We build schools sustainably

About

Green Star ratings are an internationally recognised Australian sustainability rating and certification system founded by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA). 

These ratings offer a valuable way to understand the impact our new school infrastructure projects may have on the surrounding environment as well as measure the comfort and well-being levels of our students, teachers and school staff in their new learning environments.

Green Star ratings are determined by assessing various aspects of a building's design, construction and operation including energy efficiency. water conservation, indoor air quality, materials selection, and overall impact on the surrounding environment. The higher the Green Star rating, the better the environmental performance.

Many of our projects currently in planning or construction are registered for certification under the Green Star Design & As Built rating tool. Green Star Design & As Built ratings are evaluated out of a possible 100 points and are awarded on the following basis:

• 4 Star Green Star certifications represent “Australian Best Practice" and are awarded to projects scoring at least 45 points.
• 5 Star Green Star certifications represent “Australian Excellence” which is excelling beyond NSW standards and are awarded to projects scoring at least 60 points.
• 6 Star Green Star certifications represent “World Leadership” in demonstrating exceptional commitment to sustainability and are awarded to projects scoring over 75 points. 

Raising the standards

As climate science advances, new industry innovation emerges, and community expectations rise, regularly updating the requirements ensures that certified buildings continue to lead environmental performance standards.

New projects are being registered for certification under GBCA’s latest version of the rating tool — Green Star Buildings, which replaced Green Star Design & As Built in 2022. 

Green Star Buildings ratings are still evaluated out of a possible 100 points and the three levels of recognition remain the same. However, there are ten new minimum expectation standards which all projects must achieve, and generally the difficulty of achieving credits has increased.

We recognise the importance and the need of GBCA to continue to realign and set new higher minimum standards to address the evolving challenges of sustainability and climate change. Consistently raising the bar ensures that Australian infrastructure projects not only meet but exceed industry best practices and regulatory requirements.

Edmondson Park Public School scored 77 points and delivered a new 3-storey building with classrooms, administration and library spaces, a single-storey building with a communal hall and Covered Outdoor Learning Area (COLA), an out of school hours care building, and a single-storey preschool.

The new school campus, accommodating up to 1,000 students, has set an outstanding benchmark in environmental responsibility and performance by scoring the highest points ever for a public school. 

The full list of initiatives identified in the assessment is extensive but includes:

• an entirely electric school 
• achieving a minimum 22% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions through efficient LED lighting, heating, and heat recovery ventilation
• a 91.9kW solar PV system installed on the roof
• an 87% reduction in water consumption through efficient fixtures, drip irrigation and a rainwater tank to support landscape irrigation
• off-site recycled water connections to service toilets in the future 
• waste facilities for recycling of organics, soft plastics, and paper/cardboard
• responsibly sourced eco-friendly material selection 
• implementing off site modular construction for flooring and wall structures
• recycling 93% of construction waste  
• 80% of spaces have high quality access outside views and natural light.

Pendle Hill High School's new Building H achieved a 6 Star Green Star Design & As Built certification. The project scored 76 points and delivered 14 new learning spaces, 2 multimedia rooms, staff and administration facilities and a new library, all geared towards flexible and technology-enhanced learning. 

The full list of initiatives identified in the assessment is extensive but includes:

• a 67% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions 
• a reduction in peak electricity demand through significant improvements to the building’s fabric, energy efficient appliances and a 99.4kW solar PV system
• a 35% reduction in Portland Cement through lower Embodied Carbon materials 
• sourcing sustainable products with Environmental Product Declarations
• diverting 93% of demolition and construction waste from landfill and having it recycled.

The Green Star certification process also verified that quality teaching and learning is supported as:

• 48% of the new spaces have high levels of daylight
• 89% of the new spaces have good access to outside views
• almost 100% of all areas fall within thermal comfort parameters.