Page 7 – Everblue Training

NABCEP PV Associate Training Program Includes Cost of Exam

Welcome to Everblue Training! We’re an approved training provider for the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), a nonprofit organization that certifies solar-industry professionals. NABCEP offers three entry-level solar credentials and eight advanced certifications. If you’re looking to transition into the solar industry, NABCEP PV Associate training is a strong starting point.

To earn one of the advanced NABCEP certifications, you’ll have to pass an exam, which requires a two-part fee paid directly to NABCEP. Part one is the application fee ($125), where you prove that you’ve met the education and work experience prerequisites. Part two is the actual exam fee ($375).

Before you even get to that point, however, you should first consider pursuing the NABCEP PV Associate credential. What’s great about the NABCEP PV Associate training package is that it includes everything you need to earn the credential, in one fee. Unlike the advanced NABCEP certifications, you can pay one time for the package, which includes the training hours AND the exam fee.

Keep reading to learn how that’s possible…

What is the NABCEP PV Associate credential?

The NABCEP Associate program recognizes individuals who have demonstrated knowledge of the fundamental principles of the application, design, installation, and operation of photovoltaic (PV), solar heating, or small wind energy systems.

NABCEP PV Associate, then, is the entry-level credential for a solar practitioner who specializes in photovoltaics. The NABCEP PV Associate Job Task Analysis (JTA) includes five knowledge content domains:

Application
Sales and Economics
Design
Installation
Operation and Maintenance

Who should become a NABCEP PV Associate?

NABCEP PV Associates fill a wide range of entry-level positions within the solar industry, and the extent of their duties may vary considerably.

Most often, those working or seeking employment in the renewable energy industry start with the NABCEP PV Associate training. That includes:

students in renewable energy programs
workers at an early stage in their renewable energy career
experienced professionals (electricians, roofers, firefighters) who are new to the renewable energy field
those in renewable energy jobs for which there is no professional certification

Why become a NABCEP PV Associate?

The top reasons why you should earn the NABCEP PV Associate credential include:

adding a marketable credential to your resume
showing employers that you’ve committed to the solar industry
highlighting your proficiency and understanding of fundamental solar principles
becoming a safer hiring choice for employers because you’ve already been trained

In addition, your passing score on the NABCEP PV Associate exam (and the accompanying NABCEP PV Associate training) can both be used as prerequisites if you decide to upgrade to advanced NABCEP solar installer certification.

How to Qualify for the NABCEP PV Associate Exam

To earn the NABCEP PV Associate credential, you must qualify through one of these two pathways:

Education = taking an approved course (like ours) that covers the NABCEP Associate JTA, or
Work = 6 months of documented full-time work experience in a role related to the NABCEP Associate JTA

Start Today with NABCEP PV Associate Training from Everblue

As we mentioned earlier, Everblue is an approved NABCEP training provider. So when you take our NABCEP PV Associate training package, you are well on your way to qualifying for the NABCEP PV Associate exam using the Education pathway.

Because we are a “NABCEP Associate Registered Training Provider,” we are responsible for verifying your participation and completion of the NABCEP PV Associate training program.

As this relates to the NABCEP Associate exam, we work directly with NABCEP to confirm your completion of the program, which is to say that we initiate the exam process on your behalf. When you’re ready to take the exam, you can be proctored in person at a Scantron testing center or by using the live online proctoring option. The NABCEP Certification exam is available internationally.

Since we get the exam process started for you, we include the cost of the exam in the NABCEP PV Associate training program. That way, it’s a one-stop-shop experience for you, and we’re able to seamlessly transition you into the exam process without tacking on any unexpected costs.

In a recent webinar with NABCEP, they shared that about 10,000 people have the NABCEP PV Associate credential. While that may sound like a lot, let’s look at the big picture. Forbes and the E2 Clean Jobs America report found that nearly 335,000 people work in the solar industry. So only about 3% of solar professionals currently have the NABCEP PV Associate credential. By earning this designation, you can quickly stand out from the crowd!

What’s holding you back from beginning your career in solar? Simply start today with the NABCEP PV Associate training program, and we will walk you through every step in the journey!

If you have any questions, give us a call at (800) 460-2575.

Learn more about Everblue's NABCEP PV Associate Training

Solar Technician Training is the First Step to a Career in Solar

Welcome! Here at Everblue, we offer solar technician training that cover the fundamentals of solar installation, design, and sales. Head on over to our Solar Course Catalog to see our full list of offerings.

Here, I’m going to explain exactly what solar technician training is. To do so, we first have to get on the same page about what a solar technician is.

What is a Solar Technician?

By definition, a technician is a person employed to look after technical equipment or do practical work. A solar technician, then, is a person who is skilled with wires, circuits, solar panels, inverters, and similar technical equipment.

Oftentimes, the word “solar technician” is used interchangeably with “solar installer,” but it’s reasonable to equate other professions in the solar workforce to a technician, such as solar salespeople, solar PV system designers, and solar project managers. At the end of the day, each of these occupations requires a proficient level of ability to handle the solar equipment and practically apply solar energy principles to make it all work together.

Types of Solar Technician Training

First you’ll want to understand all the different career pathways in the solar workforce to see if you can narrow in on a specific skillset or role. Otherwise, saying that you want solar technician training can actually be a bit vague – what exact position are you aiming for?

The solar industry began with solar technicians that I’d describe as a “jack of all trades.” In other words, the early adopters of solar really had to understand all the different aspects of a solar PV system because there were few others who knew enough to help with the project. It was a one-man job.

As the solar industry has grown, the workforce has expanded to accommodate many more careers. You’re less likely to find a job that requires a solar technician who does all the work by himself from start to finish (unless you work for a small startup company). Nowadays, you’re more likely to join a team of solar professionals who each specialize in their own part of the project.

solar technician training industries map

So let’s think a little more specific than “solar technician training.” What exactly do you want to do?

Solar Course Options

Our IREC-accredited solar technician training courses prepare you for a specific role in the solar workforce.

If you’re brand new to solar – we recommend that you start with our PV101 Solar PV Associate course, where you’ll learn about DC to AC power conversions, PV system sizing, PV system components, and safety.

To take a deeper dive into the solar job of your dreams, you’ll then want to consider one (or more) of our advanced solar technician training classes. These courses are labeled PV2XX to show that they are a second-level course.

PV201 Solar Installer – this course covers grid-tied and off-grid installation technique, including grounding, wiring, mounting, labeling, commissioning, and troubleshooting
PV202 Solar Design – this course covers the strategy behind a successful solar installation, including customer expectations, project criteria, mechanical & electrical design, system monitoring, project documentation, permits, and approvals
PV203 Solar Sales – this course covers more of the business side of solar, including customer motivations, client energy analysis, tax incentives, solar renewable energy credits, grants, net metering, return on investment, and common customer questions

If you want to be a real rockstar in the solar workforce, or are that lone wolf at your small solar startup, you might be best-served with bundling these courses together for a master solar technician training experience. You can bundle any of these solar courses and get 5% off each course! No coupon code required. You’ll automatically see savings in your shopping cart when you bundle.

If you have any questions about solar technician training, you’re in the right spot! Here at Everblue, we’ve been helping people like you join the solar workforce and improve their skills for over 10 years. Give us a call at (800) 460-2575 if you have any questions about solar training.

Learn more about Everblue's PV101 Training

LEED Certification Study Materials Save You Time & Stress

Welcome to Everblue, where we offer best-in-class LEED certification study materials and LEED exam prep!

Why do you need LEED certification study materials?

Simple. The LEED Green Associate exam highlights 100+ topics in green building and pulls from the U.S. Green Building Council’s pool of 1000+ questions. No two LEED exams are alike, and the USGBC does not publicize its test questions. They’re trying to gauge whether you have a broad understanding of how LEED certification works, and they’re not going to spoon-feed the information to you.

How could you possibly know it all? This is why LEED certification study materials will be your greatest asset to earning a LEED professional credential.

We’ve been a USGBC Education Partner from the start, and we’ve helped thousands of people pass their LEED exams for over 10 years. We’ve got this down to a science, literally. The USGBC will not spoon-feed the LEED testable knowledge to you, but we will!

The benefit of taking the LEED Green Associate Exam Prep is that we cut out all the fluff that you would have otherwise spent time on and only focus on the important, testable knowledge.

Which LEED certification study materials do you need?

Here’s the thing – LEED certification study materials are great, but too much of a good thing can be overwhelming.

Realistically, will you be spending the next month reading a 600+ page book, listening to an 8-hour MP3 podcast, reading and answering 1000+ practice questions, reviewing 500+ flashcards, etc? No, you won’t. That’s insane and will literally make the process of studying for your LEED exam way more complicated and stressful.

LEED Certification study materials graphic

Tip: Stick to 1-3 LEED certification study materials that have reasonable expectations of your time.

Buying every single study aid you find will do no good if you don’t use them. Commit to a few strategies that you can reasonably fit into your work/life schedule.

Here are the LEED certification study materials that we offer:

We provide an all-inclusive LEED exam prep package that comes with an instructor-led training course and the following study aids…

Study Pacing Guide – an outline that helps organize your thoughts in terms of planning how you will study, how many days to study, how long to study each day, exactly what concept you should be studying, and when to give yourself a break
250 LEED GA Practice Questions – multiple-choice questions (broken down by LEED credit category) that reinforce knowledge presented in our accompanying course. You’ll receive feedback after every question, explaining why each answer choice was incorrect and why the right answer was in fact correct.
3 LEED GA Practice Tests – multiple-choice questions modeled after the LEED Green Associate exam format. Just like the real exam, you will not receive feedback after every question. This is the true test of knowing whether you are ready to schedule and take your LEED exam or if you need to go back and review the course/practice questions.

These LEED certification study materials are available in a digital format for every person who registers for our LEED Green Associate Exam Prep – whether you purchase the online (self-paced) package or the live package.

Are study aids enough to prepare for the LEED exam?

It may be tempting to try a shortcut, such as only studying from practice questions, but let’s think critically about this…

Practice questions are inherently designed to reinforce knowledge that you’ve already been introduced to.

If you rely solely on practice questions to learn the material, you’re doing yourself a disservice by not being introduced to the content in the proper way.

By design, practice questions offer a snippet, or fun fact, about a concept. You only get part of the picture from the practice question alone. You’ll be far more successful if you take the time to follow along with a presentation or webinar that guides you through the who/what/where/why/how of a concept. Then, when you’re faced with the corresponding practice question, you pull from your database of knowledge and have a better contextual understanding of what the question is actually asking.

Over the last decade, we’ve found that people are most successful when they pair training and study aids in their LEED exam preparation efforts. For this reason, we include the LEED certification study materials with our LEED Green Associate Exam Prep packages.

If you have any questions on how to prepare for the LEED exam, give us a call at (800) 460-2575.

Register now for LEED Green Associate Exam Prep

Energy Auditing Equipment Guide for Newbies & Professionals

Whether you’re new to the home energy auditor profession or currently working as an energy auditor, you will need energy auditing equipment to do the job correctly. Your equipment needs will vary depending on your role and the type of company that you work for.

If you currently work for a home performance company – especially a larger company with multiple offices and greater geographic reach – you may be able to borrow energy auditing equipment that your company already owns. Or your company may be willing to buy the equipment for you. But we’ve also seen situations where a company’s job listing actually said “Must own your own energy auditing equipment.”

If you plan to start your own home performance company, or add energy audits as a service to your existing trade company, you will need to buy energy auditing equipment. It’s unlikely that you’ll have this specialized equipment already lying around.

List of Energy Auditing Equipment

As a home energy auditing professional, you will need the following pieces of equipment:

Combustible Gas Detector (Gas Sniffer) that provides a digital display of percentage of Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) and/or provide an alarm when detecting combustible gas concentrations exceeding 10% Lower Explosive Limit (LEL)
Combustion Analyzer equipped internally or externally with a nitric oxide filter (NOx filter)
Ambient CO monitor
Mirror, smoke pencils or other smoke visualization equipment for depressurization and spillage assessment
Complete Blower Door Testing Kit including hoses, blower door frame, blower door canvas, etc.
One or more manometers
Pressure Pan and associated kit
Exhaust Fan Flow Meter and associated kit
Duct Blaster and associated kit
Infrared camera (optional)

Where to Buy Energy Auditing Equipment

You can buy the equipment directly from the manufacturer or from a retailer.

We have special partnerships with the leading manufacturers, who offer discounts to our customers.

12% discount from Retrotec
8% discount from TruTech Tools

In order to qualify for these discounts, you must be enrolled in one of our BPI Certification courses.

Otherwise, you’ll have to pay full price. For more information on that, see How Much is Blower Door Equipment?

If you’re not yet familiar with BPI, it’s a certification for home energy auditors who specialize in building science, thermal comfort, and the “house-as-a-system” approach.

Technically, BPI stands for the Building Performance Institute, which is the nonprofit organization that created the nationally recognized standards for home energy auditing as well as the associated certification program.

Equipment Needs based on BPI Certification

As we mentioned at the beginning of this post, your equipment needs will vary depending on your role. BPI offers multiple certifications, and many are aligned with a specific range of skills.

For example, the BPI Infiltration & Duct Leakage certification is specifically designed for a field technician who will frequently be performing blower door and duct leakage tests. Therefore, if you plan to pursue BPI IDL Certification and work in that role going forward, you only need to be proficient with using the basic energy auditing equipment, which is:

Blower door
Duct blaster
Manometer (comes with blower door or duct blaster kit)

Then there’s the BPI Building Analyst certification, which takes a more broad approach to home energy auditing. In addition to doing blower door tests, BPI Building Analyst professionals also provide combustion safety testing, interior & exterior visual inspections, and energy efficiency recommendations based on building science principles. Because they have a more well-rounded range of knowledge, they have to be proficient with using all of the energy auditing equipment. To reiterate, the necessary equipment for BPI Building Analyst Certification would be:

Combustible Gas Detector (Gas Sniffer) that provides a digital display of percentage of Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) and/or provide an alarm when detecting combustible gas concentrations exceeding 10% Lower Explosive Limit (LEL)
Combustion Analyzer equipped internally or externally with a nitric oxide filter (NOx filter)
Ambient CO monitor
Mirror, smoke pencils or other smoke visualization equipment for depressurization and spillage assessment
Complete Blower Door Testing Kit including hoses, blower door frame, blower door canvas, etc.
One or more manometers
Pressure Pan and associated kit
Exhaust Fan Flow Meter and associated kit
Duct Blaster and associated kit
Infrared camera (optional)

You may have noticed that the duct blaster was not included in the Building Analyst list of equipment. That’s because the BPI Building Analyst standard actually does not include duct testing. To account for that skill, many people choose to register for both BPI Building Analyst and BPI IDL. The two blend very well together, since IDL gives you the duct testing and Building Analyst gives you all the building science theory and context to provide educated recommendations to your customers on how to save energy and money.

How to Get Started as a Certified Home Energy Auditor

You can keep reading about BPI Certification or you can check out our selection of BPI Certification courses.

Here at Everblue, we provide BPI training classes (and administer the certification exams) so you can grow your career as a home energy auditor.

