Indoor AirPlus Version 2 National Program Requirements Eligibility Requirements The building types listed below, including newly constructed buildings or those undergoing gut rehabilitation, are eligible to earn Indoor AirPlus certification after verification of compliance with the program specifications. For multifamily buildings, the Indoor AirPlus requirements apply to all dwelling units, sleeping units, and common spaces in the building. They do not apply to commercial or retail space. EPA recognizes that some prescriptive program requirements present unique challenges for homes and buildings undergoing gut rehabilitation. To help mitigate these challenges, EPA has developed alternative compliance options that have been incorporated directly into the program specifications. EPA acknowledges that increased flexibility and alternative assessment protocols for existing buildings are important to promote adoption of broader indoor air quality protections through professional inspection of newly installed features, along with the performance outcomes of existing assemblies and systems. EPA is committed to including alternatives that demonstrate and promote sustained indoor air quality improvements, consistent with the intent of the respective certification. The following building1 types (either new construction or undergoing a gut rehabilitation) are eligible to participate in the Indoor AirPlus certification program: • Site built or modular2 dwellings3 (e.g., single-family homes, duplexes); • Townhouses4; • Multifamily or mixed-use buildings with dwelling or sleeping units5; Partnership, Training, and Credentialing Requirements The following requirements must be met prior to certifying buildings: • The Builder or Developer for the building is required to sign an Indoor AirPlus Partnership Agreement,6 which can be found at https://www.epa.aov/indoorairplus/indoor-airplus-partnership-terms-and-commitments-homebuilders. At least one representative of the partnering organization is required to complete the online "Indoor AirPlus Version 2 Training" and communicate or otherwise distribute the training content discretionally to the appropriate staff within the organization responsible for implementation of the program requirements (e.g., construction supervisors, purchasing managers, et.al.). Deadlines for training completion and documentation will be forthcoming (pending EPA release, estimated in early 2025). • Verification Companies are required to sign an Indoor AirPlus Partnership Agreement, which can be found at https://www.epa.aov/indoorairplus/indoor-airplus-partnership-terms-and-commitments-ratina-companies. and operate under a Home Certification Organization (HCO).7 HCO requirements, including the oversight of certification and quality assurance, will be outlined in the forthcoming revisions to the Indoor AirPlus Certification System (estimated in late 2024). • Verifiers8 are required to complete EPA-recognized "Indoor AirPlus Version 2 Training", (pending EPA release, estimated in early 2025) and be credentialed by a Home Certification Organization (HCO) prior to completing inspections (pending EPA approval of an IAP HCO application(s)). Indoor AirPlus Certification Process 1. Per the IAP V2 Implementation Timeline in Exhibit 1, IAP Verifier partners can continue using the Indoor AirPlus Version 1 certification process with either the Indoor airPLUS Version 1 (Rev. 4) Construction Specifications or the Indoor AirPlus Version 2 Verification Requirements. All new homes and apartments with building permits on or after January 1, 2026 will need to be certified under an EPA-recognized IAP HCO. 2. The Indoor AirPlus Version 2 certification process offers two tiers to earn Indoor AirPlus certification: a. Certified: The dwelling units (and multifamily common spaces9, where applicable) are designed and constructed to meet or exceed all the applicable items in the Indoor AirPlus Verification Requirements10. b. Gold: The dwelling units (and multifamily common spaces9, where applicable) are designed and constructed to meet or exceed all the applicable items in the Indoor AirPlus Verification Requirements10, including the applicable requirements marked "Gold", in addition to achieving ENERGY STAR certification (either Single Family New Homes or Multifamily New Construction). 3. For multifamily buildings. Indoor AirPlus certification can only be achieved where all requirements are met in all dwelling units, sleeping units, and common spaces in the building. 