Everything You Need to Know About the RESET Certification

RESET is a green building standard that emphasizes the health of occupants, focusing specifically on indoor air quality (IAQ). It is the world’s first certification program that is sensor-based and performance driven. Unlike other building certifications, RESET was developed with a clear understanding that air quality needs to be continuously monitored throughout the lifetime of the project. This helps account for any changes that happen in the air due to what’s happening in the building (the number of people, the introduction of new materials into the space, general changes in the environment, etc). When sensors are removed from a project, or air quality deteriorates below the requirements, certification is lost.

Currently, there are two types of certification projects that this standard can be applied to:

• Commercial Interiors — The primary intent of this certification approach is to monitor, track, and report the quality of air breathed by the building’s occupants.
• Building Core and Shell — The main purpose of this certification approach is to monitor, track, and report the quality of the air being provided by the project’s mechanical ventilation (HVAC) system.

Who Is RESET For?

Better air quality means fewer sick days and increased productivity.  For example, in one study, a 10 ppm decrease in ozone led to increases in productivity by 4.2%.  This can translate to thousands of dollars in savings from increased performance and reduced absenteeism. While the exact ROI and increase in performance will vary between projects, studies suggest that in the US alone, potential annual savings are in the billions of dollars.

Why Is RESET Different?

While most green building standards have broad and complicated requirements, RESET focuses solely on IAQ. The standards required for RESET are based on IAQ results and don’t dictate how these results are achieved. This empowers property owners to achieve air quality targets with more flexibility and affordability.

Additionally, while many building certifications take a “measure it and leave” approach, maintaining a RESET certification requires that buildings be re-certified annually, ensuring consistently clean air quality. These stringent requirements show tenants and employees that air quality is being prioritized, and provides a guarantee of the building’s air quality.

What Are the Requirements for RESET?

RESET begins with the integration of accredited IAQ monitors. To meet the RESET certification requirements, projects need to use an air quality monitor that does the following:

• Monitors must be accredited by RESET. Only grades A & B monitors are acceptable for RESET Air projects.
• Monitors must clearly display air quality data to occupants.
• Monitors must be able to report IAQ data to the RESET Assessment cloud.
• Monitors must be wall-mountable. It’s also recommended that they are able to be hard wired to a permanent power source.
• Monitors must be able to take measurements of PM2.5, TVOC, CO2, and in certain areas, CO.
• Monitors must be able to take continuous air samples to ensure that the project is meeting RESET’s specified IAQ performance targets.
• Monitors must be calibrated annually.

For RESET, projects need an accredited monitor that tracks pollutants and effectively relays that information back to the assessment cloud for analysis. Monitors also need to have a display that’s simple for people to understand and can be easily mounted in specific parts of a building.

The Most Cost Effective RESET Monitors Available: The Sensedge and  the Sensedge Mini

Kaiterra’s Sensedge and Sensedge Mini are accredited air quality monitors that were built to meet all RESET standards. By providing real-time monitoring for optimized IAQ with easy installation and maintenance, both of the Sensedge monitors are great candidates for any project.

To maintain the RESET certification, you need to ensure that the monitor’s sensor data is 100% correct and provide annual proof of re-calibration. Instead of shipping monitors back to the manufacturer to be recalibrated (which costs time and money), you can streamline the entire process by using the Sensedge, or the Sensedge Mini, and simply switching out modules. When it comes to maintaining a RESET certification, this makes the Sensedge and the Sensedge Mini some of the most cost-effective monitors available.  

To learn how Kaiterra can help you achieve RESET Air certification, download the info packet below: