The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), passed in November 2021, represents the largest climate investment in United States history. It provides over $62 billion for the U.S. Department of Energy to establish a multitude of programs that will support our nation’s infrastructure, workers, families, and competitiveness. Expanding people’s access to energy efficiency is among the core focuses of the legislation, as improved energy efficiency has been shown to reduce residents’ energy bills (especially low to moderate income residents), improve air quality and health, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.  

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will also create countless jobs across the infrastructure workforce and in energy efficiency – including home energy auditors; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) technicians; water heater technicians; electricians; and general home performance contractors. While there is still room to improve the diversity of the energy efficiency workforce, these jobs being created by the IIJA offer numerous advantages. Many of these jobs provide more competitive salaries compared to all jobs nationally, even though they often do not impose barriers on individuals who lack formal education. In fact, according to the Brookings Institution, over half (53.4%) of infrastructure workers have a high school diploma or less, compared to approximately a third (31.7%) of all workers nationally.

Currently, many energy efficiency employers struggle to keep up with the demand for their services – largely due to experienced workers retiring at higher rates, as well as difficulties hiring new employees. Employers struggle to find qualified candidates to perform home energy efficiency and electrification upgrades because of a widespread lack of technical skills and industry-specific knowledge. For example, an individual pursuing a career as a home energy auditor (who evaluates the efficiency, health and safety of people’s homes) needs to gain on-the-job experience as a home services contractor and pursue certifications through the Building Performance Institute (BPI). Toward the beginning of their education journey, candidates may elect to pursue an entry-level certification like the BPI Building Analyst, while candidates with more experience may pursue advanced certifications like the HEP Energy Auditor.

Overview of the DOE Career Skills Training Program (CST)

To address these workforce challenges and reduce the barriers to entry for energy efficiency job seekers, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provided the U.S. Department of Energy with $10 million in grant funding to establish a Career Skills Training Program (CST). Under this new program, DOE will reimburse non-profit organizations and partnering labor groups, employers, educational institutions, workforce development boards, small businesses, and other organizations for up to 50% of the costs of their career skills training programs. The legislation specifies a cost share of 50% – meaning that eligible entities will pay half of the costs of the career skills training, while the other half will come from DOE. 

Per the legislation, eligible entities should already have experience implementing and operating worker skills training and education programs. They should also be able to target individuals in communities that would benefit the most from energy efficiency training and education and have a demonstrated history of helping people find stable, good-paying jobs. Additionally, the IIJA specifies that recipients of federal cost-share funding under the Career Skills Training Program (CST) should provide a blend of both classroom instruction and on-the-job training. CST-funded programs should also help participating students obtain industry-relevant certifications that qualify them to install energy efficiency technologies in buildings and perform weatherization upgrades.

Career Skills Training Program: Funding Process and Timeline

Funding for the Career Skills Program is not yet available. While a formal date has not yet been announced, DOE estimates that applications will open in the first quarter of 2023. Also, funding will remain available to eligible entities until the full $10 million has been completely expended.

Currently, DOE is in an information gathering phase, and has requested public input on how best to structure this program through public roundtables, which it will continue to facilitate through early 2023. DOE also released a Request for Information on the Career Skills Training Program in December 2022, with responses due by January 26, 2023.

It is unknown whether Career Skills Training funding will be distributed through a competitive grant or formula (meaning each state would be eligible for a pre-determined amount). However, given that the overall amount of funding is relatively small compared to other IIJA programs, it will likely be competitive. Under that scenario, DOE’s next step would be to release a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) with additional program guidelines and details. 

The $10M Career Skills Training Program complements other funds authorized for workforce training in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – including $200 million for the Residential Energy Efficiency Contractor Training Program, $40 million for the Residential Energy Auditor Training Grant, and $10 million for higher education institutions to establish Building Training and Assessment Centers. More information about these programs can be found on DOE website.

Everblue’s Robust History of Partnerships 

Everblue is uniquely positioned to help implement the Career Skills Training Program. Not only does Everblue qualify as an “eligible entity” based on the legislative text, but we also have a deep history of implementing worker skills training and education in communities most in need. For example, Everblue has worked directly with community colleges like Fayetteville Technical Community College to administer the DOE Solar Ready Vets program – helping military veterans transition out of active duty and into careers in solar energy. Offering a blend of both classroom instruction and on-the-job training, this Everblue-supported program is a quintessential example of what DOE is looking to fund under the Career Skills Training Program.

