As the largest BPI training organization in the world, Everblue Training Institute provides local live classes in 74 U.S. cities. If you are looking for BPI training in New York City, Everblue has collaborated with Hofstra University in Hempstead to hold live classroom and field training for such certification designations as BPI Building Analyst, BPI Building Shell and Envelope Professional, and BPI Insulation and Airsealing Technician. Courses consist of all the necessary classroom and field training as well as the BPI written and field exams. You will complete all of the necessary training and exams needed to become a certified BPI professional in your chosen field in less than one week.
BPI training in New York City is scheduled on a quarterly basis and published on the Everblue Training Institute website. Professionals can view, select, and schedule their BPI courses at their convenience via the Everblue website. Payment options include an easy payment plan for those who need it, as well as traditional payment options like Visa and MasterCard. It is recommended that prospective students schedule course selections two week in advance to ensure their spot for field training and exams. Field work is scheduled on a first come, first served basis. As such, additional days may be required to allow all participants to complete necessary field training and exams.
BPI Training in New York City for designations such as Building Analyst consist of five days of classroom and field training, as well as appropriate exams. Depending on the number of participants, a sixth day may be required to cover all field work. For those professionals who do not have the luxury of taking five to six days away from work responsibilities, Everblue Training Institute offers online access for classroom coursework. This allows professionals to take the first three days of training via online classes. After completing the online class work, students may join the last days of hands on field training and BPI exams.
Whether you choose online classroom time, or prefer live training for the entire five days, Everblue Training Institute’s BPI Training in New York City provides professionals with the opportunity to gain a valuable certification in their chosen field. Many state-run energy efficiency programs require BPI certification before accepting companies and professionals into their programs. With BPI training from Everblue, professionals increase their chances of passing the rigorous written and field exams required for BPI certification. With BPI certification, professionals gain credibility and promising earning prospects.
BPI Training in New York City – Local Classes from Everblue
BPI Envelope Professional Certification – Training and Exams Overview
BPI Envelope Professional certification and training is one of two requirements for a company to become BPI accredited. For BPI accreditation, companies must employ both a full time BPI Envelope Professional and a full time BPI Building Analyst. One person may hold both credentials to meet the requirements of accreditation. Accreditation for companies who specialize in appropriate industry sectors such as weatherization, insulation, or window replacement can be a valuable proposition. Certain state and utility run energy assistance and performance incentive programs require accreditation before a company may participate to gain incentives for themselves or for customers to qualify for rebates.
Training for BPI Envelope Professional certification is advisable since this credential is more in-depth than a Building Analyst certification designation. Certain training providers require the completion of Building Analyst certification as a prerequisite for Envelope Shell Training. Courses offered through Everblue Training Institute last four days, with two days of field and classroom training and two days of written and field examinations. Focus areas include analyzing homes for energy efficiency as well as determining where, how, and why problems relative to the building envelope occur and what steps should be taken to correct such issues.
Through insulation and air sealing, a building’s envelope or shell enhances thermal boundaries and maintains necessary air pressure for optimum performance of core home systems. Defects and disrepair of the home envelope lead to air leakage and poor system performance. Training to obtain BPI Envelope Professional certification helps building and construction professionals to identify these defects and repair necessities to improve energy efficiency and maintain proper thermal and pressure boundaries. The proper use of tools, equipment, and instruments to evaluate building envelopes and shells is an integral part of both the BPI training and examination process for this particular credential.
BPI Envelope Professional Certification exams cover such topics as thermal and pressure boundary evaluation, air sealing and insulation techniques, window, door or other opening inspections, and ventilation systems. Additional focus areas for envelope and shell exams include indoor air quality and moisture, blower door applications, diagnostics of ductwork, as well as solutions to moisture and air quality concerns. BPI national standards and optimizing installation of envelope systems are also extensively covered in the written exam. Field exams cover optimizing systems, measurement of building performance, and how envelope systems interact with other home systems. A passing score of 70% is required for both written and field exams before certification is awarded.
