MALTA, N.Y., March 13, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In June 2012 the Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI) will introduce four new Home Energy Professional certifications to the nation's weatherization and home performance workforce. Offered by BPI and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the four certifications focus on the most common job classifications in the home energy upgrade industry: energy auditor, retrofit installer, crew leader and quality control inspector.
"The weatherization and home performance industry has long seen the need for nationally recognized, transferable certifications for workers employed by the Weatherization Assistance Program and the broader home performance industry," said Larry Zarker, BPI CEO. "A successful candidate from one geographic region will be verified as having the same knowledge and skills as a successful candidate from the other side of the country. This mobility allows certified professionals to go wherever the work is. The development of a single, consistent set of national certifications for home performance professionals will help to remove any existing confusion in the marketplace."
The new credentials will meet the international benchmark for personnel certifications across all industries - the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO 17024) standard. Under ISO 17024, each new certification is developed and administered using international best practices, such as cross-disciplinary peer review and industry validation of technical materials.
BPI will pilot written and field practical exams during the month of June. The results of the pilot test cycle will be used to set passing scores for the national exams. Candidates who take these exams and meet passing requirements will be amongst the first group of professionals to earn these certifications. BPI expects to roll the exams out nationally in the fall of 2012.
The new certifications will complement and build upon BPI's existing credentials in the home performance career ladder, where increased knowledge and skills lead to advancement. They are designed to allow professionals in the home energy upgrade industry build both a stackable and lateral career lattice. These certifications will not replace or interfere with professional certifications in the building trades, such as HVACR, plumbing or remodeling, but rather are intended to support the four most common whole-house home performance job roles.
Registration for the pilot certification exams is now open online at: www.bpi.org/pilot.
Scheduling of pilot exams will begin in May 2012.
To meet the quality and rigor of ISO 17024 accredited certifications, all candidates must meet prerequisite criteria prior to taking the written or field exams. Prerequisites for each certification include:
- Energy Auditor Certification Prerequisites
- Retrofit Installer Certification Prerequisites
- Crew Leader Certification Prerequisites
- Quality Control Inspector Certification Prerequisites
Certification background
To develop the new certifications, more than 70 industry-nominated volunteers were convened to create certification blueprints. These blueprints define the general requirements of each certification: prerequisites, exam structure, practicum, and recertification requirements. They are based on NREL's four Job Task Analyses (JTAs), which were developed and validated by more than 800 industry experts. The certification blueprints were produced in accordance with the ISO 17024 standard.
About the Building Performance Institute
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
- Partnership with testing organizations that deliver BPI services in their market
Contact:
Leslie McDowell
Building Performance Institute, Inc.
lmcdowell@bpi.org
202-223-9510
www.bpi.org
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