During the period of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding between 2009-2011, Everblue worked with small businesses to train their employees and with workforce development boards to track and validate certification and employment after training. We also partnered with steelworkers unions to offer flexible scheduling to accommodate workers’ swing shifts.

In 2021, Everblue partnered with a Florida-based community action agency to train and certify weatherization contractors across the state in home performance and energy efficiency. We developed curriculums, trained participants, and provided technical assistance around energy efficiency topics ranging from whole-house energy auditing to building health and safety codes.

How Everblue Can Help Implement the Career Skills Training Program:

As a veteran-owned, fast-growing organization, our mission is to create a world where continuous growth and lifelong learning empowers careers, success, and a better life.

Everblue offers professional development and career enhancing certifications as well as a platform for managing online training, testing, and credentials – including testing for Building Performance Institute (BPI) certifications.

To learn more about how Everblue can help accelerate you and/or your employees’ careers in energy efficiency and take full advantage of this federal funding, check out our course catalog!

With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy will soon deliver $9 billion in federal funding to states for residential energy efficiency and appliance upgrades. Home energy efficiency measures offer numerous benefits, including lower utility bills, improved indoor air quality, and better temperature regulation, leading to enhanced health and quality of life for residents. Additionally, these measures help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a demand for skilled labor, resulting in stable, good-paying jobs in a rapidly expanding industry. Today we’re going to talk about the Contractor Training Grants, also known as the Training for Residential Energy Contractors (TREC) program. TREC will prepare industry contractors for the anticipated surge in demand for energy efficiency upgrades.

DOE Home Energy Efficiency Contractor Training Grants Overview

The U.S. Department of Energy’s $9 billion Home Energy Rebate Program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, is already creating unprecedented demand for skilled contractors and other workers across the country who are involved in the installation of energy efficiency and electrification measures. To achieve the goals of the program, the energy efficiency workforce will need to grow significantly – which in turn requires massive investments in training and education.

Fortunately, $150M will soon be available to states between Fiscal Years 2023-2027 to invest in training for residential energy contractors through the Inflation Reduction Act. Known as the State-Based Home Energy Efficiency Contractor Training Grants (or Contractor Training Grants), states may use these funds to create new and/or supplement existing workforce development programs to:

• reduce the cost of training contractor employees;
• provide testing and certification of contractors trained and educated under a State program;
• partner with nonprofit organizations to develop contractor training for residential energy contractors in their state.

State Energy Offices are the “prime recipient,” or designated state agency responsible for overseeing the distribution of funds within their states.

While the implementation of Contractor Training Grants funding will look different for every state given their varying needs and allocation amounts, states will likely use the funding for on-the-job training, online outside certification courses and testing, in-person outside certification courses and testing, or a combination of several of these approaches.  

Also, a portion of Contractor Training Program funds will be reserved for states to conduct program evaluations – including assessing progress against goals, participant feedback, program impacts, and recommended improvements.

Timeline & Process for Distributing Contractor Training Program Funds

In July 2023, DOE opened up applications for states to apply for Contractor Training Program funding and provided additional details on their required application documentation. In addition to the $150,000,000 that will be divided among states through a formula in two separate installments, an additional $40,000,000 in Contractor Training Program funds will be available for states to apply for through a competitive process. As of July 2023, DOE has not yet announced the details of this competitive process. 

DOE’s guidance also lists eligible professions – including plumbers, HVAC contractors, electricians, and home performance contractors – as suitable targets for training.

State energy office applications for formula funding are due by September 30, 2023. As part of their applications, they are required to include a comprehensive Community Benefit Plan, outlining how their program will benefit local communities and labor, support workforce development, promote diversity, and advance environmental justice. States will also be required to develop Workforce Development Plans that outline the need for skilled workers, which training programs already exist in their states, and their outreach and engagement plans for new and incumbent contractors.

DOE has also encouraged states to create a Workforce Advisory Group comprising at least one-third of their target audience – including contractors and their employers. This advisory group will guide program design and implementation and actively contribute to programmatic changes to ensure their programs are successful. Contractors will play a crucial role in shaping the future of energy efficiency training by actively participating in these advisory groups.

