VOC as an emission (%) vs Volume (g/l) - EU vs. US

Timothy: Before I begin, I need to stress that this is not an official response from USGBC. These are my opinions and observations. With relation to coatings and sealants for EU LEED 2009/V3 projects, I think it fair to say that LEED is a work in progress. Unfortunately, there is no uniform approach country to country in the regulatory scheme or emerging emissions testing protocols. The Decorative Paint Directive of 2004 is the general template for regulation of coatings, but each country adopts and modifies the regulation as it sees fit. The Directive is available in the language of your choice at http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32004L0042:EN:NOT In drafting LEED V4, the EQ TAG attempted to introduce the Directive as a floor with emissions testing required to attain the credit. As there is no uniform emission testing scheme in the EU, a reasonable approach has been assigned. The EU test methodology scheme will evolve as we move towards emission testing being required to attain a CE Mark. As a more direct answer to your question, the Directive expresses VOC limits in g/L for regulated products. Perhaps Sweden changed the limits on adoption or perhaps the manufacturer is not listing the content in the prescribed manner. I suggest requesting the manufacturer to provide a conversion. The TAG has discussed approaches to better meshing LEED 2009 for international projects. I will certainly mention this topic to staff. I hope other project team members will share their experiences here as well.