Indoor airPLUS Certified Homes National Program Requirements, Version 2 Eligibility Requirements Dwelling units of the building types listed below, including newly constructed buildings or those undergoing a gut rehabilitation, are eligible to earn the Indoor airPLUS label after verification of the program specifications. EPA recognizes that some prescriptive program requirements present unique challenges for homes and buildings undergoing a 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 IAQ 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 dwellings 3 (e.g., single-family homes, duplexes); • Townhouses4; • Multifamily or mixed-use buildings with dwelling or sleeping units 5; 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, which can be found at https://www.epa.aov/indoorairplus/indoor-airplus-partnership-terms-and-commitments-homebuilders and complete the online "Builder / Developer Orientation" (pending EPA release, est. 2024). • 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).6 Learn more about HCO requirements in the Indoor airPLUS Certification System. • Verifiers 7 are required to complete EPA-recognized training, (pending EPA release, est. 2024). Indoor airPLUS Certification Process 1. The Indoor airPLUS Version 2 certification process offers two tiers to earn the Indoor airPLUS label. Regardless of the building type or tier selected, buildings must be certified through an HCO. The Verifier must be under HCO oversight prior to the first inspection. a. Certified: The dwelling units (and multifamily common spaces8, where applicable) are designed and constructed to meet or exceed all the applicable items in the Indoor airPLUS Certified Verification Requirements 9 for Homes and Apartments. b. Gold: The dwelling units (and multifamily common spaces 8, where applicable) are designed and constructed to meet or exceed all the applicable items in the Indoor airPLUS Gold Verification Requirements 9 for Homes and Apartments, in addition to items required for ENERGY STAR certification (either Single Family New Homes or Multifamily New Construction). 2. An Indoor airPLUS Verifier7 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. The Indoor airPLUS Verifier must review all items on the Verification Checklist for the whole building.1 Verifiers are permitted to use a sampling protocol if approved by the HCO and EPA. 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. DRAFT-JANUARY 2023 Page 1 of 3 ------- Indoor airPLUS Certified Homes National Program Requirements, Version 2 3. Once verification on all units (and common spaces, where applicable) is complete, the Verifier is required to keep for a minimum of 10 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). 4. The Indoor airPLUS certification includes a 5-year expiration. While the label does not need to be removed upon expiration, the certification is deemed to be "expired" after 5 years from verification. The home/building owner may seek recertification before or after the expiration, following the applicable program requirements. Additional guidance on recertification and verification procedures are in development. Effective Date Buildings permitted prior to January 1, 2024, are permitted to participate in either Indoor airPLUS, Version 1, Rev.04 or Indoor airPLUS Version 2. Buildings permitted on or after January 1, 2024, are only able to participate in Indoor airPLUS, Version 2. Exhibit 1: Indoor airPLUS Certification Implementation Timeline Buildings Permitted 10 On or After This Date Must Meet the Adjacent Version Indoor airPLUS Program Version Revision May 1, 2018 Version 1 Rev. 04 January 1, 2025 Version 2, Certified January 1, 2025 Version 2, Gold DRAFT-JANUARY 2023 Page 2 of 3 ------- Indoor airPLUS Certified Homes National Program Requirements, Version 2 Footnotes: 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. 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, and senior care facilities are not considered multifamily buildings. 6. Home Certification Organizations (HCOs) are independent organizations recognized by EPA to implement an Indoor airPLUS certification program. 7. 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. For purposes of the Indoor airPLUS Certification tier, 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 be: a) a Certified Rater or Approved Inspector, as defined by ANSI / RESNET / ICC 301, or b) an equivalent designation as determined by an HCO and approved by EPA. Verifiers will have attended and successfully completed an EPA-recognized Indoor airPLUS Version 2 training class (pending EPA release, est. 2024). 8. 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. 9. These requirements apply to all dwelling units, sleeping units, common spaces8, 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). 10. The Verifier7 may define the 'permit date' as either the date that the permit was issued or the application date of the permit. In cases where permit or application dates are not available, the HCO have discretion to estimate permit dates based on other construction schedule factors. These assumptions should be both defensible and documented. DRAFT-JANUARY 2023 Page 3 of 3 ------- |