How Everblue Can Help Meet the Demand for Skilled Contractors

Everblue stands ready to work with state energy offices and non-profits to help structure and implement the Contractor Training Program and Home Energy Rebates. Contractors who perform home energy efficiency and electrification upgrades as part of these programs will need to be familiar with Building Performance Institute (BPI) standards and procedures. Everblue has been a BPI Test Center for over 10 years and offers comprehensive BPI certification courses to help home energy professionals learn all the building science principles they need to succeed in their role and to get BPI certified.

When funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) became available between 2009-2011, Everblue worked directly with community colleges, utilities, and unions to help train their students and employees to be building science professionals. In fact, during the ARRA funding period, we hosted multiple in-person contractor training events simultaneously at our weatherization training center locations nationwide.

Everblue also sets itself apart by having a robust learning management system with the capacity to accommodate thousands of online learners at the same time. In addition to the online course offerings, Everblue also has in-person options and allows people the flexibility to learn through whichever format – online, in-person, or hybrid – best suits their needs.

A Long History of Working with the Public Sector

Everblue is currently partnered with over 10 state government agencies to deliver online training and testing. In fact, we are already listed as a vendor in many state databases and even have security clearances. Through these partnerships, Everblue has gained a deep understanding of how government processes and procedures work and has built long-lasting relationships with the public sector along the way, making it one of our core competencies.

As a Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) with over 25 years of experience working in the public sector, we’re prepared to help deliver these once-in-a-lifetime benefits for households through the U.S. by preparing current and future contractors for the next steps in their energy efficiency career.

Next Steps

Take your career to the next level and get started today by checking out Everblue’s course offerings! We anticipate the BPI Building Analyst Training to be the most relevant and impact certification pertaining to the Inflation Reduction Act and the Contractor Training Program.

Everblue, a nationally recognized educational technology company, will move into its third year of partnership with the Virginia Community College System to offer solar energy courses and energy auditor training at all 23 institutions within the system. By joining forces, Everblue and VCCS can create a skilled workforce throughout Virginia and prepare individuals for occupations of the future.

“With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which invests $370 billion to fight climate change and bolster U.S. energy production, there are incentives for private companies to produce more renewable energy and for households to transform their energy use and consumption,” said Chris Boggiano, Everblue’s president. “As a result, we are already seeing a dramatic increase in the number of people seeking training and certification in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. Now is the time to get certified, so that when the federal funding trickles down and the demand hits, there will be a skilled workforce available to answer the call.” 

Since 2008, Everblue has provided accredited energy auditor training programs and solar energy courses, both in live and online formats, to general contractors, home inspectors, electricians, roofers, and career-changers. 

The most popular course for the energy auditor pathway is the BPI Building Analyst, which trains someone to diagnose energy-related issues in the home that lead to higher energy bills and thermal discomfort. During the course, participants learn fundamental building science principles, such as how moisture, heat, and air move throughout a home. They learn how to identify energy efficiency issues using diagnostic tools like a blower door, duct blaster, and carbon monoxide detector. At the end of the course, Everblue administers and proctors the official BPI written and field exams to certify course participants. 

“The short-course training that we provide aligns so well with what’s being called for in the Inflation Reduction Act,” Boggiano said. “Our intense, bootcamp style efficiently educates someone who’s new to the industry and prepares them with real, relatable knowledge and skills that they can take to a job shortly thereafter. Our students complete the program with a nationally recognized, industry-specific certification from the Building Performance Institute that additionally confirms their expertise and proficiency.”

Because the solar industry is growing so fast, there are several different pathways for someone to pursue. Everblue offers solar training courses that cover the basics of solar energy, as well as more specialized courses that cover solar panel installation, solar sales, and solar photovoltaic system design.

As part of its partnership with VCCS, Everblue will make its curriculum available to all 23 colleges within the system. Any college that opts to resell Everblue’s courses will receive a 40% revenue share. Students will get enrolled in Everblue’s learning management system to complete the courses and will ultimately receive a certificate from both Everblue and their desired VCCS institution, in addition to the industry-specific certification upon passing the corresponding exam(s).

