The Green Building Council SA is striving to promote, encourage and facilitate green building in the South African property industry through market-based solutions.

Green Star SA Certification is a formal process which involves a project using a Green Star SA rating tool to guide the design or construction process, during which a documentation-based submission will need to be collated as proof of this achievement.

Design vs. As Built Certification

Most rating tools offer two different certifications: “Design” and “As Built”. A “Design” certification can be submitted for and awarded at the end of the design phase of the project. The intent is that the building can then be marketed as a Green Star SA certified building, having demonstrated the green building strategies to be included in the building. At the end of construction, a project can submit for and be awarded “As Built” certification, certifying that all green building strategies were in fact incorporated into the final building. The two types of certification are completely separate, and a Design certification is not a prerequisite for an As Built certification.

Design submissions can be submitted as soon as the required evidence is available; this could be prior to commencement of construction. The Certified Rating can be achieved prior to practical completion, but must be achieved no later than 24 months after practical completion. As Built submissions must be submitted after practical completion, and the Certified Rating must be achieved no later than 24 months after practical completion.

To find out more about the certification process click here

The Green Star Building Rating Tool

A green building rating tool sets standards and benchmarks for green building, and enables an objective assessment to be made 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.

To achieve certification, building owners submit documentation to the Green Building Council of South Africa who employ independent assessors to assess the submission and score the building. Certification is awarded for 4-Star, 5-Star or 6-Star Green Star SA ratings.

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 our South African rating tool on the Australian Green Star system, and to customise this tool for South African use.

The Green Building Council of South Africa develops the Green Star SA rating tools, based on the Australian Green Building Council tools, to provide the property industry with an objective measurement for green buildings and to recognise and reward environmental leadership in the property industry. Each Green Star SA rating tool reflects a different market sector

The objectives of the Green Star rating tool are:

Establish a common language and standard of measurement for green buildings
Promote integrated, whole-building design
Raise awareness of green building benefits
Recognise environmental leadership
Reduce the environmental impact of development

The Green Building Council of SA has released The Green Star SA Office rating tool. It is for use by new office construction projects and base building refurbishments. Two different certifications are awarded through the same tool: Green Star SA - Office Design at the end of the design phase of the project and Green Star SA - Office As Built following construction completion

You can download it here

Info taken from GBCSA Website