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Tenant limits for Core and Shell
To get the full benefit of this credit, consider requiring VOC limits for tenant construction by incorporating either recommended compliant products, or recommending that tenants use compliant paints and coatings with specific VOC limits in a tenant guideline document (per SSc9: Tenant Design and Construction Guidelines).
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An easy, no-cost credit
Like the similar credit, IEQc4.1: Low-Emitting Materials: Adhesives and Sealants, it shouldn’t cost you anything extra to earn this credit—it will just take some work. Your first priority should be to specify only paints and coatings that comply with the credit’s VOC limits, and enforce those specifications on the jobsite. Research low-VOC paints and coatings before construction begins and provide lists of acceptable materials to contractors to help ensure that the right products are used.Performance should not be an issue
Major manufacturers offer paints and coatings that are just as durable and perform just as well as their higher-VOC...
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23 Comments
converting VOC content
Hi
I receive several MSDS1. Material safety data sheets (MSDS) are detailed, written instructions documenting a method to achieve uniformity of performance. 2. A report that manufacturers of most products are required to make available to installers and purchasers, informing them of product information on chemicals, chemical compounds, and chemical mixtures, the existence of potentially hazardous ingredients, and providing instructions for the safe handling, storage, and disposal of products for the coatings that will be used in our project and inside them, the VOC content is measured in Europe (EU) which are usually expressed in percentage % (w/w). It happened that the VOC content (EU) are 0% (w/w), which I'm pretty sure it's the same as 0 g/L , is it correct?
And some MSDS also stated VOC content in lbs/gal, which we can easily convert it to g/L by multipy them by 120. Do I still have to ask the supplier to declare the VOC content of materials in g / L or not?
Flats & Non-flats
Dear all,
What's the difference between "Flats" and "Non-flats"? What do these terms mean?
Thanks!
According to SCAQMD Rule 1113 it is difference in gloss:
FLAT COATINGSCoatings that register a gloss of less than 15 on an 85-degree meter or less than 5 on a 60-degree meter. are coatings that register a gloss of less than 15 on an 85-degree meter or less than 5 on a 60-degree meter.
NONFLAT COATINGS are coatings that are not defined under any other definition in this rule and that register a gloss of 5 or greater on a 60 degree meter and a gloss of 15 or greater on an 85 degree meter according to ASTMVoluntary standards development organization which creates source technical standards for materials, products, systems, and services Test Method D 523 as specified in paragraph (e)(6).
So essentially, we need to inquire from the manufacturer whether a paint / coating is Flat or Non-flat.
Thanks Petr!
Paints and coating applied off site
According to credit language, does it mean, that paints and coatings not applied on site (steel structure painted somewhere elese - in a workshop) do not need to be evaluated?
Petr,
You are correct - only site-applied paints and coatings need to be low-emitting to gain the credit. It would be good for the indoor air quality though if even the off-site applied paints and coatings were low-emitting.
Spackle
Hi
I'm wondering where in IEQc4 spackle should be included in, IEQc4.1 or IEQc4.2? I've heard that sometimes you don't need to include spackle in the VOC-calculations, when do you need to include and when don't you? Thanks!
Spaces exemption for IEQ c4.1 - 4.4
I heard from someone that IEQ c4.1 - 4.4 only apply to indoor regularly occupied spacesRegularly occupied spaces are areas where one or more individuals normally spend time (more than one hour per person per day on average) seated or standing as they work, study, or perform other focused activities inside a building.. Is that true?
Is there any spaces exemption for these credits? As for example, paints/coatings used in E&M and ICT rooms unlikely to cause harm to building occupants as no one would stay long in such spaces.
William, I have not heard that before. This credit applies to all spaces within the weather barrier—any interior space.
Tristan, thank you for your reply.
But for project of data centre setting, paint suppliers told us that paints with low VOC would peel off easily which make it difficult to maintain a dust free data centre environment. Considering that there will be no people working inside the data centre and it has practical implementation problem, do you think we could exempt spaces in the datacentre ICT rooms for compliance with the credit? or do you know any low VOC paint that has no peel off problem?
I have never heard of an exemption based on space type like this. You could always decide that the credit doesn't work for your project, or use the VOC budget method.
What kind of paint product are you looking for? My understanding is that performance of low/no-VOC paints has largely caught up with solvent-based paints.
Can you explain more on VOC budget method?
William, there is detailed explanation of the VOC budget method above, under Bird's Eye View, and Checklists. Please post back any specific questions you have after reviewing that.
