|
New Zealand Green systems and resources - Green
Star NZ - Download
a pdf of this information At present (January 2008), in the paint category the Green Star NZ specification differs from the Environmental Choice specification on the VOC limits. Environmental Choice is due to release a new paint specification and when released the current Green Star NZ documentation states that this will become the new paint specification for Green Star NZ. We understand this is yet to be confirmed by NZ Green Building Council. The Green Star NZ programme is focused mainly on VOCs with one credit available in the IEQ-13 Volatile Organic Compound section if 95% of all painted surfaces are low-VOC paints OR no paint is used. (Other credits in this section are for carpet, and adhesives and sealants). An additional credit is available in the Mat-10 Paints section for products that are independently verified to be environmentally preferable - e.g. Environmental Choice approved or approved by any GEN-aligned certification system recognised by the NZ Green Building Council. The Green Star NZ points are weighted so that the maximum 2 paint points detailed above, once weighted, equate to:
To achieve maximum Green Star NZ points a product needs to meet the VOC limits (if used inside) and have independent environmental certification, such as Environmental Choice. These points are awarded if the paint system meets the Green Star NZ specifications. No additional points are awarded if the paint system is better than the Green Star NZ specifications. If two products meet the Green Star NZ standard and one is better on some aspect than the other, they still both get the same Green Star NZ points. The Green Star NZ points are weighted so that the maximum 2 paint points detailed above, once weighted, equate to:
Certification Standards:
Current environmental weighting factors for Green Star NZ Office Design:
NZ Green Building Council The NZ Green Building Council does not provide independent verifications for products. Companies, specifiers, owners, etc can choose to join the NZ Green Building Council. This does not mean that they are more or less environmentally preferable to non members. Web: www.nzgbc.org.nz Greenbuild For some products independent environmental verification, such as Environmental Choice, is unavailable. For these products, if they wish to sign up to a more detailed listing/service, Greenbuild will allow them to show the environmental credentials they do have regardless of whether they have recognised environmental approval from a body such as Environmental Choice. Greenbuild is designed to help specifiers, building owners etc find products to use in their designs and buildings. Web: www.greenbuild.co.nz Environmental Choice Environmental Choice takes a broader view than the Green Star NZ VOC specification and considers the wider impact of the product, including manufacturing, packaging, banning the use of many ingredients that are known to be hazardous and/or cancer causing, etc. Environmental Choice does not have a specification available for all products at this stage, however many recent specifications have been developed due to demand from industry for specifications for some materials. Paint does have an Environmental Choice specification. Environmental Choice costs are based on company size. This is to ensure that smaller companies have equal opportunity to gain an Environmental Choice specification as larger companies. New Zealand Green systems and resources - Resene
context
At present (January 2008), in the paint category the Green Star NZ specification differs from the Environmental Choice specification on the VOC limits. Environmental Choice is due to release a new paint specification and when released the current Green Star NZ documentation states that this will become the new paint specification for Green Star NZ. We understand this is yet to be confirmed by NZ Green Building Council. .
Resene has a wide range of Environmental Choice and low of no VOC paints available that meet the general Green Star NZ VOC limit requirements and that will enable you to earn the maximum Green Star NZ points of IEQ 1 point (unweighted) and MAT 1 point (unweighted). How to maximise your Green Star NZ rating points:
When specifying Resene paint refer to the Resene VOC summary to view VOC levels and Environmental Choice approval by product. Please ensure your list is current prior to specification, as product reformulations may result in a change in VOC levels and Environmental Choice approval. Resene staff are happy to assist with writing or checking specifications to ensure the optimum paint system is selected. NZ Green Building Council Greenbuild Environmental Choice What is a VOC? To put this VOC level into context, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District estimates that the average dairy cow emits 19.3 pounds (8.75kg) of VOCs a year. This equates to 23gm VOC emitted per day per cow. New Zealand has a dairy population of 5.35 million cows (2006). With an average VOC emission rate of 23gms per cow per day, the total daily VOC emissions of the NZ cattle population is 128,319kg of VOC. The annual VOC emissions for the NZ cattle population is 46,836,468kgs. Australia has a cattle population of 27 million cows. With an average VOC emission rate of 23gms per cow per day, the total daily VOC emissions of the Australian cattle population is 647,592kg of VOC. The annual VOC emissions for the Australian cattle population is 236,370,960kgs. The VOC emissions from paint are dwarfed by the emissions from cows. Total Resene VOC emissions from all decorative paint manufactured in NZ both waterborne and solventborne would be equivalent to less than one week of NZ cow emissions. For waterborne products only, which comprise well over 90% of Reseneís decorative paint production, NZ made Resene decorative paint VOC emissions would be less than 3 days of NZ cow emissions. Over a period of 10 years, 1L of Resene Lumbersider will emit a total of just 35gm of VOCs while one average cow will emit 37kg (87,545gm) of VOCs. A Californian study of vehicle VOC emissions in 1997, showed an average VOC emission of 9.3gms per litre of petrol. The average car used 5.9 litres per day, so the total average car usage resulted in 55gm of VOC emissions per day. Over a period of 10 years, 1L of Resene Lumbersider will emit a total of just 35gm of VOCs while (based on the California study) one car with average usage will emit over 200kg (200,000 gm) of VOCs. Closer to home, hairsprays, deodorant sprays and many cleaning products release VOCs. In early 2007, Hong Kong enacted a regulation for hairsprays that no more than 80% of their content by weight could be VOCs. For a 500gm can of hairspray, this means potentially 400gm is VOCs. Most hairspray users would use a can every 1-2 months, which would equate to up to 4800gm of VOCs emitted per annum. This is the same level of VOCs emissions as you would get from using 87 litres of paint of a low VOC waterborne enamel, such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, which would be sufficient to apply one coat to an area of around 1000 square metres. Over a period of 10 years, 1L of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen will emit a total of just 55gm of VOCs while someone using one can of hairspray per month will emit up to 48kg (48,000gm) of VOCs. The stated paint VOC level is the maximum VOC that may be released for the full life of the paint and it is anticipated in most cases it will be much lower, which means that the total environmental impact over the productís life is considerably less than items such as motor vehicles, hairsprays and cattle, which continue to emit VOCs on an ongoing basis. The drivers to reduce VOCs internationally come from two different interest groups - the first is interested in internal air quality (usually European), the second is interested in localised pollution and low level smog (driven by a number of organisations in California). More recently there has been a concern for possible interactions with so called ìgreen house gasesî but these are tenuous and not historically linked to the interest in VOC reduction. Resene has always believed that our best contribution to sustainability is to offer longevity and thus reduce the need for repainting. Reducing toxicity has always been a way of life at Resene but quality remains paramount. See the Resene Architects Memo Very 'orrible compounds and In the valley of the blind (both available online) for more information on VOCs. There is a range of local and international standards and the Resene Technical Team are happy to support specifiers and architects with information on products and their compliance. Please refer to the NZ Green Building Council for verification of requirements for any Green Star NZ specifications. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|