“We enjoyed working alongside the community colleges, nonprofit organizations, utilities, and unions back in 2010 when the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) led to similar demand for energy auditor training,” Boggiano said. “We demonstrated operational excellence then, hosting multiple in-person contractor training events across the country at the same time, and we’re ready to do that again for the Inflation Reduction Act. As a BPI Test Center, energy auditor training is our core competence, and we’re happy to partner with VCCS to provide a high-quality program and produce a skilled workforce.” 

Everblue currently works with more than 10 state government agencies, including the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to deliver online training and testing services. The Veteran Owned Small Business was also recently added to the catalog of approved online providers for Virginia’s Solar Technician Apprenticeship Program.

For more information about Everblue’s solar training and energy auditor certification programs, contact Chris Boggiano at 800-460-2575 or visit the Everblue course catalog.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) allocates nearly $9 billion for electrification retrofits and home efficiency rebate funding for single-family and multifamily properties. Signed into law by President Biden in August 2022, it is a historic investment that will help homeowners save on their energy bills, reduce their carbon footprint, and will also generate an enormous demand for skilled home performance contractors.

DOE Home Efficiency Rebate Program Overview

The Home Efficiency Rebate Program, also referred to as the Home Energy Performance-Based, Whole House Rebate Program, provides $4.3 billion to states to help residents make their entire home more energy efficient. This not only includes upgrading appliances like HVAC units and water heaters but also weatherization measures like installing energy-efficient windows, adding insulation, and sealing air ducts.

What is the timeline and process for funding?

Over the next 10 years, $4.3 billion in formula grants through this program will flow from the Department of Energy (DOE) to state energy offices, which will then be disbursed to homeowners and contractors across the nation.

State energy offices are responsible for applying for funding and designing their own programs to deliver funding to contractors and homeowners. While home energy rebate program funding is not yet available, DOE is expected to provide states with guidelines in summer 2023 around setting up their own programs.

Each state will receive a pre-determined amount of funding based on a formula. To help states prepare to administer this funding, DOE made a small portion of their Home Efficiency Rebate Program funding amount available to state energy offices in early 2023. States can use these early funds to cover administrative costs associated with staffing up, planning their program design and strategy, conducting workforce analyses, and reaching out to consumers.

To see how much Home Efficiency Rebate Program funds will be available for each state, check out the U.S. Department of Energy’s website.

How long are Home Efficiency Rebate funds available? 

Congress has made these funds available until September of 2031.

Earn more as you save:

The Home Efficiency Rebate Program is a performance-based incentive program — meaning it gives cash to residents based on the amount of energy their upgraded home saves.

Low- and moderate-income (LMI) homeowners (making less than 80% of their area median income) are eligible for between $4,000-$8,000 in rebates for whole-home weatherization upgrades, whereas all other homeowners are eligible for between $2,000-$4,000 in rebates. 

Contractors providing retrofits under the Home Efficiency Rebate program can also claim a $200 rebate per low-income home they service.

These types of performance-based incentives help ensure high-quality installations by holding contractors and installers accountable for their work. Implementing these home energy efficiency retrofits successfully will require contractors, installers, and others involved in Home Efficiency Program upgrades to prepare themselves by getting trained and certified to perform this work before Home Efficiency Program funding becomes available.

Get started with BPI Training today so you’ll be ready for the surge in demand for energy audits coming later this year.

Are multifamily building owners eligible for Home Efficiency Rebate Program funding?

Yes, multi-family building owners will also be eligible for up to $8,000 per unit for qualifying energy efficiency upgrades. Multi-family buildings located in low-moderate income communities will qualify for higher incentive levels.

Can Home Efficiency Rebate Program funding be combined with other programs?

The Inflation Reduction Act prohibits combining Home Efficiency Program rebates with any other federal grant or rebate for the same upgrade in a single household. This includes DOE’s complementary $4.5B Home Electrification rebate program, which was also established under the Inflation Reduction Act.

However, the IRA does not prohibit combining Home Efficiency Program rebates with state and/or utility rebate programs, or with Energy Efficiency Tax Credits (like Internal Revenue Code Section 25C).

Meeting the demand for skilled workers

Once made available to homeowners, this unprecedented amount of funding for home energy retrofits will stimulate demand for residential contractors, home energy auditors, HVAC and water heater technicians, and other home performance contractors.  

