Green Star FAQs
Can biogas be considered a renewable energy source?
While biogas in some instances can be considered a renewable energy source, it is not currently accepted under Green Star for the purposes of the Fuel Switching credit. There are two reasons for this:
A. If the biogas supply is being provided via another means other than the reticulated network, there is no clear mechanism to show that the gas supply will be the one used in the building rather than a typical natural gas supply.
B. If the biogas supply is being provided via the reticulated network, akin to how renewable electricity is supplied via the grid, there is no verified renewable gas trading scheme using Renewable Energy Certificates that offer the transparency and rigour that is applied to the renewable electricity trading scheme.
If in the future such a scheme is developed, project teams may submit another technical question to the GBCA seeking approval for consideration of this approach.
GBCA notes that B100 plant oil based biodiesel is not considered a fossil fuel and can be used as a substitute for diesel backup generators.
This FAQ is related to the following Rating Tools, Categories or Credits:
- Green Star - Design & As Built v1.3 / Energy
- Green Star - Railway Stations v1.1 / Energy
These FAQs are:
- provided as additional technical assistance for Green Star users.
- optional and free to use on Green Star projects.
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