We received a product certified under the GEV's EMICODE certification scheme and classified as Ec1plus - very low emissions.
According to " LEED v4 EQ Credit Low-Emitting Materials Third Party Certifications and Labels" document, being EC1plus this product complies VOC content requirement, but the test reports provide no indication of the product VOC content in g/L.
However, the Low-Emitting Materials Calculator_v03 requires that we indicate the product VOC content in g/L. Could you advise how to fill in the spreadsheet used by USGBC to assess compliance with the credit ?
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Reinhard Oppl
Independent consultant on VOC issuesformerly with Eurofins Product Testing A/S
332 thumbs up
July 19, 2017 - 4:23 am
You could decide to fill in the maximum VOC content allowed for EMICODE products. This is 0.5% = ca. 5 g/l; but 5% = ca. 50 g/l for parquet coatings. If this does not work for you, then you need to ask the manufacturer what you should fill in.
Larissa Oaks
Specialist, LEEDUSGBC
LEEDuser Expert
67 thumbs up
July 19, 2017 - 11:38 am
Hi Charline, we are still working to update the calculator to address this issue. In the meantime, Reinhard's approach would work, or since the Emicode products automatically meet the wet-applied VOC content requirements, without additional documentation it would be acceptable to leave that section blank. Regardless, I would add a comment to the special circumstances section of the LEED credit form to explain the issue to the reviewer.
Charline SEYTIER
CEO, Co-owner.ThemaVerde, France
14 thumbs up
September 27, 2017 - 9:35 am
Thank you both!
Debra a. Lombard
Construction Administrator/ LEED APBywater Woodworks, Inc.
46 thumbs up
September 27, 2017 - 10:48 am
I ran into a similar issue (we're under LEED NC v2009) and we have to ask the mfgr to get VOCs tested per EPA Reference Test Method 24 which will take two months for results per mfgr.
Denice Staaf
2 thumbs up
May 11, 2021 - 4:13 pm
I am a little confused by this because I don't see in the LEED Guide (v2009, V4 or V4.1) where you need to test for VOC Content. You need to follow the regulation to calculate the VOC Content but the manufacturer can calculate that following 1113 or 11168. Am I not correct?
Renee Shirey
Stantec421 thumbs up
May 12, 2021 - 9:43 am
Denice, I believe the issue in the original post was that the info submitted for review (including testing report(s)) showed that the product was compliant, but did not actual provide a VOC g/L level to be plugged into the Calculator, thus they didn't know what to plug into the Calculator. As long as there is a manufacturer statement of compliance (referencing the appropriate standard) you are OK. If you have to plug in the VOC into the Calculator and they didn't provide an actual VOC g/L level, then you plug in the maximum VOC allowance for that product.
Denice Staaf
2 thumbs up
May 12, 2021 - 9:54 am
HI Renee, Thank you for this. I was trying to find out about using r1113 to calculate a paint and came across this. I always guided manufacturers who didn't know their g/L content to follow r1113 (or1168 depending on the product) because the standard explains (via equations) how to calculate it. No test is referenced for VOC content so I was confused. Thanks for the reply.