What is BPI?

The Building Performance Institute (BPI) is a nationally recognized institute committed to the development of a highly professional home performance industry, and is currently the nationally recommended certification for energy auditors. BPI has served the Engineering, HVAC, Home Inspection, General Contracting and Multifamily Building Performance Industries since 1993. In order to teach BPI Courses, you must either be a BPI Affiliate (like CleanEdison) or partner with a BPI Affiliate.

Why become a BPI Certified Professional?

1. Increases your likelihood of finding a job in the growing green economy
2. Build a stronger, more credible name for yourself with a nationally recognized building performance certification.
3. Professional development
4. Learn the fundamentals of home-energy performance evaluation and assessment.
5. Promote sustainability through your business operations.
6. Add home-energy assessments and retrofits to your list of services.
7. Foster environmental stewardship

Course Scope

The total length of the course will be 4.5 days in addition to a 2-hour field test and a 2 hour written exam totaling 32 hours for each student. The field exam will be conducted one-on-one with each student and a field proctor that has been approved by BPI to conduct exams.

Course Description

Get certified and earn money in the Green Economy by becoming a Residential Energy Auditor and Weatherization Professional through Building Analyst Certification. As a Certified Building Analyst, you contribute to environmental sustainability and safety by identifying problems and solutions to home energy efficiency, air quality, safety and durability. This course is a five-day fast track to BPI certification and is designed for professionals with minimal experience in residential contracting or home inspection.  Using a “house-as-a-system” approach, you will learn hands-on application of skills in the field while preparing to take the Building Performance Institute’s Building Analyst Exam, which is administered by your instructor on the last day of class. By the end of the class, students will be prepared to pass the BPI written and field examinations that are administered by CleanEdison instructors.  $600 exam costs are included in course fee.

Click here for the course schedule.

Prerequisites: Minimal experience in residential contracting or home inspection.

Recommended Text (optional): Residential Energy: Cost Savings and Comfort for Existing Buildings (4th Ed.), Author: John Krigger, Publisher: Saturn Resource Management, ISBN-10: 18800120097

Class Highlights:

• 20 hours Classroom Training
• 8 hours Field Training
• BPI Building Analyst Written Exam
• BPI Building Analyst Field Exam
• CleanEdison Course Workbook
• CleanEdison Field Guide
• CleanEdison Definitions and Useful Formulas

Topics Covered:

• Wise Energy Usage
• Energy Conservation
• Energy and Consumer Home Energy Rating System (HERS)
• Lighting Types and Efficiencies
• Home Appliances: Building Construction
• Building-Shell Heat Flow
• Calculating Heating Loads and Flows
• Building Inspection and Diagnosis
• Air Sealing Principle: Blower-Door Testing
• Finding Air Leaks
• Duct Air Leakage
• Construction Flaws and Air Leakage
• Air-Sealing Methods and Materials
• Insulation
• Storm Windows and Treatment
• Storm Doors: Components & Types
• Weather-stripping: Heating Comfort Control
• Distribution Systems
• Electric Heat & Oil Safety
• Combustion Room Heaters
• Hot Water and Steam Heating
• System Spillage and Back-drafting
• Energy Efficient Combustion Furnaces
• Flue-Gas Testing and Duct Work
• Heat Pump Efficiency Ratings
• Coefficient of Performance (COP)
• Cooling with Ventilation
• Evaporative Coolers, A/C & Air Movement
• Moisture Management & Removal
• Whole-house Mechanical Ventilation
• Pollutant Dehumidifiers
• Pollutant Control Strategies
• Carbon Monoxide
• VOCs, Radon, Asbestos
• CAZ Depressurization Building System and Thermal Inspection
• Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs)
• Lighting, Plug Load, HVAC

Meeting Schedule

Lunch is provided Monday-Thursday.  Field exams may run into Saturday depending on class size.

At the end of this course you will understand:

• Testing In and Testing Out Procedures
• Thermal & Pressure Boundary Evaluation
• Critical Shell Identification & Inspection
• Blower Door Applications
• Duct Diagnostics
• Air Sealing & Dense-pack Techniques
• Prioritizing Air Sealing Work
• Insulation Techniques & Applications
• Window & Door Inspections
• Ventilation Requirements and Systems
• Indoor Air Quality Assessment
• Indoor Moisture Sources & Solutions