The Home Efficiency Program will create thousands of jobs in an industry that has already been rapidly growing. In fact, according to the 2022 U.S. Energy and Employment Report released by the Department of Energy (DOE), the Energy Efficiency sector employed 2,164,914 people in 2021 – an increase of 57,741 jobs, up 2.7%, from 2020 to 2021. DOE expects energy efficiency jobs to continue increasing by nearly 2% per year.

Source: United States Energy and Employment Report 2022

Federal programs, like the Home Efficiency Rebate Program, will spur thousands of new jobs, providing an excellent opportunity for current home performance contractors and job seekers alike. However, this opportunity also highlights the urgent need to train and certify contractors involved in home energy efficiency upgrades today to ensure that they are ready to help homeowners lower their energy bill tomorrow.

What you can do now to prepare for this opportunity

Whether you are new to the energy efficiency sector, an experienced contractor seeking training in a new field, or a home performance business owner interested in improving your employees’ skills, Everblue is poised to help meet the demand for contractor training and certification created by the Inflation Reduction Act.

Everblue has comprehensive hands-on training and education across a wide range of energy efficiency-related disciplines. We also offer flexible online course options that cater to people with different knowledge levels and experience. For those who prefer hands-on training, we provide equipment-based training at our weatherization training center locations nationwide.

Our instructors are all experienced Building Performance Institute (BPI)-certified professionals, and we’ve been a proud BPI Test Center partner for over a decade.

For those just entering the home performance field, our hands-on training will help you gain a better understanding of how homes function. During our BPI courses, we’ll take you to a real house to use real tools and gain real exposure to energy efficiency issues. Our online resources include detailed curriculum videos that are available 24/7, math primer videos, and field training videos.

Get started by learning more about our BPI Training courses!

BA-TP is the abbreviation for the new BPI Building Analyst Professional Certification. The BPI certifications have been around for over 20 years, and Building Analyst is well known. We just wanted to put the word out there that the Building Performance Institute (BPI) is leaning pretty heavy on using the abbreviation, so if you see BA-P Certification, they are referring to the second half of the revised Building Analyst Certification.

How is Building Analyst different from BA-P Certification?

Great question, it’s not different, exactly. In late 2020, BPI decided to split the legacy Building Analyst standard into two levels: Building Analyst Technician (BA-T) and Building Analyst Professional (BA-P).

What does BA-P Certification cover?

Building Analyst Professional covers the principles of using computer software to model the energy upgrade potential of a home and developing a scope of work. In layman’s terms, the Building Analyst Professional reviews data collected from diagnostic tests (such as a blower door test or combustion test) and plugs those numbers into software to determine how a homeowner can improve the energy efficiency of their home, lower their energy bills, and create a healthier/safer space.

How can I become a Building Analyst Professional?

To earn the BA-P Certification, you:

• Must first pass the BPI Building Science Principles written exam
• Then pass the BPI BA-T field exam 
• Then pass the BPI BA-P written exam

Who should become a Building Analyst Professional?

That answer depends on your job and career goals.

If you are a one-man-show, AKA a small business owner, you may want to earn the BA-P Certification. With this advanced designation, you not only run diagnostic tests and collect data, but you also interpret those results and turn them into meaningful energy efficiency recommendations to homeowner clients. 

As we mentioned before, the Building Analyst Certification has been available for decades. Employers, utilities, and rebate programs are quite familiar with this phrase. Going forward, it’ll be interesting to see whether these stakeholders start to require BA-T Certification in place of the legacy Building Analyst or if they require BA-P Certification. Just know that you cannot become a Building Analyst Professional without first becoming a Building Analyst Technician. 

It’s possible that the industry at large might have some difficulty with differentiating old Building Analyst vs. new Building Analyst and the associated abbreviations. After all, for years, I think many people probably would have used technician and professional interchangeably. We have to train our brains now to view those words as having unique and special meanings. A technician performs the hands-on work, while a professional analyzes the information. 

To get started on your BPI Certification journey, give us a call at 800-460-2575.

The federal government has opened a once-in-a-generation window of opportunity for the U.S. to invest billions of dollars into U.S. energy infrastructure, made possible through the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in 2021. This funding will largely be funneled to state and local government leaders, who will design and implement programs that fund a wide range of infrastructure projects – including commercial and residential energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

The transformative potential of these infrastructure projects to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, and lower household energy burden can only be unlocked by addressing workforce challenges – which pose one of the biggest threats to a successful implementation of these funds. The innumerable energy efficiency jobs created by the IIJA must be filled by qualified workers – including home energy auditors and other skilled home performance contractors. 