Regarding the same subject, we have a 39 stories building with 4 underground parking levels.
There will be some mechanical rooms, storage and a small office within the underground parking level which will observe credit's requierements compliance.
What about the paint you use for delimiting the parking spaces? Does this one need to be also low voc?
VOC Methodologies
Which methodology for analyzing VOC content is acceptable as per referenced standards of LEED? Are the following methodologies acceptable? BS EN ISO 11890-2 2006, UK-PG6/23(97) Appendix 3
Also how about JIS K 5601-5-1, testing methods for paint componemts to determine VOC content in paints using gas chromatography analysis?
As far as I know, LEED does not reference a specific standard for testing VOC emissions of paints. LEED simply sets a VOC limit using Green Seal standards.
Not really. Reference is made to limit values in GS-11 (version May 1993) - but these limit values are linked to the corresponding testing method. ISO 11890-2 measures in a different manner (in my eyes in a better manner), leading to different results, mostly higher, than with old GS-11 method. This issue will hopefully be overcome in LEED 2012.
I don't think we need to
I don't think we need to follow the most current numbers listed under "effective date" in Table 1. The credit requirements for SCAQMD Rule 1113 say "rules in effect on January 1, 2004". I would interpret this to mean we should be using the VOC limits listed under the 1/1/04 Effective Date column in Table 1.
Related question: credit requirements list only several specific coating types which much comply with SCAQMD Rule 1113: "Clear wood finishes, floor coatings, stains, primers, and shellacs". If you read this literally it appears that all other remaining coating categories listed in Table 1 are NOT covered under LEED. Does anyone agree? Why else would they list only those specific coating categories? Why can't they be clear for once!?!
I agree on both counts - that we probably can ignore the "effective date" column, and that it's unclear how we address the many products not explicitly named.
Given the intent of the credit, I don't think that it would be acceptable to ignore all paints and coatings not directly mentioned. Anything not clearly defined in the credit language would fall under "other", which is 350 g/L as per SCAQMD 1113.
VOC Limit Table - LEEDuser and Reference Guide
I'm wondering whether the VOC limits table posted is accurate to the LEED D&C 2009 requirements. It does reflect the CS 2.0 requirements, but the 2009 table in the Reference Guide indicates lowering the VOC limits over time. This does not seem to be reflected in the LEEDuser Table.
For example, the nonflats number of 150g/l seems to have been dropped to 50 g/l on 7/1/06, and the nonflat high gloss limit seems to have been dropped to 50 on 7/1/07.
Am I reading this correctly? If so, the Table 1 in the Reference Guide is confusing and a summary table on LEEDuser would be very useful.
This question is about Table 1 in the Reference Guide (p. 483 of the 2009 edition). The language on Table 1 is truly perplexing. I have a few comments, although mostly they are mostly creative interpretation. I think the big problem is that the USGBC just blindly copy/pasted the SCAQMD chart without thinking through what it means for LEED 2009.
1. LEED references GS-11 for paints applied to interior walls and ceilings. It references SCAQMD for other coatings, not paints;. However, SCAQMD as a whole also addresses paints -- and since the USGBC just blindly copied the SCAQMD table, it includes paint standards that theoretically shouldn't be relevant at all. Oops.
2. Similarly, this chart includes exterior paints and coatings that are not covered under LEED, such as "roof coatings". We can ignore these for LEED, but from an environmental perspective it is of course always better to do what we can.
3. The "effective date" section of the chart clearly makes no sense for LEED 2009, because all of the dates listed had passed when the ref guide was published. Again, the USGBC just copied the table straight from the SCAQMD document without any analysis or discussion. Interestingly, the '*' note for "ceiling limit" in the original SCAQMD document (link posted at the top of p.483) is longer: "The specified limits remain in effect unless revised limits are listed in subsequent columns in the Table of Standards." This is much more clear about the fact that we should be following anything listed under the "effective date" columns.
4. The "current limit" column is specific to a certain time when this version of the SCAQMD was posted, so can presumably be ignored for LEED 2009.
Given this, I think we should 1) ignore Table 1 for paints and exterior items, and 2) follow the most current numbers listed under "effective date", where applicable.
FYI, there are several errata for this credit, but as of 2/8/10 none address this issue.
If anyone has additional guidance on this topic, please let us know!
Mara -
The entire Table 1 was replaced by an Addenda and can be found at this site: https://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=8608 The addenda simplifies the number of products and eliminates all of the effective dates.
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