4. During construction and upon building completion, an Indoor AirPlus Verifier8 confirms that all requirements have been met, using the referenced inspection and testing procedures including all Addenda and Normative Appendices, with new versions and Addenda implemented according to the schedule defined by the HCO. For modular2 buildings, a Verifier must confirm any requirement in the plant not able to be verified on-site because a feature will be concealed prior to shipment. July 2024 ------- Indoor AirPlus Version 2 National Program Requirements The Indoor AirPlus Verifier must review all items on the Verification Checklist for the whole building.1 For multifamily buildings, verifiers are permitted to use a sampling protocol if approved by the HCO and EPA. Sampling is permitted for single-family homes, two-family buildings, and townhouses with building permit dates prior to 01/01/2025. Sampling is not permitted for single-family homes, two-family buildings, or townhouses with building permit dates on or after 01/01/2025. Verifiers are expected to use their experience and discretion to verify that the overall intent of each inspection checklist item has been met (i.e., identifying major defects that undermine the intent of the checklist item versus identifying minor defects that the Verifier may deem acceptable). In the event that a Verifier finds an item that is inconsistent with the intent of the checklists, the building cannot earn the Indoor AirPlus label until the item is corrected. If correction of the item is not possible, the building cannot earn the Indoor AirPlus label and individual units in a multifamily building also cannot be certified. In the event that an item on a Verification Checklist cannot be inspected by the Verifier, either in person or using approved remote protocols approved by the HCO, the building also cannot earn the Indoor AirPlus label. In the event that a Verifier is not able to determine whether a practice is consistent with the intent of the Indoor AirPlus requirement (e.g., an alternative method of meeting a checklist requirement has been proposed), then the Verifier shall consult their HCO. If the HCO also cannot make this determination, then the Verifier or HCO shall report the issue to EPA (Indoor AirPlus@epa.gov) prior to building completion and will receive an initial response within 5 business days. If EPA believes the current program requirements are sufficiently clear to determine whether the intent has been met, then this guidance will be provided to the partner and enforced beginning with the building in question. In contrast, if EPA believes the program requirements require revisions to make the intent clear, then this guidance will be provided to the partner but only enforced for buildings permitted after the release of the revised program requirements. This will allow EPA to make formal policy decisions as partner questions arise and to disseminate these policy decisions through the Policy Record and the periodic release of revised program documents to ensure consistent application of the program requirements. 5. Once verification on all units (and common spaces, where applicable) is complete, the Verifier is required to keep for a minimum of 3 years the electronic or hard copies of the completed and signed Verification Checklist and for the Gold tier, any documentation associated with ENERGY STAR certification. Additionally, the following steps are required: a. Certified: submit the building to the Indoor AirPlus HCO for final Indoor AirPlus certification and follow the HCO's certification and oversight procedures (e.g., quality assurance, recordkeeping, and reporting). b. Gold: submit the building to the respective HCO(s) for final ENERGY STAR and Indoor AirPlus certification and follow the HCO's certification and oversight procedures (e.g., quality assurance, recordkeeping, and reporting). 6. Each certified unit must be issued a completed Indoor AirPlus certificate and a certification label to be affixed to the circuit breaker box (or other suitable location). Certificates and labels are issued to the Verifier by the HCO. For multifamily, building-level certificates are also available upon request. 7. The Verifier must either provide the certificate to the home/building owner or forward the certificate to the builder, who then must provide the certificate to the home/building owner. Effective Date Using the Indoor AirPlus Version 1 certification process, buildings permitted on or after August 1, 2024 are eligible to earn Indoor AirPlus certification using the Indoor AirPlus Version 2 Verification Requirements. Buildings permitted prior to January 1, 2026, may continue to be certified under Indoor AirPlus, Version 1, Rev.04. Buildings permitted on or after January 1, 2026, may only be certified under Indoor AirPlus, Version 2 under an EPA-recognized Indoor AirPlus Home Certification Organization. Exhibit 1: Indoor AirPlus Certification Implementation Timeline Buildings Permitted11 On or After This Date Must Meet the Corresponding Version and Revision Indoor AirPlus Program Version Revision HCO Required May 1,2018 Version 1 Rev.04 No January 1, 2026 Version 2, Certified Yes January 1, 2026 Version 2, Gold Yes July 2024 2 ------- Indoor AirPlus Version 2 National Program Requirements Endnotes: 1. Buildings that do not contain dwelling or sleeping units are not eligible for certification under Indoor AirPlus. The term 'building' refers to a structure that encompasses dwelling/sleeping units and (if present) common spaces, sharing one or more of the following attributes: a common street address, a common entrance or exit, central/shared mechanical systems, or structurally interdependent wall or roof systems. A skyway or a breezeway that connects two structures is not considered a common entrance or exit. Attached structures such as townhouses and 4-story two-unit structures (commonly referred to as "2-over-2s") may be considered separate buildings if they are divided by a vertical fire separation wall from the foundation to the roof sheathing and share none of the other attributes listed above. 