Home energy auditors are a crucial part of the residential and commercial energy efficiency workforce. They perform energy assessments, which involve analyzing a home or commercial facility’s energy bills, detecting sources of energy loss like air leaks, and providing professional recommendations for which efficiency upgrades to prioritize. Energy auditors can save businesses and residents alike between 5-30% on their monthly energy bills while also ensuring health and safety!

Many of the programs created by the IIJA offer state and local governments the flexibility to incorporate workforce development activities into their programs. Other IIJA programs, like the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Auditor Training Grant Program, are specifically designed to fund workforce development activities like recruitment, training, and certification.

DOE Energy Auditor Training Grant Program

DOE’s Energy Auditor Training Grant Program is a $40 million competitive grant that state energy offices can apply for between FY2022 and FY2026. Each state can request a maximum grant amount of $2 million. This program will enable states to provide energy auditor training assistance and build up their energy efficiency workforce.

Who is eligible to receive Energy Auditor Training Grant funds?

It’s important to note that state energy offices are the direct recipients of this federal funding, NOT individual contractors or companies. Concept papers are due March 28, 2024 and full applications are due June 28, 2024.

Once a state’s competitive application is accepted by DOE, the grant funding they receive will trickle down to the contractors and companies seeking training and certification (and that’s where Everblue comes in!).

For more information about how much money will be allocated to your state, contact your state energy office. Be sure to urge them to apply for the funding. It’s not automatically given out – and with the vast majority of IIJA funding focusing on infrastructure projects and their physical operations, rather than who will actually do the work, it’s absolutely critical that state energy offices take advantage of the Energy Auditor Training grant funds. IIJA programs that fund physical energy efficiency projects, like DOE’s $8.8 billion Home Energy Rebate program, will only succeed if the energy efficiency workforce continues to grow.

How can this funding be used?

The Energy Auditor Training Grant is designed to cover any cost associated with individuals being trained or certified to conduct energy audits in residential homes or commercial buildings, which will save customers money on their energy bills and reduce pollution from building energy use. Funds may also be used to pay the wages of a trainee while they receive training and certification.

Other state considerations:

• The importance of partnerships: Given the multitude of other federal incentives that state energy offices are pursuing – which all require significant time and resources to apply for, standing up new workforce training programs entirely on their own will be impossible. State energy offices applying for Energy Auditor Training Grant funds will need to work closely with workforce development boards, labor unions, education and training providers (like Everblue), apprenticeship intermediaries, and community colleges to assess their workforce training gaps and identify existing programs that could benefit from this new grant funding.

• Equity considerations: The Biden Administration issued a directive, known as the Justice40 Initiative, which directs all federal agencies administering grant funding to ensure that these investments flow to historically disadvantaged communities. State energy offices should be considering how best to reach disadvantaged communities with their Energy Auditor Training grant funds to make the biggest impact.

• Bolstering the home energy auditor workforce in rural areas: We often hear how challenging it is to perform home energy audits and weatherization upgrades in rural areas, given the distance contractors must travel. States should consider focusing some of their Energy Auditor Training Grant funds in rural communities, which has the potential to improve contractor coverage in rural areas and create stable, in-demand energy auditor jobs where they are most needed.

Which home energy auditor certifications will this grant funding help me acquire?

The BPI Building Analyst Certification has been explicitly listed as an acceptable certification. This entry-level BPI certification provides a strong foundation for anyone who wants to become a certified home energy auditor. This certification can also be used as a prerequisite to qualify for the more advanced HEP Energy Auditor Certification, which is also explicitly listed as an acceptable certification.

Alternatively, the RESNET HERS Rater Certification has also been explicitly listed in the legislation, as it too is a nationally recognized home energy auditor certification and can also be used as a prerequisite for HEP Energy Auditor.

The Building Performance Institute (BPI) and Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) are competing organizations. Here at Everblue, we provide training and administer the exams for both certifications, so either way, you’re covered! Follow along with an online class or join us for hands-on training at one of our weatherization training center locations nationwide! For more information, give us a call at (800) 460-2575.

