. It is rated according to its Greenhouse Gas emissions potential, hence the name of the credit. The energy demand is determined using a set of assumptions prescribed by the Green Building Council of South Africa . The ENE-1 credit makes use of what is known as the notional building modelling route. This entails generating two models for the building: The first building is the ‘actual’ building which is modelled as per the professional team’s design and specifications. The second building, known as the ‘notional’ building, uses the same geometry as the actual building, however, the building fabric, HVAC systems, lighting, plug and occupation loads are as per the modelling protocol. Points are earned depending on how much less energy the actual building uses in relation to the notional building. This credit often represents the largest potential to earn points for your submission and should be considered for any Green Star rating.
ENE-5: Peak Energy Demand Reduction
This credit focuses on how the building design or operational strategy decreases its peak demand from the local electrical grid. This may be achieved, for example, through the use of photo-voltaic panels or wind turbines, which supplement the power requirements for the building, reducing its power draw from the local electrical grid. The scoring of this system is calculated by first identifying the largest peak energy demand for the year without the intervention accounted for. The intervention is then added to the simulation and used to identify the peak energy demand reduction. The percentage difference between the original peak and the reduced peak is converted into a score for inclusion in the Green Star rating.
IEQ-4: Daylight
Studies have shown that the well-being of the occupants depends, amongst other factors, on natural daylight levels. In this credit both the level of daylight entering, and depth of penetration, is modelled using either the Daylight Factor or Daylight Illuminance. The percentage of occupied areas that achieve natural daylight levels above the set thresholds contribute to the score.
IEQ-5: Daylight Glare Control
Glare can make for very unpleasant working conditions; it causes eye strain and general discomfort. It primarily affects persons situated near the façade glazing. This credit requires a prediction of the number of hours per year of glare. If the total number of hours exceeds the recommended thresholds set out by the technical manual, then tenants and building owner should consider installing blinds that can be controlled to improve the indoor environment.
IEQ-9: Thermal Comfort
Thermal comfort is an important parameter for a healthy indoor environment and a productive workforce. It is related to how comfortable or uncomfortable a person experiences a space to be. Needless to say, this is a strongly subjective parameter to quantify as it varies from person to person. It depends on many factors, including airflow, surface temperatures, air temperature, and humidity. In order to standardise the expected levels of thermal comfort levels for modelling purposes, assessments of thermal comfort are based on the ASHRAE 55 standard, which addresses conditioned and unconditioned buildings.