TRANSCRIPT – Verifier Perspectives: Taking the Home Verification Industry to a New Level

ANNE RANCOURT: Welcome to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Indoor airPLUS Podcast Series. I’m Anne Rancourt, and I’m speaking with Kelly Parker, President of Guaranteed Watt Savers System, Inc. (GWS). GWS is a leader in rating Indoor airPLUS homes in Oklahoma. 

Kelly, thanks for joining me.

KELLY PARKER: Thank you, Anne. 

ANNE RANCOURT: So Kelly, tell us a little bit about how Indoor airPLUS is helping you succeed?

KELLY PARKER: Well, it’s a great avenue for GWS to highlight the building science knowledge that our company possesses. As a national provider and a consultant, it’s important for GWS to increase awareness of how building practices actually impact indoor air quality and the Indoor airPLUS program is a great tool to meet those goals. 

We work with raters and builders all across the nation and there seems to be, you know, a local green program specific to a city or region in almost every state. But, since the Indoor airPLUS Program is directly from EPA, it’s a great way to standardize the way our industry approaches indoor air quality. 

ANNE RANCOURT: And, why are your raters excited about the program, would you say?

KELLY PARKER: Well, I think first, our raters use the Indoor airPlus certification as a way to increase their services offered to builders or to a consumer. So, it makes it profitable for them. Second, they’re excited to see multiple options when it comes to certifications because builders are at different levels. Each one has a different rating need and we want to help our raters to provide and fill that need. 

Then third, raters are excited to see a program that is easy to verify. Since ENERGY STAR certification is required for Indoor airPLUS homes, raters are already on-site performing these inspections. Indoor airPLUS is simple – it’s one page checklist and it can be easily completed during the standard first, or what we call a, “final inspection.” 

ANNE RANCOURT: Have you found that your customers are also excited about the program?
	
KELLY PARKER: First, it’s an educational process, and so when you start talking about reduced allergens, asthma triggers, reduced radon, even reduced toxins – consumers do take notice. 

And so, they look for a way to validate the builder’s claims about the homes. The Indoor airPLUS certification is a way for those homebuyers to recognize that a third party has inspected the home for air quality, building techniques, and they can expect to live in a comfortable, healthy home. 

ANNE RANCOURT: And, why do you think indoor air quality is becoming an important factor in new homes?
	
KELLY PARKER: The estimate is that they’re, you know, over 90 percent of our time is spent indoors, and the pollutant levels in a typical home can be higher than the outdoor. So, energy and indoor air quality should be a top priority for anyone who lives in a home. 

ANNE RANCOURT: How is Indoor airPLUS helping your company, and does it figure in to your future plans at all for GWS?

KELLY PARKER: The answer is yes. Future plans, or we’re always looking for additional certifications that our raters can use in promoting them as a rater or their need to be on a job site. So, with Indoor airPLUS having the prerequisite of ENERGY STAR, this additional certification creates the next logical step for a rater or provider to show the homeowner that they can create a better environment. And, homeowners are always looking for that, and the awareness by homeowners is increasing not just with energy but with the indoor air quality, and so the Indoor airPLUS certification adds to the next level. And this creates the next logical step in the future for both GWS and any of our national raters to provide a beneficial third party certification on a home.

ANNE RANCOURT: Kelly, thanks so much for calling in today.

KELLY PARKER: Well, thank you Anne. 

ANNE RANCOURT: To learn more about EPA’s Indoor airPLUS label or to listen to more podcasts go to epa.gov/indoorairplus. I’m Anne Rancourt from The Cadmus Group.