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CERTIFICATION AND TRAINING
Training and certification programs are available to ensure that energy auditors and contractors are fully qualified to assess your house and implement effective measures that simultaneously improve energy efficiency, air quality, durability, and safety.
Professional Certification
Contractor Accreditation
Training Centers
Home Performance with EnergyStar Program
Be sure to check out our calendar for upcoming events and classes.
Professional Certification
When choosing an energy auditor, look for BPI Building Analyst or RESNET HERS Rater certification.
BPI Professional Certification
Web: www.bpi.org
BPI training, from a network of affiliates, teaches the fundamentals of home performance evaluation, home performance assessments, building envelope and HVAC testing and more. Whole-home retrofit planning helps prioritize repairs and provide customers with an economic forecast of return on investment through energy savings. Training on the execution of retrofit projects has a focus on the house-as-a-system concept, tracing problems to their root causes and prescribing solutions that actually work.
BPI Building Analyst Professional Certification is granted to individuals who have passed a written exam demonstrating a knowledge of the fundamentals of whole home retrofit planning and execution, and passed a proctored field test demonstrating competence in using equipment to perform key measurements and safety tests.
All BPI Professional Certifications are based on demonstrated knowledge and competence in applying building science and safety principals.
Web: www.natresnet.org
HERS Rater
HERS raters are certified by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) to conduct audits and accurately determine the home’s HERS Index, which rates energy efficiency for uses such as real estate marketing programs and energy efficiency financing programs.
The HERS Index is a scoring system in which a home built to the specifications of the HERS Reference Home (based on the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code) scores a HERS Index of 100, while a net zero energy home scores a HERS Index of 0. The lower a home’s HERS Index, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the HERS Reference Home.
Each 1-point decrease in the HERS Index corresponds to a 1% reduction in energy consumption compared to the HERS Reference Home. Thus a home with a HERS Index of 85 is 15% more energy efficient than the HERS Reference Home and a home with a HERS Index of 80 is 20% more energy efficient.
HERS Raters in Washington are trained and certified by:
- Washington State University Energy Program, in Olympiawww.energy.wsu.edu/projects/building
Performance Tested Comfort Systems Northwest
Web: www.ptcsnw.com
PTCS Certified Technician
Many utilities offer conservation programs that provide financial incentives to customers who have Duct Sealing and Heat Pumps installed by a PTCS™ Certified technician.
Examples include: ENERGY STAR® Homes Northwest, public utilities that utilize funding from Bonneville Power Administration’s (BPA’s) Conservation Rate Credit, and Puget Sound Energy’s Air Source Electric Heat Pump program.
PTCS™ “Service Providers,” such as Ecos Consulting and Proctor Engineering, provide quality control by reviewing forms and conducting on site inspections. Feedback is provided to technicians and utilities in order to continue to improve the quality of the installations.
Customers can use the database at www.ptcsnw.com to find a duct sealer or heat pump installer in their area which employs PTCS Certified technicians.
Laborers International Union of North America
Web: www.liunabuildsamerica.org/weatherize
The Laborers International Union of North America’s residential energy efficiency training program provides credentials that satisfy the Home Star legislation’s certified workforce criteria. LIUNA’s weatherization training is cited as a national standard by the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board. LIUNA credentials individuals in three areas of home performance:
- Technician/Installer
- Weatherization Supervisor
- Energy Auditor
LIUNA training also includes foundational competencies all home performance workers should have:
- General Construction
- Safety and Environmental Hazards, including EPA-approved Lead Renovator training
Contractor Accreditation
BPI Contractor Accreditation
Web: www.bpi.org
BPI Accreditation is a standards-based program to identify and promote qualified and committed home performance contractors. By ensuring certified staff, quality management, and the delivery of consistent, high-quality services on every project. Accreditation requires a true commitment to approach each project from a house-as-a-system perspective and to meet nationally-recognized BPI standards every time.
Training Centers
The following training centers are members of Home Performance Washington
Olympic College
Located In: Poulsbo
Web: www.olympic.edu
Olympic College offers a Sustainable Building Advisor Certificate Course
The Sustainable Building Advisor Certificate Course will benefit you, your organization and the environment in many ways.
The Sustainable Building Advisor Certificate Course is a nine-month, specialized training program, designed to enable graduates to advise employers or clients on strategies and tools for implementing sustainable building. In this program, you will learn knowledge and skills that respond to Washington state’s new high performance for state-funded building and the growing green building movement.
Building Performance Center
Located In: Bellingham
Web: www.bpc.oppco.org
The Building Performance Center, a division of The Opportunity Council in Bellingham Washington provides training for all Washington low-income weatherization agencies.
The BPC provides technical training, diagnostic services, indoor air quality investigations/mitigation and energy efficiency retrofits. They analyze and develop practical solutions to problems associated with building performance and the indoor living environment. The BPC also provides consulting services in organizational and program development.
Energy Conservation Training Company
Located in: Portland
Web: www.econtc.com
Energy Conservation Training Company (ECONTC) offers training programs to prepare students for the growing clean energy economy. We are pleased to be participating in the creation of a new clean energy economy for a better American way.
ECONTC offers Building Performance Institute, BPI – Building Analyst, Envelope Professional, Heating Professional training and certification courses. We also offer PTCS duct sealing technician training and certification courses. RESNET HERS Rater Training is available through ECONTC’s Training Ally relationship with Saturn Resource Management.
South Seattle Community College
Located in: Seattle
Web: www.southseattle.edu
South Seattle Community College has been offering Residential Energy Audit courses (see below) and plans to offer additional weatherization skills training soon.
Located in: Kirkland
Web: http://www.greencollarcrewus.com/BPI_Training_Overview/
Green Collar Crew (GCC) BPI Training and Certification
Green Collar Crew’s BPI accredited training is based on building science and the house-as-a-system concept. Students learn the importance of conducting comprehensive whole-home assessments that go beyond a traditional energy audit to locate performance problems at the root source and fix them right – the first time.
Our classes are made up of both classroom theory and hands-on field training by our highly qualified experts covers every aspect of whole-home performance evaluation and execution. The house-as-a-system approach teaches students about the relationships between different components within the home, how to identify problems at the root cause and provide solutions that improve energy efficiency while providing important safety functions such as mold prevention, indoor air quality, carbon monoxide testing, and combustion appliance safety checks.
Upon completion of the classroom and field portions of the training, you will be administered the official BPI written and field certification exams.
Home Performance with EnergyStar Program
Web: www.energystar.gov
Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, a national program from the U.S. EPA and U.S. DOE, offers a comprehensive, whole-house approach to improving energy efficiency and comfort at home, while helping to protect the environment.
Contractors participating in a locally-sponsored Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program can help you cost-effectively improve your home’s energy efficiency. These specially-trained contractors evaluate your home using state-of-the-art equipment and recommend comprehensive improvements that will yield the best results.
Puget Sound Energy is in the process of rolling out a Home Performance with Energy Star program within its 11 county service territory.
This information is here to help industry members and prospective industry members obtain training and certification. Home Performance Washington is not formally affiliated with any of the providers described on this page.