We offer the BPI courses in two formats:

Blended
Online (self-paced)

Blended just means that you follow along with the online (self-paced) “classroom” training and then appear in person for your hands-on equipment training and proctored certification exam. We provide all equipment for the training and testing during our blended format of the course.

Instead, if you choose the fully online option, you’ll follow along with the pre-recorded “classroom” webinar and then schedule to have your certification exams remotely proctored. This option assumes that you own or have access to energy auditing equipment and a house that meets BPI’s criteria.

If you have any questions about equipment, BPI certification, or our courses, give us a call at (800) 460-2575.

Get LEED Certification Online: All About Training & Exams

Online LEED training has been available for the last 10 years, and its popularity has grown in light of accessibility to the Internet, smartphones and tablets, and Covid-19. Before the pandemic, the only way for candidates to take their LEED exam was to appear in person at a Prometric test center. Because of the pandemic, Prometric has introduced a remote exam proctoring option that makes it possible to get LEED Certification online – from start to finish – without ever leaving your home or interacting with anyone.

The best part of online LEED certification is that you can get started as early as TODAY.

How to Get LEED Certification Online

Sign up for LEED Green Associate Exam Prep training. Here at Everblue, we offer two types of online LEED certification training. One is a self-paced online webinar, the other is a live webinar.
Study for 20-30 hours. Especially because you want to get LEED certification online, you’ll have to take greater responsibility for your study habits. You have to make the commitment to study the material on a regular basis and not let other projects and habits get in the way.
Purchase the LEED Green Associate exam. The U.S. Green Building Council (the creators of LEED) sell the LEED Green Associate exam for $250. You’ll need to make a free account on their website and then purchase the exam.
Schedule to take your LEED Green Associate exam. This is the part where you’ll truly get LEED Certification online. You will visit the Prometric website, choose from the list of exams being offered, and select the Online format. You’ll be able to choose the exact date and time of your exam session.

For more information about the LEED testing process, see our post on LEED Online Exam Proctoring.

Why should you get LEED certification online?

Simple – it’s faster, safer, more convenient, and more affordable!

With LEED certification webinar training, you can begin learning immediately after you enroll in the course. No having to wait for an upcoming session to start. From the exam side of things, you also don’t have as much of a waiting period. The online LEED testing process doesn’t have to account for the number of computers and chairs in the Prometric test center computer lab; it can just proctor you from your home office.

In light of health concerns with the ongoing pandemic, it’s certainly safer for you to stay home and learn/test in place. You won’t be exposed to anyone else’s possible health risks. On top of the stress you may already feel about taking an exam, the last thing you’d want to do is be in a small room for 2 hours sitting beside people who are less than six feet from you! Do yourself a favor and take advantage of Prometric’s online exam proctoring option.

Since many people are furloughed or working from home right now, it’s convenient to begin learning about LEED from a personal laptop at home. Moreover, the format of online LEED training is simply more convenient than attending a live classroom course; you can watch 20 minutes here, 3 hours there, whenever you have a spare moment. Online LEED training won’t get in the way of your work/life balance.

And best of all, the most affordable option is for you to get LEED certification online. Because you’ll be learning and testing from home, you won’t be spending money on gas traveling to a class or test center. Or worse, you won’t have to spend money on a hotel or airfare if a class or test center would have otherwise been far from your home.

There are many benefits to online LEED certification training and testing. You get the same high quality curriculum and secure testing experience without having the hassle of putting on real clothes and facing the world! It’s no wonder that more and more people are choosing to get LEED certification online.

Do you want LEED Certification or LEED Accreditation?

One thing you’ll learn during the LEED Green Associate training is that “LEED Certification” is actually the term used to describe buildings that have incorporated sustainability and green building strategies into its design, construction, and/or operations.

“LEED Accreditation” is the term for people who want to highlight their knowledge of the LEED certification process by way of a professional credentialing exam.

Many people think they want to get LEED certification online, but really, they want LEED Accreditation.

In any case, we can help you do that! As we noted above, simply sign up for LEED Green Associate Exam Prep training, and you’ll be on the right path toward earning a LEED professional credential.

If you have any questions about LEED accreditation, give us a call at (800) 460-2575.

For those working on LEED building projects…

Oftentimes, LEED certification for a building project can’t be achieved without the technical knowledge and guidance of a LEED accredited professional on the job.

So if you’re actively working on a building project that requires LEED Certification, you’d probably be best served pursuing LEED Accreditation for yourself so that you understand the process inside and out.

You too would want to start with the LEED Green Associate Exam Prep (it’s the required first step for anyone interested in LEED).

The point is, it’s entirely possible to earn a LEED credential without ever leaving the comfort of your home. Get LEED training online, take your LEED exam online, and you’re done! We hope that we can help you on your journey to earning a LEED credential.

NABCEP Installer Certification: Should You Get NABCEP PVIS or PVIP?

The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) is the most respected and widely recognized certification organization for solar installers. Because “solar PV installer” is one of the fastest growing jobs, many people are pursuing NABCEP Installer Certification as a way to stand out from other solar professionals and to highlight their technical knowledge.

