The High Value of LEED Interpretation #10495 for Low-Emitting Materials

Not sure about adopting the LEED v4.1 Low-Emitting Materials credit? Go for it, because not only are there more opportunities to earn points, but the number of product categories has been expanded, and the emission evaluation thresholds have been reduced for all categories. Additionally, a recent LEED interpretation clarified that LEED v4 projects substituting the v4.1 credit can continue to use standards from LEED v4, making the Low-Emitting Materials credit more accessible and achievable for all projects. So go ahead and explore all that LEED v4.1 has to offer.

LEED Interpretation #10495 (released October 2019) officially allows LEED v4 BD+C and ID+C projects that adopt LEED v4.1 EQc Low-Emitting Materials to use California Department of Public Health (CDPH) v1.1-2010 in place of CDPH Standard Method v1.2-2017 for VOC emission evaluation; South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1113, effective June 3, 2011, in place of SCAQMD Rule 1113, effective February 5, 2016, for VOC content evaluation of Paints and Coating; and SCAQMD Rule 1168, July 1, 2005, in place of SCAQMD Rule 1168, October 6, 2017 for VOC content evaluation of Adhesives and Sealants. For a complete list of credit requirements and standards, refer to the LEED v4.1 Beta Guides (available on CaGBC’s website) and LEED Interpretation #10495.

Your feedback was heard. The concern with updated standards was a commonly raised issue from the market. As a result, the release of LEED Interpretation #10495 is expected to be well received. The CaGBC would like to provide a big thank you to all those who provided feedback either through email or through LEED Roundtable and User Group sessions across the country, to help LEED v4 / v4.1 better position itself to strike the balance between achievability and leadership. Your feedback was reviewed and consolidated by the CaGBC TAGs and passed onto the USGBC.