STEP UP TO THE
ENERGY STAR®
INDOOR AIR PACKAGE
A new opportunity for leading
builders to create better
environments inside and out
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WHY DOES INDOOR
AIR QUALITY MATTER?
People are increasingly concerned about mold, radon, carbon monoxide, and
toxic chemicals commonly found in homes. Intact, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) studies show that levels of air pollution inside the home are
often two to five times higher than outdoor levels. And poor indoor air quality
is associated with a host of health problems, including eye irritation, allergies,
headaches, and respiratory problems such as asthma.
In addition, indoor air quality is having a sizable financial impact on the
home building industry. Litigation associated with mold and other indoor air
quality related concerns and the rising cost of liability coverage have cost
builders across the country billions of dollars.
WHY DESIGN AND BUILD WITH THE
ENERGY STAR INDOOR AIR PACKAGE?
Builders can employ a variety of construction
practices and technologies to decrease the risk of
poor indoor air quality in their new homes. According
to surveys, consumers are willing to pay up to $5,000
more for these improvements.
EPA created the ENERGY STAR Indoor Air Package to
help builders meet the growing consumer preference
for homes with improved indoor air quality and energy
efficiency. By constructing homes that meet EPA's stringent specifications,
forward-thinking builders can distinguish themselves by being among the first
to offer homes designed to deliver lower utility costs, greater comfort, better
durability, and reduced risk of indoor air problems.*
ENERGYSTAR
INDOOR AIR PACKAGE
f The construction practices and technical specifications that comprise the ENERGY STAR
Indoor Air Package are designed to contribute to improved indoor air quality in new homes
compared to code-built homes. However, these measures alone will not guarantee that
homebuyers will not experience air quality problems in their homes. Rather, the Indoor Air
Package should be viewed as a way to reduce the likelihood of experiencing such problems.
For example, factors such as unforeseen construction issues and homeowner behavior may
negatively impact the home's indoor air quality and the performance of the measures specified
in the ENERGY STAR Indoor Air Package.
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RNTHE
THE ENERGY STAR INDOOR AIR PACKAGE?
Start with ENERGY STAR
A home must first be designed and
built to earn the ENERGY STAR—the
government-backed symbol for energy
efficiency. The result is a home that is
significantly more energy efficient
than a code-built home.
Add indoor air improvements
More than 70 additional home design
and construction features are
included in the Indoor Air Package to
help protect qualified homes from
moisture and mold, pests, combustion
gases, and other airborne pollutants.
Some builders already include many
of these features in their homes.
Complete the package with
independent testing and
verification
The home's energy performance and
many key features of the Indoor Air
Package are inspected by an
independent third-party to ensure that
the builder has properly followed
EPA's rigorous guidelines for energy
efficiency and specifications for
indoor air quality.
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WHAT DISTINGUISHES NEW HOMES
WITH THE ENERGY STAR INDOOR
AIR PACKAGE?
With the ENERGY STAR Indoor Air Package, EPA is challenging builders to
step up to a new level of excellence by building homes with the following
design and construction features:
Moisture Control: Build in added protection from mold and other moisture
damage with water managed roofs, walls, and foundations that include
drainage planes, flashing details, air sealing, foundation drain tile and
coatings, and proper grading.
Pest Management: Provide a first-line defense against pest problems with
screens at openings that cannot otherwise be fully sealed or caulked,
concrete slab reinforcements to avoid cracking, and termite shields at the top
of foundations in areas of the country subject to termite infestation.
Heating, Ventilation, and Cooling (HVAC) System: Improve indoor air quality
with best practice installation of ducts and equipment to minimize
condensation problems, whole-house and spot ventilation to help dilute and
exhaust indoor pollutants, and air filtration to remove airborne particulates.
Combustion-Venting Systems: Protect residents from potential exposure to
combustion gases by installing direct-vented or power-vented gas- and oil-
fired equipment, properly vented fireplaces, garages fully sealed from living
spaces and equipped with a continuously operated exhaust fan, and carbon
monoxide alarms in each sleeping area.
Building Materials: Reduce sources of pollutants by protecting materials
stored on-site from weather damage, selecting and installing materials to
minimize the risk of moisture damage, meeting specifications for reduced
chemical content, and ventilating homes prior to occupancy where installed
materials are likely to emit airborne pollutants.
Radon Control: Provide radon-resistant construction in high-risk radon
regions, including gravel and plastic sheeting below slabs, fully sealed and
caulked foundation penetrations, plastic vent pipe running from below slab
through the roof, and an attic junction box for easily adding an electric
powered fan to the vent pipe if needed.
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Quality Assurance and Homeowner
Education: Help ensure that homes
operate as designed by inspecting air-
handling equipment and ductwork to
be sure they are clean and free of
debris and provide adequate air-flow,
verifying that all necessary testing has
been performed, providing radon test
kits for homes located in high-risk
radon areas, and providing a manual
to educate owners about their new
home's indoor air quality features.
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IS YOUR COMPANY READY TO BUILD
HOMES WITH THE ENERGY STAR INDOOR
AIR PACKAGE?
1. Benchmark
Download the Indoor Air Package specification from the ENERGY STAR
Web site, compare current building practices to the required specifications,
and identify the changes that will need to be adopted. Be sure to involve all
relevant business partners such as architects, construction managers, and
subcontractors.
2. Partner with EPA
Download the "Indoor Air Package Commitment Form" from the ENERGY
STAR Web site and return it signed to EPA. Partners will have access to the
new ENERGY STAR Indoor Air Package logo, marketing and technical
resources, and recognition from EPA.
3. Work with a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Rater
Contact a HERS rater who can offer assistance in adopting new measures
and building practices, provide subcontractor training, conduct required field
verification, label qualifying homes, and report builders' accomplishments
to EPA.
4. Label Homes
Incorporate and verify all required indoor air measures and ensure that
qualifying homes receive the ENERGY STAR Indoor Air Package label.
5. Enjoy the Competitive Advantage
Integrate the ENERGY STAR Indoor Air Package into marketing messages
and materials, and educate sales staff to effectively communicate the
features and benefits of homes with EPA-recommended indoor air
improvements to new homebuyers.
For more information or to review EPA's Indoor Air Package Specifications,
visit www.energystar.gov/homes
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WHAT IS ENERGY STAR?
ENERGY STAR is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency,
helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior
energy efficiency. It identifies new homes, buildings, and more than 40 types
of products that are energy efficient and offer the features, quality, and
performance today's consumers expect. Products earning the ENERGY STAR
label include appliances, lighting, vent fans, home office equipment, consumer
electronics, and heating and cooling equipment. The ENERGY STAR label on
a new home means that it is independently verified to be at least 15% more
efficient than homes built to the 2003 IECC.
ENERGY STAR is a voluntary partnership between the government and more
than 7,000 organizations, including over 2,500 of the nation's homebuilders.
Together with the homebuilding industry, ENERGY STAR is working to achieve
a common goal—protecting the environment for future generations by
changing to more energy-efficient practices today.
ENERGY STAR
INDOOR AIR PACKAGE
Homes with the ENERGY STAR
Indoor Air Package are at least
15% more energy efficient than
homes built to the 2003 International
Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
and are designed to have improved
indoor air quality compared to
code-built homes.
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United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Air and Radiation (6202J)
EPA430-E-05-003
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