Dallas Area BPI Training – Get Certified, Boost Business
In today’s building industry, competition is tighter than ever. With less new construction, more contractors are ramping up their remodeling and retrofitting operations as more homeowners look to stay in their current homes. That means competition is at an all time high for those remodeling dollars. Everything a contractor can do to make himself stand out is worth the investment. Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI) certification is one method to rise above the rest, with designations like Building Analyst and Building Shell and Envelope. Dallas area BPI training is available from Everblue Training Institute, the largest BPI training organization in the country.
Dallas area BPI training through Everblue encompasses home heating, cooling, and other systems and how each affects the other in terms of energy consumption. Building Analysts help homeowners find problem areas with central air systems, air leakage, and other power-sucking problems that contribute to high energy costs. A contractor with BPI Building Analyst certification can not only analyze problems, but make recommendations for retrofitting or improving systems, as well as perform the work required to implement those recommendations. A Building Shell and Envelope Professional can inspect current insulation and air sealing systems and also make recommendations for improving energy consumption.
For contractors in the Dallas and Ft. Worth area, there are several training options available for Everblue’s BPI authorized, proprietary curriculum and instruction. Most live training courses are held at the Universities Center on Main Street in Dallas. Everblue recommends starting with BPI’s Building Analyst for Dallas area BPI training. However, once that training and certification are complete, contractors can proceed to other certification designations such as Building Shell and Envelope, Heating Specialist, and several others. Courses take an average of five days to complete, including BPI’s required written and field examinations.
Everblue Training Institute offers convenient ways to find, select, and register for both live and online plus live training sessions. Dallas area BPI training session calendars are posted on the Everblue website on a quarterly basis, with some classes being scheduled even farther ahead of the current quarter. Prospective students can opt to pay for their entire class via the Everblue website, or they can make payment arrangements to have their tuition paid in full prior to the start of class. In terms of class options, students have a choice between an all live course, or to split the classroom portion off into an online version and join a live class for field training and exams at a later date.
Building Performance Institute – The Manual
The Building Performance Institute, Inc. publishes a certification process manual entitled BPI Small Homes Certification, Policies and Procedures Manual. This manual is the standard for the BPI certification process. It covers eligibility and steps for becoming BPI certified, as well as training options, examination requirements and procedures, applicable fees, and recertification requirements for BPI certified professionals. It seeks to answer any and all questions building performance professionals may have about becoming BPI certified or what to do to remain certified. Steps are listed for the initial certification process, as well as for the required recertification professionals must complete every three years to remain certified.
Also covered in the Building Performance Institute manual are the specific knowledge areas and paths for each BPI certification designation. For example, the knowledge areas required for Building Analyst Professionals are listed as building science, buildings and their systems, measuring building performance, BPI standards and specifications, as well as professional ethics. In addition to listing these knowledge areas, the manual also indicates the percentage of both written and field exams that each knowledge area encompasses. Also listed in the manual are the two paths a professional might follow to become a BPI Building Analyst Professional.
The Building Performance Institute, Inc has determined, as evident in the certification policies and procedures manual, that there are two paths a professional may take to earn Building Analyst certification. These are taking the full 100 question written exam in conjunction with a field exam, or professionals who already hold HERS certification can opt for a 50 question written exam as well as completing a field exam. Either path, once successfully completed, will result in the professional receiving BPI Certified Building Analyst Professional designation. Likewise, the knowledge areas and path requirements for other designations are also outlined in the manual.
In addition to knowledge areas and specific paths for the various Building Performance Institute certification programs, this policy and procedures manual also discusses the written and field exams in more detail. Methods such as open book or open book with no electronic devices, time limitations such as two hours of 100 question exams or one and a half hours for 50 question exams are all clearly defined and outlined for each certification designation. This manual provides professionals with a precise roadmap to becoming BPI certified in their chosen field. The manual can easily be downloaded and printed via the Building Performance Institute, Inc.’s website for future reference.
