MALTA, N.Y., July 28, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI) reached 25,000 active certifications this week, more than tripling its total number of professional certifications in the home performance and weatherization workforce in just 18 months.
"Reaching this milestone signifies the strong demand for nationally recognized professional credentials in the home performance and broader remodeling workforce," said David Hepinstall, Chairman of BPI. "Across the energy efficiency retrofit industry, energy auditors, HVAC technicians, insulation installers, remodelers, general contractors and many others in residential construction are responding to the need for top quality standards to guide their work in energy retrofits."
Nowhere has the growth in certifications been faster than in western states, led by California which achieved 2,000 certifications this week, up 241 percent since this time last year.
BPI is also currently pursuing accreditation to ISO 17024 through its formal application to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This stringent review and audit by ANSI will entail a complete assessment of the BPI personnel certification process, measuring it against international standards for organizations that provide personnel certifications.
Record numbers of BPI certified personnel have led to rapid expansion in the number of contracting companies earning BPI Accredited Contractor status. In the past 18 months this number has more than doubled to 700 companies. This elite group of firms has taken the extra step in home performance contracting. They've made a commitment to offer their clients solutions based on house-as-a-system building science, backed up by BPI's third-party quality assurance program and BPI-certified technicians.
About the Building Performance Institute
The Building Performance Institute, Inc., (BPI) is the nation's premier building performance credentialing, quality assurance and standards setting organization. BPI develops technical standards using an open, transparent, consensus-based process built on sound building science. BPI is approved by the American National Standards Institute, Inc. (ANSI) as an accredited developer of American National Standards.
BPI offers the following:
- National standards to ensure top quality, consistent protocols are being followed throughout the home performance and weatherization workforce
- Certification of individuals in building analyst, heating, AC/heat pump, shell/envelope and multi-family designations
- Accreditation of contracting companies committed to delivering quality home performance improvements
- Quality assurance to verify conformance with BPI Standards and provide feedback for continuing improvement
- Affiliation of training organizations that deliver BPI services in their market
For more information on BPI, visit www.bpi.org.
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The following pictures are available for download:
| [Image] | Cumulative Active Accreditations |
| [Image] | Total Active Certifications |