Paints and coatings must meet the VOC limits defined by the SCAQMD Rule 1113 respectively the Green Seal Standards GS-11 and GC-03. These limits are given in g/l of the Substance.

However, in Europe almost none of the construction materials are provided with SCAQMD or Green Seal certificates. Instead, the European DECOPAINT certificate is very common for these products.

DECOPAINT:
• Like the SCAQMD or Green Seal certificates also the DECOPAINT certificate regulates the VOC-contents of coating materials in g/l (decorative, protecting or any other kind of functional coatings – including paints and sealants, but not adhesives).
• There are VOC-limits for water based and solvent based products. The VOC limits for water based products generally are between 30 and 200 g/l. The limits for the comparable product categories are below the comparable VOC-limits defined by SCAQMD Rule 1113 (100 – 730 g/l) or Green Seal Standards GS-11 (50 – 150 g/l) and GC-03 (250 g/l).
• However the VOC-analyzing method for DECOPAINT follows European regulations (ISO11890-2 and ASTMD 2369) and therefore is not comparable to the US American standards defined by USEPA (USEPA Reference Method 24) or SCAQMD (Method 304).

Will USGBC accept DECOPAINT certificated products instead of SCAQMD or Green Seal certified products?