One of the roles of the Green Building Council is to educate practitioners about green building.  The core of the Council's educational offering is the Green Star SA Accredited Professional program.  In order to obtain this professional designation, industry professionals complete the Green Star SA Accredited Professional course and pass an examination.  Green Star SA Accredited Professionals have a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the Green Star SA rating system, both in content and practical application during the building design and construction process.  Project teams that include an Accredited Professional from the beginning of the project are awarded 2 extra points toward their Green Star SA certification score.

Steps to becoming a Green Star SA Accredited Professional

1. Complete the Green Star SA Accredited Professional course
2. Successfully pass the Green Star SA Accredited Professional examination

The course provides practitioners with an understanding of the Green Star SA rating system and the ability to apply Green Star SA tools to projects. The course format is that of a fluid interaction between lecture, Q&A, case study examples and in-depth exploration of each category and credit in the Green Star SA system, all in a multidisciplinary group of progressive professionals. The course emphasizes the necessity of an integrated approach from the consulting team in order to achieve the rating pursued. 

The Green Star SA Accredited Professional courses will be run regularly in major centres across SA. Details of upcoming courses are posted on the Courses & Events page as they become available.

Course Content

• The Green Building Council of South Africa: history and operation
• The Green Star SA environmental rating system of buildings: origins and overview
• Green Star SA environmental impact categories: core credits
• Green Star SA and other rating tools on the market: interaction
• Accredited Professionals: role on the design team
• Green Star SA certification: process, roles and responsibilities

Who would attend?

Course participants will come from a diverse range of professions - academics, architects, contractors/builders, developers, cost planners, engineers, facilities managers, general managers, interior designers, landscape architects, marketing managers, policy advisers, town planners, product manufacturers, project managers, quantity surveyors, solicitors and others.

Please note: You must attend this course and sit the separate examination to become a Green Star SA Accredited Professional.

Why attend?

Industry practitioners should attend the course in order to develop understanding of how they can effectively implement Green Star SA on their projects. In addition, project teams that include an Accredited Professional from the beginning of the project are awarded 2 points toward their Green Star SA certification score. The Green Building Council of South Africa promotes Green Star SA Accredited Professionals to the industry through a directory on this website.

The examination will be run through a third-party testing agency, and those wishing to take the examination may do so on any business day of the testing agency.

More details and booking information will be published here in the future. It is not currently possible to schedule an exam date, but the exam should be available by mid-December 2008.

Spire House, Tannery Park, 23 Belmont Road, Rondebosch 7700
P O Box 155, Rondebosch 7701, Cape Town