WELL certification and indoor air quality: ensuring maximum score with inBiot

April 2024

In the post-COVID-19 era, the importance of indoor health has taken center stage, leading to an increase in the demand for certifications that assess the comfort of buildings. In this context, the WELL certificate, or WELL Building Standard, is presented as one of the most internationally recognized building evaluation systems, focused exclusively on the health and well-being of its occupants.

Established by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the WELL standard has evolved from the original version (WELL v1) to the current WELL v2 and WELL Performance Rating, all aimed at improving the quality of life of users.  

WELL STANDARD v2

The WELL Standard v2 certification focuses on the health and comfort of people, based on building performance rather than prescribing specific solutions.  

It works from 10 key concepts that provide sufficient knowledge and metrics under a holistic and integral certification work - air, water, food, lighting, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind and community.

For each concept, some requirements are mandatory ("precondition") and others allow for additional voluntary points ("optimization"), with a minimum of 40 points to achieve certification.

Because of the enormous impact of air quality on our health, air is at the top of the list of key concepts that WELL aims to improve. WELL promotes proper indoor air quality by encouraging the verification of healthy levels, monitoring and various methods of improvement. These include elimination and reduction of pollutant sources, intervention in behaviors that worsen air quality, and a special emphasis on implementing indoor air quality monitoring systems.


inBiot's solutions are designed to help companies meet the A01, A03 and T01 preconditions, as well as earn additional points through A05, A06, A08, T06 and T07 to achieve a better overall certification score.

All our devices have been accredited by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) with the "Works With WELL" mark , validating their alignment with WELL standards. Standing out among them, our most advanced monitor, MICA WELL, is equipped with precision sensors that monitor a wide range of parameters, enabling companies to achieve the highest WELL score compared to any other device available on the market.

inBiot compliance chart for WELL Certification

WELL PERFORMANCE RATING

WELL Performance Rating is a certification based on WELL certification that is characterized by the use of performance data and user experience to help improve the indoor environment of buildings in terms of health.

WELL Performance Rating provides an effective solution for monitoring or achieving specific performance thresholds related to indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in the concepts of indoor air quality, water quality management, lighting measurements, thermal conditions, acoustic performance, environmental control and occupant experience.

The certification includes 33 features grouped into these 7 categories, with Air Quality carrying the most weight, with a total of 9 features. Each feature earns points, and projects must achieve a minimum of 21 to achieve the WELL Performance Rating.


By monitoring indoor air quality, projects can earn 8 points in the "Indoor Air Quality" category, plus 3 additional points in the "Environmental Monitoring" category for measuring air parameters (PM1), installing IAQ monitors (PM2) and promoting air quality awareness (PM3), and 1 additional point in the "Thermal Conditions" category by monitoring relative humidity.

In this way, MICA devices can contribute up to 12 of the 21 points required for WELL performance qualification:

inBiot compliance table for WELL PERFORMANCE RATING


Our devices also meet the accuracy, range and sensor technology requirements that are common to WELL Standard and WELL Performance Rating. These criteria are detailed in the following table, based on the Performance Verification Guidebook guidelines:

inBiot Indoor Air Quality Sensor Compliance Chart for WELL Certification

In addition, thanks to the indoor air quality data displayed in My inBiot, it is possible to download the data report in the format required by WELL and WELL Performance Rating. This report can be sent directly to the IWBI for annual analysis and for the building recertification process, making it easier for companies to manage the data, saving time and simplifying the process.

How are they different?  

The key difference between WELL Certification and the WELL Performance Rating lies in their assessment approach and the criteria used to measure the quality of the indoor environment of buildings.

WELL certification proposes to measure a series of metrics called concepts, which have mandatory requirements (precondition) and additional point options (optimization). The overall WELL score is calculated taking into account compliance with preconditions and project optimizations.

The WELL Certification assessment involves an on-site review by WELL AP professionals, who verify that all requirements have been met and the corresponding documents have been submitted.

In contrast, the WELL Performance Rating focuses on metrics based on user performance and experience. There are no mandatory qualification attainment levels or preconditions for certification. Instead, this assessment is based on performance data, which may include continuous measurements, real-time data reports, and performance tests.

Finally, the WELL Performance Rating can be achieved as a stand-alone designation or as a milestone on the path to WELL Certification at different levels.

Both WELL Certification and the WELL Performance Rating are significant commitments to health and wellness in buildings, and inBiot's solutions are designed to meet the requirements of both, helping companies to excel and constantly improve the indoor environment.

Feel free to contact us for more information! inBiot is a member of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and we have a team of specialists, with WELL AP professionals, ready to advise and guide you towards creating a healthy and sustainable indoor environment.

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