But, NABCEP actually offers more than one NABCEP installer certification. So, which should you get?

NABCEP PV Installation Professional (PVIP) was the first NABCEP installer certification. It dates back to 2003 and is still the most distinguished and well-known of all of the NABCEP credentials.

If you want to earn a solar panel installation certification and/or start a solar PV business, you’ll want to pursue the NABCEP PVIP Certification.

Here at Everblue, we offer NABCEP-approved and IREC-accredited solar training programs. Our popular NABCEP PV Installation Professional package aligns perfectly with the educational prerequisites to sit for the NABCEP PVIP exam. We’ll discuss the prerequisites in greater detail below.

Why is there more than one NABCEP Installer Certification?

In October 2017, NABCEP added the PV Installer Specialist (PVIS) to its solar certification program.

Other than showing the list of knowledge areas covered on each certification exam, NABCEP hasn’t explicitly explained how PV Installer Specialist is different from PV Installation Professional.

When you look at the knowledge areas for each certification, you can reasonably assume that NABCEP introduced the PV Installer Specialist to create a lower tier for solar installers who don’t need the same depth of knowledge that certified PV Installation Professionals have.

The Difference Between NABCEP PVIS and NABCEP PVIP Certification

The short answer is that PV Installer Specialists focus only on solar installation technique, whereas PV Installation Professionals add PV system design, commissioning, and operations/maintenance strategies to their installation knowledge to offer the most efficient and effective system.

Therefore, if you’re only interested in becoming a solar panel installer, you might consider the NABCEP PV Installer Specialist Certification. But if you want to hold more of a leadership position on a solar installation job site and/or own a solar installation business, you’ll probably want the NABCEP PV Installation Professional Certification.

There are additional similarities and differences between the two certifications, in terms of exam prerequisites and recertification requirements. Before we dive into that information, let’s look at the basic structure of the NABCEP Certification process.

How to Qualify for the NABCEP Certification Exams

Before you can sit for the NABCEP Certification exams, you must:

Complete educational prerequisites
Show proof of work experience
Submit an application that shows your education & work experience (pay NABCEP $125 to review)
Pay $375 for the exam
Schedule date & time of your 4-hour exam appointment

Each exam for the NABCEP Board Certifications (except for PV System Inspector) has 70 equally weighted multiple-choice questions, with four choices per question. Sixty of the questions are scored, and ten are un-scored pilot questions.

How to Qualify for the NABCEP PV Installer Specialist Exam

To sit for the NABCEP PV Installer Specialist exam, you must:

Education: Complete of a minimum of 10 hours of OSHA Outreach Training Program for the Construction Industry AND complete 24 hours of training
Work Experience: Complete installations with a decision-making role equaling at least 6 Project Credits (system size 1-999 kW = 2 project credits, 1 MW and up = 3 project credits), installations to have been completed within 2 calendar years prior to the application submission date, all systems must have a minimum rating of 1kW DC (STC).
Submit an application that shows your education & work experience (pay NABCEP $125 to review)
Pay $375 for the exam
Schedule date & time of your 4-hour exam appointment

How to Qualify for the NABCEP PV Installation Professional Exam

To sit for the NABCEP PV Installation Professional exam, you must:

Education: Complete of a minimum of 10 hours of OSHA Outreach Training Program for the Construction Industry AND complete 58 hours of training
Work Experience: Complete installations with a decision-making role equaling at least 6 Project Credits (system size 1-999 kW = 2 project credits, 1 MW and up = 3 project credits), installations to have been completed within 2 calendar years prior to the application submission date, all systems must have a minimum rating of 1kW DC (STC).
Submit an application that shows your education & work experience (pay NABCEP $125 to review)
Pay $375 for the exam
Schedule date & time of your 4-hour exam appointment

Both of these NABCEP installer certifications have recertification requirements (every 3 years) that include education and work experience.

comparing the NABCEP Installer Certifications

As you can see, the NABCEP PV Installation Professional Certification offers a more broad range of knowledge, which opens more doors in the solar industry.

The second page of the NABCEP Certification brochure shows all of the possible PV career pathways, based on which NABCEP installer certification you choose to pursue.

You’ll see that the solar careers linked to NABCEP PVIP include jobs working in design, installation, maintenance, and even project management. NABCEP PVIS, on the other hand, only offers a pathway to solar installation jobs. (Note – the six solar installation jobs listed under PVIS and PVIP are the same too!)

NABCEP PV Installation Professional Certification is known as the “gold standard” for solar installers. Why would you settle for any less? Set yourself up for success by pursuing the top solar installer certification on the market!

If you have any other questions about NABCEP installer certification, give us a call at 800-460-2575.

Learn more about Everblue's NABCEP Certification Training

LEED Certification Webinar Training: The Best Way to Learn LEED

If you’re brand new to LEED and have thought about earning a LEED credential, then you are in the right place! Here at Everblue, we offer LEED Certification Webinar Training.

For those who already know what LEED is and how to get started, visit our LEED Green Associate Exam Prep course page to look at our upcoming training schedule.

For a brief overview of what you can expect while you attend LEED Certification Webinar Training, keep reading!

Who should take a LEED Certification Webinar Training?