2. A modular building is a prefabricated building that is made of multiple modules or sections that are manufactured and substantially assembled in a manufacturing plant. These pre-built sections are transported to the building site and constructed by a builder to meet all applicable building codes for site-built buildings. 3. The term 'dwelling' refers to a detached building with one or two dwelling units. 4. The term 'townhouse' refers to a single-family dwelling unit constructed in a group of three or more attached units in which each unit extends from the foundation to roof and with open space on at least two sides. 5. The term 'multifamily' in the context of the Indoor AirPlus program requirements describes a building with three or more dwelling or sleeping units (e.g., an apartment building, a multi-unit building without common space). It does not include a row or group of townhouses. A dwelling unit, as defined by the 2021 IRC, is a single unit providing complete independent living facilities for one or more persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation. The term 'sleeping unit' refers to a room or space in which people sleep, which can also include permanent provisions for living, eating, and either sanitation or kitchen facilities but not both. For the purposes of eligibility, hotels, motels, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities that meet the definition of Senior Care Communities are not eligible for the Indoor AirPlus program. Dormitories, residence halls, buildings with single-room occupancies, supportive housing, cohousing, and other non-senior assisted living facilities are eligible for the Indoor AirPlus program. 6. The Builder or Developer must determine a Signatory for their Indoor AirPlus Partnership Agreement. This should be a representative of the organization who is authorized to bind the organization to the terms and commitments of the Agreement. 7. Home Certification Organizations (HCOs) are independent organizations recognized by EPA to implement an Indoor AirPlus certification program. Requirements pertaining to HCOs will be in effect once EPA publishes a final Indoor AirPlus Version 2 Certification System. 8. The term 'Verifier' refers to the person(s) employed by a partnering Indoor AirPlus Verification Company who is completing the third-party verification required for certification. The Verifier shall hold, at minimum, a credential based on the competencies required for compliance with ANSI/BPI-1200- S-2017, the Standard Practice for Basic Analysis of Buildings or a similar standard as determined by an HCO and approved by EPA. For purposes of the Indoor AirPlus Gold tier, the Verifier shall also demonstrate the credentials and training required to participate as a 'Rater' according to the associated ENERGY STAR Residential program(s). Verifiers will have successfully completed an EPA-recognized "Indoor AirPlus Version 2 Training" (pending EPA release, estimated 2025). 9. The term 'common space' refers to any spaces in the building being certified that serve a function in support of the residential part of the building that is not part of a dwelling or sleeping unit. This includes spaces used by residents, such as corridors, stairs, lobbies, laundry rooms, exercise rooms, residential recreation rooms, and dining halls, as well as offices and other spaces used by building management, administration, or maintenance in support of the residents. 10. These requirements apply to all dwelling units, sleeping units, common spaces9, and garages (where identified in the specifications). These requirements do not apply to commercial or retail spaces. These requirements do not apply to common spaces that are located in buildings on the property without any dwelling or sleeping units. Compliance with these requirements are not intended to imply compliance with all local code requirements that may be applicable to the building to be built. While certification will result in compliance with many code requirements, a Verifier is not responsible for ensuring that all code requirements have been met prior to certification. Indoor AirPlus requirements are not intended to supersede where local jurisdictions may have more stringent requirements (e.g., duct leakage allowances). 11. The 'permit date' is the date on which the permit authorizing construction of the building was issued. Alternatively, the date of the Verifier's first site visit or the date of the contract on the home is allowed to be used as the 'permit date'. For buildings other than townhouses and site-built or modular detached dwellings (e.g., single-family homes and duplexes), the application date of the permit is allowed to be used as the 'permit date'. Office of Air and Radiation EPA 402/K-24/008 July 2024 3 ------- |