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EPA Seeks Public Comment on Best Practices for Home Energy Upgrades

Release Date: 11/09/2010
Contact Information: Stacy Kika, kika.stacy@epa.gov, 202-564-0906, 202-564-4355

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing for comment today a series of best practice tools to maintain or improve indoor air quality and residents’ health when performing home energy retrofits. These protocols will help ensure home energy retrofits include appropriate health protections. This is one part of the announcement made today by Vice President Biden on federal actions designed to build a stronger home energy retrofit market, increase energy efficiency and create savings for families across the country.

EPA’s draft Healthy Indoor Environment Protocols for Home Energy Upgrades are intended for voluntary adoption by weatherization assistance programs, federally funded housing programs, private sector home performance contractors, and others working on residential retrofit or remodeling efforts of single family and multi-family low-rise residential homes. The protocols include recommended minimum specifications and best practices to be followed during and after home energy retrofits.

The protocols serve as a companion document to the Department of Energy’s Workforce Guidelines for Home Energy Upgrades. The DOE guidelines are intended to foster the growth of a skilled work force that will increase the homeowner’s confidence in the retrofit industry and increase the demand for home energy retrofits. Together, the DOE guidelines and EPA protocols will help facilitate increased home energy efficiency, improve the quality of work performed and provide healthier homes for Americans.

EPA’s draft protocols will be available for public comment for 30 days.

More information: https://www.epa.gov/iaq/homes/retrofits.html