Anyone interested in learning about the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building standards!

Some people look at the LEED Certification Webinar Training as “exam prep.” After you’ve learned the fundamentals concepts, you can go on to take the LEED professional exams and earn a LEED Green Associate accreditation.

But LEED Certification Webinar Training is more than just exam prep. If you work in the building industry and want a strong understanding of effective sustainability principles, this course will teach you actionable strategies and tasks that you can immediately apply to your job.

What topics will be covered?

At its core, LEED Certification Webinar Training is designed to go over every detail of the LEED Rating System. We offer an introduction to these concepts on our What is LEED Certification? page but in short, the training will highlight building strategies and considerations in the following knowledge areas:

Water efficiency
Indoor air quality
Building materials
Construction waste management
Site selection
Transportation & walkability
Regional adaptations

These topics can be applied to new construction buildings, existing buildings, interior design, homes, neighborhoods, and even cities and communities! LEED was designed to be flexible and accommodate all types of building structures.

Are study aids included with the LEED Certification Webinar Training?

Yes! Whether you choose to go on and take the LEED Green Associate exam or simply want to dive deeper into the LEED concepts, we include a series of LEED certification study materials with the training program.

After you register for a session, you’ll receive immediate access to our online training portal, where you’ll be able to find pre-course reading materials, discussion boards, pre-recorded webinar videos, and LEED practice questions.

In addition to the online portal, we will also mail you full-color, printed course materials prior to the start of the LEED Certification Webinar Training. That way, you can follow along with the instructor and the digital presentation on your computer screen while also taking notes on the associated printed materials.

Is the LEED exam included with the LEED Certification Webinar Training?

Unfortunately, no. LEED exam registration is a separate process managed by the U.S. Green Building Council (the creators of LEED).

When you’re ready to take the LEED exam, you will create a free account on the USGBC website and then purchase your LEED exam directly from them. Afterwards, you will choose the exact day and time of your 2-hour testing appointment. The exams are proctored through a third-party company called Prometric, who offers live online proctoring and in-person proctoring at its test centers (located internationally). Choose whichever proctoring format works best for you!

How does the LEED Certification Webinar Training work?

The webinar is an online-based training session that you can attend in real-time. This means that you will log in at a predetermined day and time and that you’ll be able to ask questions and get answers immediately from the instructor, as if you were attending a live classroom course.

This image below gives you an idea of what the webinar interface would look like. (This is not a functional video).

LEED Certification Webinar Training slide

There are many names for the webinar training – live online, live webinar, broadcast, stream, etc. We choose to formally call it a Virtual Classroom because that is the most straightforward name to represent the experience. Attending this program is exactly like attending a live classroom course – only it’s virtual!

We offer the LEED Certification Webinar Training at various dates and times, to offer as much accessibility and convenience as possible. When you visit our LEED Green Associate Exam Prep course page, you’ll primarily see two date/time formats for our virtual classroom sessions:

4 dates with 3 hours/day or
2 dates with 8 hours/day

The 4-date session is scheduled much like your typical LEED Certification Webinar Training. It’s very easy to block off a few hours during the day to participate in a training course. You just pop in for a few hours and then digest the information overnight.

The 2-date session is actually scheduled to align with our 2-day live classroom offerings. If you live in a location where we do not offer a 2-day live classroom course, you can jump onto a virtual classroom and follow along with everyone else! There’s really nothing else like this option. Just be sure to block off your entire work day, as if you were actually attending a live workshop in person.

Regardless of whether you choose the 4-date option or the 2-date option, you’ll still receive all course materials and study aids, including 6 months of access to the online learning portal.

How can I register for LEED Certification Webinar Training?

You can register online or over the phone.

Online – Visit our LEED Green Associate Exam Prep training page. To fast-track to the registration section, click on the orange button that says View Course Options. This will take you to a section that features our different training formats. The LEED Certification Webinar Training dates will be categorized under the Live Training block. Choose the “location” and date that works best for you. After you click the Purchase button, you’ll be taken to our shopping cart page, where you can review your selection. Then you’ll Proceed to Checkout, where you will provide your billing information and pay for your course. After you pay, you’ll be automatically enrolled and will gain instant access to the online learning portal!

Phone – Call (800) 460-2575 and choose our New Customer – LEED pathway. You’ll be connected with our friendly and helpful customer service representatives who can place the order for you. We’ll just need your name, email, billing information, and the dates/times of your preferred LEED Certification Webinar Training session. If you have any questions, you can certainly ask us while you’re on the phone!

LEED Certification Webinar Training is the best way to familiarize yourself with LEED concepts.

LEED v4.1 Standard Continues to Grow, Exams Still Cover LEED v4

We first wrote about the LEED v4.1 standard in October 2018. At that time, we looked at how LEED v4.1 differs from LEED v4 and speculated on what the next steps could have been.

Since that time, the LEED v4.1 standard has grown from only focusing on existing buildings to now covering several building types and LEED rating systems.

LEED v4.1 Standard Can Now Apply to BD+C, ID+C, and Multifamily

Don’t be fooled by the BD+C and ID+C acronyms here. In this situation, BD+C and ID+C refer to the LEED rating systems, not the LEED AP Specialty designations for professionals.