No, it’s not a certification to help you become the next Batman. BA-T is the abbreviation for the new BPI Building Analyst Technician Certification. The BPI certifications have been around for over 20 years, and Building Analyst is well known. We just wanted to put the word out there that the Building Performance Institute (BPI) is leaning pretty heavy on using the abbreviation, so if you see BA-T Certification, they are referring to the first half of the revised Building Analyst Certification.

How is Building Analyst different from BA-T Certification?

Great question, it’s not different, exactly. In late 2020, BPI decided to split the legacy Building Analyst standard into two levels: Building Analyst Technician (BA-T) and Building Analyst Professional (BA-P).

What does BA-T Certification cover?

Building Analyst Technician covers data collection and diagnostic testing in residential structures. Under the legacy Building Analyst standard, we called this internal/external home inspection, blower door testing, and combustion safety testing. These same job tasks apply to BPI BA-T Certification.

How can I become a Building Analyst Technician?

To earn the BA-T Certification, you:

• Must first pass the BPI Building Science Principles written exam
• Then pass the BPI BA-T field exam

Do I need anything beyond BA-T?

That answer depends on your job and career goals.

If you primarily work in the field performing data collection and report the data to a supervisor, then you are the perfect candidate for the BA-T Certification! 

If you are a one-man-show, AKA a small business owner, you may want to upgrade to the BA-P Certification. With this advanced designation, you not only run diagnostic tests and collect data, but you also interpret those results and turn them into meaningful energy efficiency recommendations to homeowner clients. 

Either way, the home energy audit process starts with the hard work of a Building Analyst Technician. 

As we mentioned before, the Building Analyst Certification has been available for decades. Employers, utilities, and rebate programs are quite familiar with this phrase. Going forward, it’ll be interesting to see whether these stakeholders start to require BA-T Certification in place of the legacy Building Analyst or if they require BA-P Certification. Just know that you cannot become a Building Analyst Professional without first becoming a Building Analyst Technician. 

To get started on your BPI Certification journey, give us a call at 800-460-2575.

With the announcement of the updated Building Analyst Certification, you may be wondering what exactly changed? In this overview of Old Building Analyst vs. New Building Analyst, we’ll look at the knowledge list from the legacy Building Analyst standard and compare it to the new suite of certifications. More specifically, we’ll look at whether the legacy knowledge area is covered in BSP, BA-T, BA-P, or no longer covered.

The main knowledge areas for legacy BPI Building Analyst are as follows:

• Building Science
• Buildings & Their Systems
• Testing & Data Collection
• Industry Standards
• Analyzing Collected Data
• Energy Modeling and Work Scope

Within these main knowledge areas, there are sub-categories and sub-tasks. For a full and complete overview of old Building Analyst vs. new Building Analyst, download the comparison PDF here.

Otherwise, here’s a summarized comparison:

As you can see, the Building Performance Institute (BPI) has successfully weaved all the knowledge areas into the new BPI certification hierarchy. 

Given that the new scheme has built-in prerequisites (BSP → BA-T → BA-P), it makes sense that several of these knowledge areas are duplicated across the board; it’s clear that each level of BPI Certification builds on what the previous level introduced.

One of the biggest takeaways from this chart is where BA-T ends and BA-P picks up. The majority of X’s for BA-T align with “ability to identify” type tasks, whereas the majority of X’s for BA-P align with “ability to interpret” or “ability to determine” type tasks (meaning analysis of test results).

While this may appear overwhelming, and you may still be asking yourself about old Building Analyst vs. new Building Analyst, what you really need to know is that BPI has baked all the necessary skills into a new BPI Certification prerequisites pathway. By simply following the pathway, you’ll gain all the necessary skills, and there’s no need to worry about “Which BPI Building Analyst Certification should I pursue?” because you’ll know after completing BSP and BA-T whether you have enough skills to succeed in your job or if you need to go the extra step for BA-P. It comes down to, will you only be collecting data in a home, or will you also be interpreting that data for homeowner clients?

Old Building Analyst vs. New Building Analyst: Now to June 2023

BPI will make a hard switch to the new scheme on June 1, 2023. This means that candidates can still pursue the old Building Analyst until that date. Should you? It depends.

