Outcomes, Green Star credits & data assurance levels

The 'Outcomes' and 'Green Star credits' search options provide an outcome-oriented search

tool to query the products database. Often in a project a product will be sought with particular qualities, and this is what the 'Outcomes' search is designed to assist.

For example Outcomes could be used to:

• Search for all products that facilitate a particular eco or health outcome, e.g. 'water conservation'
• Refine a search, e.g. for 'floor coverings' to return only those that contain 'reduced embodied energy'
• Find products with enhanced content analysis for a building rating tool, e.g. Green Star, BASIX, etc.
• Look for products with similar data assessment levels

General 'Outcomes' Categories

The general 'Outcomes' search options allow the user to search by more familiar sounding search queries that are, nonetheless, addressing the assessment criteria. These are:

Energy & Greenhouse

• Reduce energy and greenhouse
• Energy-efficient in use
• Renewable/greenpower
• Reduced embodied energy

Protect Habitat, Land and Water

• Preserve habitat, land and water
• Habitat degradation
• Water conservation
• Water quality management
• Reduced nutrient loads

Preserve Resources

• Preserve resources
• Reduced waste in production
• Reduced waste in use/disposal
• Resource efficiency
• Rapidly renewable
• Locally produced

Enhance Human Health

• Human health
• Indoor environment
• Air quality management
• Low electromagnetic radiation
• Low/non-toxic material
• Promotes safety & security

Reduce Pollution

• Reduced embodied pollution
• Low pollution over life

Data Assurance Level

• Has ecolabel:  Product has been awarded a Type 1 ecolabel or equivalent (see Introduction to ecolabels)
• ISO 14001:  Manufacturer has an ISO 14001 certified Environmental Management System
• Independent product LCA:  Product has a third-party undertaken full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
• Independent verification documents:  Product has been assessed by reference to third party test or researched source data 
• Document manufacturer claim:  Product application received with ecospecifer questionnaire declared by a Director or Authorised Person as 'True and Correct'. A breach of this declaration is likely to be considered 'misleading and deceptive conduct' under the Federal Trade Practices Act and is potentially actionable by the Australian Securities and Investment Corporation
• Expert judgement by ecospecifier:  Using known Australian and international standards, codes, eco-labels, Life Cycle Assessment methodologies, and Australian Green Building Rating Schemes as well as independent test data, third party research

Green Star Credits

This option is offered for 'Green Star Building Design' credits and an expanding list of 'Green Star Office Interiors' credits.

'Green Star Building Design'  search options are:

• Recycled steel
• Recycled concrete
• Low VOC paints
• PVC-free
• Non-old growth timber

 

'Green Star Office Interiors v1.1' search options currently (September 2006) are:

 

Credit	Green Star Product Category Search Name	Products
IEQ-2	Carbon Dioxide Monitoring & Control	Carbon Dioxide Monitors & Controls
IEQ-4	Daylight Glare Control	Automated Daylight Glare Control Screens
		Monitor pivot arms
IEQ-5	High Frequency Ballasts	High Frequency electronic ballasts
IEQ -8	Individual Comfort Control	Workstations enabling individual user control of air supply rates, air temperature or radiant temperature
IEQ-10	Internal Noise Levels	Internal acoustic products
IEQ-11	Volatile Organic Compounds	VOCs- Paints
		VOCs- Carpets
		VOCs- Adhesive & Sealants
		VOCs- workstations,
		VOCs- walls/partitions
		VOCs-chairs
		VOCs-tables
		VOCs-storage units
		VOCs-Fabrics untreated for chairs, workstations, partitions
		VOCs-Fabrics treated for chairs, workstations, partitions
IEQ-12	Formaldehyde Minimisation	Low Formaldehyde Emission (LFE) Composite wood products
IEQ-15	Indoor Plants	Indoor Plants, planters & associated items
Ene-1	Energy Efficiency	Energy efficient appliances, lighting and equipment
Ene-3	Electrical Sub Meters	Electrical sub meters
Ene-4	Office Lighting Zoning	Lighting Zone controllers including Building Management Systems (BMS)
Tra-3	Cyclist Facilities	Cycle Storage & Secure Locker facilities
Wat-1	Potable Water Efficiency	5A/4 Star rated dishwashers, 3A/3Star Shower heads
		Toilets, urinals and tapsets
Mats-1	Workstations	Workstations and workstation components fabrics or finishes**
Mats-2	Flooring	Exposed Concrete, re-used/recycled flooring, Carpet, underlay, timber, fibre cement, hardboard, bamboo, resilient flooring, ceramic tiles, environmentally innovative, adhesives and finishes**
Mats-3	Walls & Partitions	Wall & partition components, fabrics, finishes, fabrics and systems**
Mats-4	Chairs	Chairs, components, fabrics and finishes**
Mats-5	Tables	Tables, components and finishes**
Mats-6	Storage Units	Storage units, components, fabrics and finishes**
Mats-7	Joinery	Joinery, glues, sealants, finishes, components**
Mats-10	PVC Minimisation	Non-PVC edge stripping, phone, electrical & data cables & conduits, pipework, wet floor coverings, furniture items (castors, shutters, floor  & wall coverings, skirtings, finishes and fittings, blinds, furniture arms and legs**
Mat-11	Timber Re-used or FSC	Post consumer re-used timber or Forest Stewardship Council Certified (FSC) timber
Eco-3	Building Environmental Management	Cleaning products, low impact consumables,
Emi-1	Refrigerant Ozone Depletion	Low ozone depletion refrigerant HVAC systems

** Please note that as of version 1.1 Green Stars Offices Interiors requires Good Environmental Choice Australia ( GECA) certification of 'Eco preferable Content)