TRANSCRIPT – Verifier Perspectives: Improving Indoor Air Quality through Indoor airPLUS

ANNE RANCOURT: Welcome to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Indoor airPLUS Podcast Series. I’m Anne Rancourt, and I’m speaking with Gary Fries of ASERusa. ASER is a leader in rating Indoor airPLUS homes in St. Louis, Missouri. Gary, thanks for joining me.

GARY FRIES: Thank you.

ANNE RANCOURT: Gary, tell me a little bit about how you feel that Indoor airPLUS is helping you succeed. 

GARY FRIES: ASERusa takes the time to explain to a builder how they can differentiate themselves from their competition by using Indoor airPLUS. For those builders that want to build to a high-level of indoor air quality, the most proven label available today is the Indoor airPLUS program. 

ANNE RANCOURT: What response have you had from your raters?

GARY FRIES: Raters like ASERusa are excited about Indoor airPLUS because of the program’s ability to address all the “common sense” items that go into this indoor air quality program’s design for a home.

ANNE RANCOURT: And what has been your customer’s reaction?  

GARY FRIES: Customers are excited here in the Midwest where the indoor air quality has issues. The indoor air quality is a feature that is very important and sought out by many potential homeowners, but little is known how to achieve it. The Midwest has a high concentration of molds, pollens, and other particulates in our air.  

ANNE RANCOURT: What kinds of homes have ASER had qualified?	

GARY FRIES: Most of the homes that ASERusa rates for the indoor airPLUS program are custom-home clients seeking high air quality because they just want the best air quality for their family. However, ASERusa has certified over 50 affordable homes with these same quality features.

ANNE RANCOURT: And Gary, you touched on this a little bit, but why do you think indoor air quality is an important factor in new homes?

GARY FRIES: Here in the Midwest, indoor air quality is an important factor mostly because of the allergens and the pollutants that we have in our air. It’s a known fact that Americans spend over 90 percent of their time inside some type of a building, homes or commercial buildings. So anytime we can raise the bar, the level, of those homes to a higher standard through air filtration and other methodologies like that, the more healthy it is for all of us.

ANNE RANCOURT: How does Indoor airPLUS figure in to your business?

GARY FRIES: the Indoor airPLUS program allows us to move the client to a higher standard for their homes.

ANNE RANCOURT: Has indoor airPLUS helped when trying to get other green certifications? 

GARY FRIES: For clients seeking Green Home Certification for their homes, Indoor airPLUS allows the client those extra features of indoor air quality that they expect from the Green Home Programs anyway.  And, Indoor airPLUS is a performance path for the LEED for Homes program in their Section EQ.

ANNE RANCOURT: Gary, thank you so much.

GARY FRIES: Sure thing, thank you for having us.

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.