Legacy BPI Building Analyst

• Pros: pay one lump sum, earn your certification in practically one step
• Cons: earn only one certification, can be overwhelming and seemingly expensive to dive all the way in, earn a certification that will be formally outdated in the next 6 months

New BPI Building Analyst Pathway

• Pros: accomplish milestones/certifications along your career journey, become one of the first to earn the new and active certifications
• Cons: you might have to be a little more proactive about planning your training and certification needs, as far as how many certifications you ultimately want to pursue

Either way, there’s a good chance that you’ll (a) spend the same amount of money in the end and (2) have to pass a written exam and a field exam. So the new pathway is simply a restructuring on paper.

When we talk old Building Analyst vs. new Building Analyst, one is not necessarily better than the other. As we’ve covered, they practically cover the same topics. It’s just that the legacy certification is standalone, whereas the new scheme includes a more formal career pathway. 

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If you’ve been researching BPI Certification for a while now, you’ve likely run into the BPI Building Analyst Certification. But here is something NEW that you must consider: the Building Performance Institute (BPI) has updated the BPI Building Analyst Certification job task analysis going into 2023.

What Does the Updated BPI Building Analyst Certification Look Like?

BPI has made three major changes:

1. BPI Building Science Principles is now a prerequisite before you can pursue BPI Building Analyst Certification.
2. BPI Envelope is going away. The updated BPI Building Analyst Certification absorbs content that was previously covered in the BPI Envelope Professional Certification. 
3. By absorbing the BPI Envelope content, the updated BPI Building Analyst Certification job task analysis ended up being very long. There was so much material that BPI decided it’d be best to split this into two certifications: BPI Building Analyst Technician and BPI Building Analyst Professional. 

The changes to BPI Building Analyst are more about structure than content. On paper, the knowledge areas remain very much the same; it’s just that the knowledge is broken down across two certifications. 

Which Certification Should I Get?

Splitting BPI Building Analyst into two certifications is a good thing because each certification can speak to different audiences and experience levels. 

Many practitioners currently work within data collection and diagnostic testing but do no energy modeling or scopes of work. The BA-T aligns with this practice: A Building Analyst Technician conducts residential building science-based diagnostic tests and home performance data collection. This certification gives an easier entrance to the industry while providing a clear path for professional growth.

The BA-P is a progression from the BA-T and is defined as follows: A Building Analyst Professional is a certified Building Analyst Technician who also conducts energy modeling, building analysis, and data evaluation to provide a comprehensive report with a list of prioritized home performance recommendations.

Which Building Analyst Certification Will Utilities and Rebates Want?

The Building Performance Institute has advised utilities and program administrators to replace references of “Building Analyst” with the Building Analyst Professional certification, because it includes a wider range of knowledge that includes energy modeling and work scope development. 

This idea of an updated Building Analyst Certification has created quite a stir in the industry, and I would expect there to be a delay of accurate information being listed on utility and rebate websites. It’ll take some time for everyone to get back on the same page. 

What’s important to know is that Building Analyst has changed, and hopefully the information above will help you navigate whatever requirements you run into for a job or project.

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Prior to BPI Certification 2023, there were no formal prerequisites for a person to earn certification from the Building Performance Institute (BPI) – other than passing the written/field exams associated with the desired certification. But now, BPI Certification prerequisites exist.

What Are The BPI Certification Prerequisites?

All candidates are required to start with the BPI Building Science Principles certificate of knowledge. This is where you’ll gain fundamental knowledge about how building science works, including the relationship of how systems in the home affect occupant comfort, health, and safety.

After you pass the BPI Building Sciences Principles written exam, you can advance toward the BPI Building Analyst Technician (BA-T) certification. This is an entry-level certification for those who collect data in homes and perform diagnostic testing. 

After you pass the BPI Building Analyst Technician field exam, you can advance toward the BPI Building Analyst Professional (BA-P) certification. This certification is designed for experienced practitioners who do energy modeling and provide work scope recommendations.

As you can see, the BPI Certification prerequisites include tiered certifications and the passing of various exams. 

The Building Performance Institute offers 10+ certifications, and it can be overwhelming if you’re new to the industry. To keep it simple, just remember the BPI Certification prerequisites:

• Step 1 – BPI Building Science Principles
• Step 2 – BPI Building Analyst Technician
• Step 3 – BPI Building Analyst Professional

Candidates cannot use work experience or other industry certifications to skip or bypass any of the BPI Certification prerequisites. Go ahead and get started with the BPI Building Science Principles training today!