French VOC emission labeling

French VOC emission label A+ (only !) is accepted for composite wood, because LEED has no VOC emissions requirements on those products, only formaldehyde is limited. All other concerned products than composite wood need to show compliance with the General Emissions Criteria, including VOC emissions (CDPH, or AgBB plus low formaldehyde emissions, or programs that include one of these, see the above referenced table of Low-Emitting Materials Third Party Certification programs. French VOC emission labeling does not cover these additional requirements and therefore is not good enough for LEED compliance.

Yes, correct. Just the reading is not made too simple. Please note that the ISO standards describe the testing and nothing else. The AgBB sets the VOC limits except of formaldehyde. The French legislation sets the formaldehyde limits, but (other than AgBB) it contains different levels / classes. In the LEED criteria, it is specified that French A+ class is required for formaldehyde. And as you can see from the table of Low-Emitting Materials Third Party Certification programs, this is still valid for projects outside the US.

One more thing. The AgBB also sets a limit for formaldehyde. But LEED does not except this limit. It is considered not stringent enough. French A+ class also sets a limit for VOCs. But LEED does not except the French limits for individual VOCs. These are considered not stringent enough. This is why that combination of AgBB (except formaldehyde) and French A+ class (for formaldehyde) is used as requirement outside the US.

Reinhard, In august 2014, we've asked USGBC if French A+ alone was sufficient and have received a positive answer. Here is an extract of their answer : "Yes, A+ labelling done by an ISO 17025 accredited lab following the ISO 16000 test methods is acceptable. I agree, we could be clearer on that point.". Since this USGBC answer, I was surprised that it doesn't appear in the "Low-Emitting Materials Third Party Certification programs". But the feedback of USGBC by e-mail was pretty clear. What do you think about that ?

Elodie, I agree that there is a lot of confusion about this matter, sometimes even with some US GBC staff members. Earlier tracks within this forum already dealt with that issue. In the end, the cited reply is correct only for composite wood, because LEED limits only formaldehyde for that product group. It does not correctly cover other products, where not only formaldehyde but also VOCs are restricted. In the end, the referenced table is issued by the responsible task force within US GBC, the EQ TAG, as the official interpretation.

Thank you Reinhard once again for sharing your expertise. You understand the non-U.S. requirements better than anyone else.