Green Star FAQs


FAQ F-00437
Do I need to submit a General Question or a Technical Question for my project?

General Question

General Questions are submitted when you have a query that is general in nature. General Questions are intended to provide general assistance with user experience of the Green Star rating tools. 

General Questions may include queries relating to:

  • Navigating the GBCA website, Green Star Manager, or Green Star Online Submission Portal.
  • Finding project details.
  • Finding GBCA resources (e.g., where to download Submission Guidelines or Leadership Challenges).

Note that General Questions are not technical in nature (i.e., does not relate to credits or rating tool requirements) and cannot be used as evidence in submissions. Questions that are technical in nature will be cancelled and the submitter will be directed to resubmit as a Technical Question. 

 

Technical Question

Technical Questions are submitted when you have a question that is technical in nature. This may include questions relating to:

  • Requiring clarification on an item within a credit or rating tool.
  • Confirming your interpretation of a credit
  • Proposing an alternative solution to the credit requirements.
  • Obtaining a response that you intend to use for a project or include in your Green Star submission.

Technical Questions are also known as Technical Clarifications and Credit Interpretation Requests, which are terms included in the certification agreement.

Technical Questions must be project-specific unless discussed with the GBCA. Technical Questions may incur a fee as per the Certification fees at the discretion of the GBCA.

 

What information should be included in my Technical Question?

  • Reference the specific Submission Guidelines, including the category and credit, that requires clarification (Quote, page numbers and references of the Submission Guidelines). e.g. this question is about X credit, where it states "quote" pg#.
  • A clear explanation of what you would like clarified. This is usually in a question format -rather than a statement. e.g. what does X mean? 
  • Where an alternative approach is being proposed, please clearly:
    • Explain the issue.
    • Outline your alternative proposed solution.
    • Short explanation to justify the alternative approach proposed.
    • Supporting documentation to justify the alternative approach.

What can be expected in the response to my Technical Question?

Responses typically include:

  • Confirmation of your interpretation, or an explanation if your interpretation is not correct.
  • Clarification or answer to your question.
  • Explanation of the requirements in the Submission Guidelines and what the project team needs to do.

What does a Technical Question NOT do?

  • A Technical Question does not award points or confirm the outcome of a credit. This will be determined by the Certified Assessor(s) at the time of assessment.*
  • A Technical Question does not review the submission forms and evidence for credit compliance. This will be determined by the Certified Assessor(s) at the time of assessment.* 
  • A Technical Question does not allow assessment comments to be removed or changed. Projects seeking further clarification on assessment comments should submit a Clarification of Assessment Comments (COAC) request. Please refer to the Green Star Definitions for more information.

* This assessment is done during Round 1 and Round 2 assessments. Projects may optionally purchase a Credit-by-Credit Assessment (CBCA) for an assessment of one or more credits between rounds. Please refer to the Green Star Definitions for more information.

Tips

Before submitting a Technical Question, please ensure to:

  • Review existing Green Star FAQs.
  • Carefully read the relevant credit in the Submission Guidelines, including Guidance.
  • Include a clear question - what are you seeking clarification on.
  • Explain how you have interpreted the issue.
  • Be clear and concise.

 

For all other queries

Please refer to the below for contact details on all other queries:

 







Disclaimer

These FAQs are:

  • provided as additional technical assistance for Green Star users.
  • optional and free to use on Green Star projects.

When used on Green Star projects, make sure to:
  • state the FAQ number on the Submission Template.
  • click on "Download" to save the FAQ.
  • include the PDF in the submission.

The GBCA reserves the right to add or remove FAQ at our discretion.




Have more questions?

Submit a question by selecting an option below: