European Testing - Equivalent Standards ?

Michele Helou

Principal

Sage Design & Consulting

LEEDuser Basic Member

55 thumbs up

February 3, 2014

Does anyone know whether any of the European standards are equivalent to the California Department of Health Services Standard for this credit? I have a submittal for the German Vogl Fuge Acoustic Design Panels which has a certificate of emissions meeting the German LGA - TUV Rheinland standards. I can try to compare the chemical limits line by line if I can find them - but I may have to learn German (and chemistry) first and the testing protocols are probably different anyway.

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Tristan Roberts

Representative

Vermont House of Representatives

LEEDuser Expert

7780 thumbs up

Fri, 03/07/2014 - 14:47

Michele, I don't know. I was hoping someone with more knowledge on these testing protocols would chime in.

Josh Jacobs

Technical Information & Public Affairs Manager

UL Environment

LEEDuser Basic Member

356 thumbs up

Fri, 03/07/2014 - 14:55

Michele, Unfortunately the EU standards and the CA standard are not 'equivalent'. The test parameters (model rooms, air changes, chemicals, and chemical levels) are different, so that is why it isn't comparing apples to apples. But if your project is being done outside of the US the USGBC has been known to approve the German AgBB Testing and Evaluation Scheme or the DIBt testing method for products outside the US. As you might have seen they have given this pathway for projects outside the US in the new LEED v4.

Ian McCall

Environmental Engineer

LEEDuser Basic Member

11 thumbs up

Wed, 07/02/2014 - 12:17

I recommend to pay for a CIR to change to LEED V4 for the VOC credits. We did something similar.