BPI Certification Training – Online Webinars
Everblue Training Institute, the largest BPI training provider in the world, offers several training courses to help building performance professionals obtain BPI certification. As a veteran owned company, Everblue understands that for some professionals, taking five or more days out of a busy work schedule to travel in order to attend live training classes can be impractical. As such, Everblue offers certain BPI certification training courses via online webinars for those individuals who do not live close enough for a live training course, or for those who need to mind the cost of their training.
Online webinars offered by Everblue Training Institute cover the exact same material as live BPI certification training courses, including live instruction and real time question and answer capabilities. These online webinars are accessed by participants through internet technologies and allow them to replace the classroom portion of the training course with online classes. The field training and testing still require the student’s physical presence, but by taking classroom training online, less travel time is needed and course costs are reduced. Additionally, if a student misses part or all of a particular live webinar class, recordings are available for later playback.
Live BPI certification training and testing requires students to participate in live classroom training, field training, and exams for a period of five to six days. For some professionals, this requires extensive travel when live courses are not held in their local area. Hotel accommodations are required, in addition to other travel expenses and time away from work or business responsibilities. These professionals benefit from the ability to cut down their time away from home or work through online webinars for the classroom portion of the training. For many professionals, traveling to attend two to three days worth of field training and testing is easier to manage than five to six days.
Everblue posts online webinar schedules for BPI certification training on a quarterly basis so that participants can schedule their training and any necessary travel for field training and testing several weeks in advance. In terms of tuition, there are options for online webinar participation only and webinar/live field training and testing combined. Everblue Training Institute works with online webinar students to schedule the required field training and exams to complete their BPI certification training at dates and times that work for the student and their busy professional schedule. However, it is recommended that online participants join the live field-testing and exam students on the last day of the nearest live training course.
BPI Certification Renewal – What to Expect in Three Years
Candidates who successfully pass BPI certification are required to renew their certification every three years. The requirements for BPI certification renewal include continuing education units in addition to retesting. These CEUs may be obtained through BPI training courses offered through an accredited training provider or through other training, education, or professional experience that meets BPI standards. Renewal candidates are required to have between 10 and 30 CEUs prior to renewing their BPI certifications. The specific number of CEUs a professional has earned will determine what written examination will be required to renew BPI certification designations.
The Building Performance Institute sends out renewal reminders to the last known contact information for a particular certificate holder 120 days prior to certification expiration. However, professionals are required to complete necessary field and written examinations within the last six months prior to their certificate expiration date. Initial dates for BPI certification renewal are set based on the date the original certification was awarded to the individual. If renewals are completed during the final six months, future renewal dates will remain tied to the original award date. However, if renewal occurs prior to the final six months, future renewals will be based on the new certification date.
BPI certification renewal may not require a written examination if the candidate has completed a minimum of 30 CEUs. However, field exams are required regardless of CEUs earned. For individuals with less than 30 CEUs at the time of renewal, retaking certification written exams is required. Depending on the number of CEUs a candidate possesses, the written examination may consist of either 50 or 100 questions. Specific guidelines for CEU requirements and the subsequently required written exams are outlined in the Building Performance Institute Small Homes Certification Policies and Procedures Manual. All CEUs, field examinations, and any written exam requirements must be met in the final six months before certification expiration.
In order to ensure professionals receive BPI certification renewal notices and other important communications from BPI, current contact information must be maintained. If a certified professional moves or changes contact information, the new information must be received by BPI within 30 days of the change. Out of date contact information not only hampers renewal notification, but may be grounds for suspension of certification credentials. Additionally, current contact information is required to issue renewed certification documentation. To ensure you receive all correspondence and credential documentation and are not at risk for suspension, keep your contact information with BPI current.
