IEQc4.2 Low Emitting Materials Paints & Coatings

It's more like vice versa. In the instance where there is no low-VOC option for a paint or coating, say for a specialty coating like a primer or epoxy, you can offset the higher VOC amount of that specialty coating with a paint or coating with a lower VOC amount. According to the LEED Reference Guide, "The calculation is a comparison between a baseline case and a design case. When the design (or actual) is less than the baseline, the credit requirement is satisfied. The values used in the comparison are the total VOCs contained in the products used on the project. The total VOCs is determined by multiplying the volume of the product used by the threshold VOC level for the baseline case and the actual product VOC level for the design case."

However the Reference Guide does warn that following this compliance path should be a decision that is made in advance. It can in some cases be used if a genuine mistake is made in order to still be in compliance and earn the credit, but this method shouldn’t be used to “paint" your way out of a mistake, as the Reference Guide states. The credit will not be earned if the intent is not met.