The U.S. Green Building Council (or the creators of LEED) have published a series of videos on how to apply the LEED v4.1 standard to building projects seeking LEED certification under the Building Design & Construction, Interior Design & Construction, Multifamily Residential, and Cities and Communities rating systems.

In the three years that the LEED v4.1 standard has been in development, several project teams have had the opportunity to implement LEED v4.1 criteria into their projects.

That said, the LEED v4.1 rating systems are still in beta and need to undergo ballot and finalization processes before they become fully official.

Are the LEED v4.1 Exams available?

The short answer is no.

According to our contact at USGBC, there is no date yet on when the exams will be updated based on LEED v4.1.

Again, the LEED v4.1 rating systems are still in beta and need to undergo ballot and finalization processes before there will be any plans to update the LEED accreditation exams.

Not to worry! As we mentioned in our previous post, the naming convention of LEED v4.1 is meant to represent the fact that the new version is only an incremental improvement over LEED v4. It is not a full version change. If anything, you could say that LEED v4.1 uses LEED v4 as a foundation and stepping stone.

We have no idea when LEED v4.1 exams will be available, so instead of procrastinating on your goal of earning a LEED credential, you should definitely go ahead and pursue LEED v4 accreditation now. Aligned with all the addenda from USGBC, our LEED Exam Prep courses are 100% up-to-date with the latest LEED v4 official standards.

If you want to learn more about the LEED v4.1 standard, I would recommend that you first earn LEED v4 accreditation and then complete the USGBC video series listed above for continuing education. Even the USGBC is positioning LEED v4.1 education as a continuing education opportunity as opposed to your first step in learning about LEED.

If you’re brand new to LEED, you should start now with the LEED Green Associate Exam Prep.

Did Covid-19 delay the rollout of LEED v4.1?

There is no evidence that Covid-19 delayed the official launch of the LEED v4.1 standard for buildings or LEED v4.1 exams. It sounds like the LEED v4.1 rating systems would have had to undergo ballot and finalization processes with or without Covid-19.

If anything, USGBC has moved quickly to incorporate health and safety pilot credits into the LEED v4.1 beta in response to Covid-19.

USGBC has made the following pilot credits available:

The Safety First: Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Space credit
The Safety First: Re-enter Your Workspace credit
The Safety First: Building Water System Recommissioning credit
The Safety First: Managing Indoor Air Quality During Covid-19 credit

All of these pilot credits are available for LEED 2009, LEED v4, and LEED v4.1 building projects.

These credits are based on current, known information. USGBC will refine its recommendations and is looking for feedback on the new credits.

Side note – I really like USGBC’s new vision: Healthy people in healthy places equals a healthy economy.

LEED v4.1 Next Steps

If you’ve been following LEED v4.1 since it was first announced in November 2017, then you’ve seen how much progress there has been. It’s taking a little longer than we had expected, but it looks like USGBC is rolling the LEED v4.1 standard out in a very organized and methodical way. Long story short, it’s still coming!

But for now, your best bet for earning an up-to-date LEED credential is to commit to the LEED v4 accreditation, which is the only LEED standard that is available for personal achievement.

If you have any questions on how to get started with LEED, give us a call at (800) 460-2575.

Home Energy Auditing After Covid-19: Prepare Now for Pent-Up Demand

We sat down with Larry Zarker, CEO of the Building Performance Institute (BPI), to discuss the future of home energy auditing and what may become the “new normal.”

Larry grew up in a home building family and started his career doing research for the National Association of Home Builders. He later moved to BPI, where he has now worked for the last 14 years.

As he mentions, Larry has lived and breathed home building for his entire life, so we wanted to pick his brain on the trends he’s seeing and get his insight on where residential contractors should be focusing their efforts in a post-Coronavirus world.

The takeaway – set yourself up now for success later.

There will be “pent-up demand” to get things fixed in the home.

For the last 2-3 months, we’ve been spending more time in our homes than usual. With living and working inside the home, we’ve started to notice the things that are causing us problems. Allergens, dirt, noises, etc. have suddenly appeared before our eyes, yet may have existed all along. Only now are we being confronted with these issues and looking for solutions.

As states open up, homeowners will increasingly seek home performance professionals to fix the issues in their homes. Larry noted that his colleagues in the remodeling industry have never been busier because they are responding to customers who urgently want to improve their homes.

“Train up” now so you’ll be ready to meet the demand.

Larry’s advice to business owners was to make the most of this time at home by learning and getting certified now while you have the time. When you get out in the field, he said, you get busy. You’ll look back on this time and ask yourself, “Why didn’t I do something with my time?”

For example, see our post on how one company is investing in education for its team during Covid-19.

Get ready for more online BPI training.

At the outset of the quarantine, Larry was surprised to see “such a dramatic move toward online training.”

In other worlds, professional development did not pause with the rest of the world. When we couldn’t attend live in-person training, we turned to our computers and mobile devices to help us continue reaching our goals.

And now that we’ve all proven that online BPI training and remote BPI certification testing is possible, it opens the door to similar opportunities in the future.