BPI Certification – Designation Overview
The Building Performance Institute certifies professionals in several areas of building performance to allow those professionals the ability to demonstrate their vast knowledge and experience with home energy systems. Each certification designation entails a slightly different area of building performance. In attaining BPI certification, professionals demonstrate their ability to diagnose important performance issues in residential buildings that affect homeowners’ health and safety, the energy efficiency of their home, as well as the homeowner’s ability to enjoy a comfortable and durable home environment. Many state-sponsored energy efficiency programs, as well as weatherization assistance organizations require their professionals to hold BPI certification credentials.
Building Analyst, Manufactured Housing, and Multifamily are three BPI certification designations a professional might choose. Building analysts are energy auditors whose methods and knowledge far exceed standard energy audits. These professionals use building science to assess a home, identify problem areas, and determine solutions. A Manufactured Housing designation takes the same in-depth building science and applies it to the specific technologies associated with manufactured homes. A Multifamily designation means the professional can apply the same building science behind house performance and apply it to the much larger scale of a multifamily dwelling. These residential structures are often far more complex than a single family dwelling.
There are also BPI certification designations dubbed “Envelope.” These designations cover Envelope, Accessible Areas Air Leakage Control Installer, and Whole House Air Leakage Control Crew Chief. The term “envelope” refers to the home’s shell construction. By making recommendations for tightening this shell, air leakage that causes wear on home heating and cooling systems and lower the system’s performance can be addressed to improve energy efficiency. These professionals implement insulation plans to stop air leakage and reduce allergens and pollutants circulating in the home environment. Whole house crew chiefs supervise teams to ensure proper implementation of air leakage control plans and installation of insulating options.
Other home systems such as heating as well as air conditioning and heat pumps also have their own BPI certification designation. BPI Heating specialists assess and optimize the heating system of a home. These professionals ensure the home is not only comfortably heated, but heating is achieved with the homeowner’s optimal health, safety, and energy efficiency in mind. Air Conditioning and Heat Pump specialists provide similar assessments and optimizations as Heating specialists. However, these professionals focus on diagnosing problems and achieving peak performance for whole house systems. It is possible for a single professional to hold one, several, or all of these BPI certification designations.
BPI Building Analyst Certification Training – Seattle Courses
For contractors and building professionals in the Seattle area looking for BPI Building Analyst certification training, Everblue Training Institute offers several options. You can take live classroom and field training at two different locations in the Seattle area. Alternatively, you can opt to take the classroom training online and join a live class for field training and exams. Either option provides you with the ability to expand your knowledge and obtain BPI Building Analyst certification. That certification can pave the way for more work, better pay, and more professional credibility with both private customers and potential employers.
For live, in-person BPI Building Analyst certification training, Everblue Training Institute offers classes at Bellevue College and other locations such as TownPlace Suites by Marriot in nearby Kent. Class locations, dates, and times are posted to the Everblue website at the beginning of each quarter. Each course lists the specific location where classes are to be held, as well as registration dates and course tuition costs. Courses consist of a full five day schedule, with classroom lessons covering the first two days and field training the third. Written and field exams are held the final two days of each BPI Building Analyst training course.
For those contractors and building professionals for whom time and travel arrangements are a problem, the classroom portion of the BPI Building Analyst certification training can also be completed via online classes. These classes are identical to live instruction with the exception of being held virtually and recorded for later playback. This provides you with the ability to replay lectures and review covered topics later in the day if you have to miss scheduled class time. However, field training and exams must be done in person at a live training course. These can be schedule in conjunction with online classes so that attendees take the first two day’s training online and then join a live class for the remainder of training as well as exams.
In the Seattle area, Everblue Training Institute conducts live BPI Building Analyst certification training classes at regular intervals. Depending on the availability of space, classes are offered an average of once every six weeks. This provides Seattle area contractors time to arrange scheduling and work responsibilities in order to attend a week of live classes and exams. Holding classes in multiple locations provides greater convenience for those professionals who must travel, as well as giving Everblue the ability to offer a more frequent class schedule.
