This policy applies to Verification Organizations.
US EPA ENERGY STAR® New Homes
US EPA Indoor airPlus
DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Version 1, Rev 08The verification organization must be a legal entity or a defined part of a legal entity. The verification organization may be a sole proprietorship.
If the verification organization is part of a legal entity involved in activities other than verifications for the certification and labeling of homes using referenced standards and codes, ENERGY STAR® Certification Protocols, Indoor airPlus certification protocols, or Zero Energy Ready Home certification protocols, the verification organization shall be identified within that legal entity.
The verification organization must have documentation which describes the activities for which it is competent.
The verification organization must have adequate provision (insurance or reserves, for example) to cover liabilities rising from its verification operations.
The verification organization must have documentation which describes the contractual conditions under which it provides the verification activities, except when it provides those verification activities to the legal entity it is a part of.
The verification organization must be structured and managed to safeguard impartiality.
The verification organization must be organized and managed to enable it to maintain the capability to perform its verification activities.
The verification organization must take steps to keep it informed about applicable technical and legislative developments concerning its verification activities.
Verification organizations must maintain their capability and competence to carry out verification activities performed at intervals longer than one year. The verification organization may demonstrate its capability and competence through “dummy verifications”.
The verification organization must define and document the responsibilities and reporting structure of the organization through an up-to-date organizational chart or documents that clearly indicate the functions and lines of authority for staff within the verification organization. The position of designees shall be clearly shown in the chart or documents.
When the verification organization is part of a legal entity that performs other activities, the relationship between these other activities and verification activities must be defined.
The verification organization may have one or more persons as Quality Assessment Designees. The Quality Assessment Designee(s) has the overall responsibility to ensure the verification activities are carried out in conformance with ENERGY STAR® Certification Protocols (as applicable), Indoor airPlus certification protocols (as applicable), Zero Energy Ready Home certification protocols, and referenced standards and codes. The persons in this function must be certified by the Building Science Institute, technically competent, and experienced in the operations of the verification organization. If the verification organization has more than one Quality Assessment Designee, the specific responsibilities of each designee must be defined and documented. The persons must have the technical competence necessary to understand all significant issues involved in the performance of verification activities, and meet the Quality Assessor Competency requirements in conformance with Building Science Institute, Ltd. Co. Process 002 Building Science Education Training & Certification System. The verification organization must not perform quality management work on other verification organizations, unless those other verification organizations perform subcontracted work for the first verification organization, and then the first verification organization may only perform quality management work on the subcontracted work.
All Quality Assessment Designees must act on behalf of the Building Science Institute’s True North Quality Management Services in the implementation of the Building Science Institute’s Home Certification program. The Building Science Institute, Ltd. Co. is responsible for all conformity assessment activities performed by Quality Assessment Designees that are related to the ENERGY STAR, Indoor airPlus, Zero Energy Ready Home, and ERI certification programs.
In the absence of any Quality Assessment Designees, the verification organization must have verification oversight provided by the Building Science Institute’s True North Quality Management Services.
The verification organization must have a job description or other documentation for each position category involved in verification activities within its organization. This includes verifiers, software analysts, managers, and any other position that could have an effect on the management, performance, or reporting of verifications. The job description or documentation must detail the duties, responsibilities, and authority for each position category.
Approved by the Building Science Institute, Ltd. Co. Quality Council on December 13, 2022.
Approve: Amber Wood, Brian Christensen, Erik Straite, Kevin Burk, Wes Davis
Reject: None
Not Voting: Brett Dillon, Chair
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