Homestar training courses
There are three levels of qualification available within Homestar: Practitioner, Designer and Assessor.
Homestar Practitioners Homestar Practitioners have good knowledge of the fundamentals of Homestar and can communicate its benefits to the market, understand how their products or services will help achieve Homestar ratings and assist in the design and construction of Homestar projects.
Homestar Designers Homestar Designers are trained to design and advise on the technical aspects of Homestar and the principles of sustainable design, so that they can apply this knowledge when working on a Homestar project.
A Homestar Assessor are trained in the Homestar assessment process to lead projects through Homestar certification. For this reason, this is the only qualification that can carry out and submit a Homestar assessment.
Find our available Homestar courses here
Homestar Practitioner Training
The Homestar Practitioner course is for people with an interest in healthy, warm homes, and their sustainability. This course is for those who want to play a key role in the sustainability of the built environment and are keen to communicate the benefits of Homestar.
This is an online course.
After the course participants can take an exam to become a qualified Practitioner, which is a pre-requisite for attending the Designer course.
Homestar Designer Training
The Homestar Designer course focuses on teaching an in-depth understanding of the theory and application of the Homestar rating tool and principles of sustainable design. The course will have both online tutorials and in-person tutorials including the use of the Homestar Energy and Carbon Calculator for Homes (ECCHO). The use of ECCHO require a Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) licence and this is included in the course fee. If you already have this licence, please get in touch education@nzgbc.org.nz .
After the course participants need to pass an examination within 4 weeks of attending the course.
This course is delivered in person.
Attendees of the Homestar Designer training course must have passed the Homestar Practitioner exam and meet one of the pre-requisites listed below
Homestar Assessor Training
Please note that become a Homestar Assessor NZGBC there is a requirement that you pay the a fee and you will be considered to have accepted the Homestar Assessor accreditation terms set out here
This course covers how to conduct a Homestar Assessment, including; use of the Homestar Calculators and Scorecard, the requirements for a Design Rating and Built rating, how to collect and present appropriate evidence, and submission for audit. This qualification is required to submit an assessment to the NZGBC for certification.
After the course participants need to complete a supervised assessment where the NZGBC will provide additional support during the audit process to assist with your learning and understanding of the tool.
This course is delivered via a live webinar.
Attendees of the Homestar Assessor training course must have passed the Homestar Practitioner exam and meet one of the pre-requisites listed below.
Pre-requisite requirements Designer and Assessor
These are technical accreditations that require an understanding of how homes are designed and built in Aotearoa. Attendees must be able to read and interpret house plans and must have a basic understanding of building science. Therefore, one of the following qualifications and/or experience is required to attend either of these courses:
- Architectural designer, architect
- Engineer
- Building scientist/technologist
- Quantity surveyor
- Licensed Building Practitioner Level 2 and 3
If you feel you have an equivalent experience, please contact us.
Benefits of a Homestar Qualification:
- A Homestar Professional logo for use in promotional material
- A digital certificate
- Your details listed in the NZGBC professionals directory, which is accessed by consumers and industry
- Ongoing technical updates, news and access to events and training
Costs
| Member | Non-member | Future Thinker | |
| Homestar Practitioner standalone | $365 | $625 | $260 |
| Homestar Designer standalone | $1,540 | $2,310 | $1,425 |
| Homestar Assessor standalone | $625 | $940 | $520 |
Please note that discounts are available for all current Homestar professionals:
| Current Homestar professional (member) | Current Homestar professional (non-member) | |
| Homestar Practitioner standalone | FREE | $50 |
| Homestar Designer standalone | $835 | $1,360 |
| Homestar Assessor standalone | $295 | $425 |
Homestar V5
As of August 2021, all Homestar training programmes will be for Homestar V5.
Homestar training is NOT backwards compatible. That is, any new Homestar Designers and Assessors that start their training from August 2021 will only be eligible for working on projects registered under Homestar V5.
FAQ's
Read our frequently asked questions here