BPI Testing Requirements – Tools Required
Candidates for field exams required to become BPI certified must not only demonstrate knowledge of standards associated with their particular certification designation, but also the tools used in performing audits. If a professional schedules their examinations with a BPI accredited testing center, certain tools will be required at the time of the field examination. Some such tools include fan assisted whole house pressurization and duct pressurization devices, digital micro-manometer, carbon monoxide analyzers, combustion analyzers, gas leak detection devices, refrigerant gauges, and other tools. Having these tools and the knowledge to use them appropriately is part of the BPI testing requirements for certification.
For those individuals who have chosen to invest in BPI certification training, many training centers and providers also have written and field exams incorporated into their training program. As such, these training providers often supply the necessary equipment for field exams. This can save professionals a considerable up-front investment for the initial BPI testing requirements. While some utility companies offer equipment reimbursement programs for qualified BPI certification designations, most do not cover reimbursement until after the professional has completed ten or more jobs. Purchasing tools prior to becoming certified can widen the gap between capital outlay and potential reimbursement.
Training providers such as Everblue Training Institute help to close that gap by providing tools for field exams that meet BPI testing requirements. Training candidates use Everblue’s tools for the field exam portion of their training and therefore gain their certification prior to needing to purchase expensive tools, gauges, and devices. This can help delay capital outlay until the professional begins to pick up jobs for energy audits and building performance analyses. For companies who sponsor their staff’s BPI training, this also means company tools are not required to leave the job site for training or testing purposes.
For those individuals who are taking field exams with a testing provider who does not supply tools, a complete equipment list that meets BPI testing requirements is available. The Building Performance Institute Small Homes Certification Policies and Procedures Manual lists basic guidelines for equipment and materials needed for field exams. All instruments should be carefully calibrated per manufacturer instructions prior to field examinations. The Knowledge Essential Task List for a professional’s chosen certification designation will list specific tasks required for each certification designation’s field exam, thus indicating what specific materials, equipment, tools, and instruments will be required during the exam phase.
BPI Professional Certification – Recognizing Excellence
There are millions of homes in America. In fact, there are over 120 million preexisting residential structures, with many built prior to modern energy efficiency standards and building codes. Since residential structures continuously use fossil fuels for electricity, heating, and other systems, it is not surprising that 20% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions come from homes. BPI professional certification gives contractors the opportunity to evaluate and test these structures to find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy efficiency. This benefits not only the environment, but the homeowner as well through reduced energy bills.
BPI professional certification recognizes excellence in the field of energy efficiency and building performance. To obtain certification, professionals must pass a rigorous and demanding written exam in addition to field exams. These exams demonstrate the professional has the knowledge and experience required to fully audit home systems to troubleshoot problem areas and high energy consuming appliances that require upgrades. Using BPI’s nationally recognized standards, these professionals can analyze an entire home’s performance and assess the root cause of high energy bills and fossil fuel consumption. They can then make repairs and upgrades required or refer homeowners to qualified contractors with whom they partner to do the work.
BPI professional certification means building performance professionals who carry such credentials can go beyond normal energy audits to thoroughly analyze home system performance levels based on proven building science. Once improvements and necessary upgrades have been made, a second energy audit is performed to ensure the desired results have been achieved. Once completed, these improvements and upgrades benefit all concerned. The homeowner lowers their energy bills through increased energy efficiency, the environment has reduced greenhouse gas emissions thanks to higher performance of home systems, and the BPI certified professional has successfully completed another job.
It is not easy to obtain the credentials required to become a BPI certified building performance professional. The rigorous examination requirements and necessary industry knowhow mean that only the best and brightest hold BPI professional certification. BPI has made the commitment to ensuring professionals who hold their credentials do the work right the first time in order to maximize homeowner health and safety while simultaneously working to help the environment. To carry BPI certification means to make a commitment to green building practices, healthy home environments, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. With that commitment comes years of hands on skills, energy code knowledge, and home system experience.