“There are a lot of people in the industry who are nearing retirement, and they weren’t necessarily going to be learning on their smartphone. But the new generation of people who are coming in… that’s just the medium,” noted Larry.

Generally speaking, we must all continue to embrace the digital technology around us and become comfortable with learning in that format. Of all times in history, we are most equipped now for online learning than ever, and that trend will certainly continue.

Here at Everblue, we offer multiple BPI training and certification courses, both in online and blended formats. In recent weeks, the online training has been most popular, but we will continue to offer in-person training for those who prefer that format.

View the BPI Certifications as stepping stones.

When you first look at the listing of BPI certifications, it can be overwhelming. Do you need all of them? Are all of these just components working toward one ultimate certification? Where do you begin?

We asked Larry for his opinion on which BPI certification is better for a newcomer to the home energy auditing industry – BPI Infiltration & Duct Leakage or BPI Building Analyst.

Larry noted that some of the feedback he received was that Building Analyst was a big leap for someone who had no previous experience in the home energy auditing industry. After all, Building Analyst requires a fairly comprehensive and technical understanding of both building science principles and energy auditing equipment. HIs recommendation was to first pursue BPI Infiltration & Duct Leakage and then upgrade your skills to the Building Analyst level.

“What I like about IDL (Infiltration & Duct Leakage) is, you’re taking two pieces of equipment that you need to know about – how to use a blower door and how to test leakiness of ducts – and you’re de-mystifying it,” he said.

By first achieving the BPI IDL Certification, you gain confidence and get that entry-level understanding of, I know how to use this equipment, and I can immediately apply these skills to my job.

“Then when they step up to Building Analyst, there’s no mystery,” he said. “They understand the process. I see the stepping stones as being important.”

Take advantage of advanced home energy auditing opportunities.

If you’ve already got the BPI Building Analyst Certification and are looking for more meaning in your career, Larry mentioned that the weatherization industry is very strong right now.

“We’re doing work for DOE right now to take our standards for the 1100 and 1200 standards through a process of re-upping with ANSI to make sure that the weatherization credentials are the strongest they can be,” he said.

BPI earned accreditation from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for the advanced Home Energy Professional (HEP) certifications in November 2013. The HEP certification program was developed with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy and prepares home energy auditing professionals for careers working with federal weatherization assistance program agencies.

The 1100 and 1200 standards refer to the HEP Energy Auditor and HEP Quality Control Inspector certifications, which both build upon a candidate’s work experience in the residential energy efficiency industry.

We enjoyed speaking with Larry and getting his views on the current state of the home energy auditing industry. For more of Larry’s thoughts, check out the full interview below:

RESCAZ Simulation Exam Required for RESNET Rating Field Inspectors

In order to become a RESNET Rating Field Inspector (RFI), you have to complete 3 mentored field inspections observed by a certified RESNET HERS Rater or Candidate Field Assessor AND pass the RESCAZ Simulation Exam through an accredited Training Provider, which we are.

If you are already familiar with the process to become a RESNET RFI and just need the RESCAZ Simulation Exam, please continue on to our RESNET Combustion Safety Exam product. It’s exactly what you need to satisfy this requirement.

If you are new to RESNET certification, keep reading about what a Rating Field Inspector does below.

What is a RESNET RFI?

An RFI is like an apprentice to a RESNET HERS Rater. This person assists with collecting measurements and performing necessary diagnostic tests throughout a home in order to produce a home energy rating.

What is a home energy rating?

A home energy rating provides a comparative analysis on how energy efficient a home is compared to other similar homes. Sophisticated energy modeling software analyzes a home’s construction plans and the diagnostic test results from the on-site inspection to output an energy efficiency score for the home.

Ultimately, the home energy rating gives you a projected idea of the energy costs of your home.

Who can become a RESNET RFI?

Anyone who satisfies the 5-step process, though it helps when a candidate has a background in:

Building science
Blower door testing
Combustion safety testing

You may be new to the energy efficiency industry and looking for a foot in the door. Or, you might be interested in working toward the full RESNET HERS Rater Certification.

5 Steps to Becoming a RESNET RFI

The time it takes to become an RFI largely depends on how long it takes you to complete the mentored inspections.

1 – Download the necessary paperwork. This includes the RFI Field Evaluation Form, the instructions for RESNET Graded Field Evaluation, and the (optional) RFI Photo Documentation Form.

2 – Complete three mentored field inspections observed by a HERS Rater or Candidate Field Assessor. At least 1 inspection must be a rough-in inspection and 1 must be a final inspection. 10 supporting photos must be taken at each home.

3 – Complete a final graded field evaluation after completing the 3 mentored field inspections.

4 – Pass the RESCAZ Simulation Exam through an accredited RESNET Training Provider (like Everblue!)

5 – Pay $50 and complete the RFIIN application

Additional details about each step can be found on the RESNET website.

Remember Everblue for your RESCAZ Simulation Exam

If you’re researching RFI Certification, it’s likely because your employer mentioned it to you. That means that your company probably already has HERS Raters and Candidate Field Assessors on staff, which also means that you’ll be able to find a mentor within your organization.

So when you’re ready to take your RESCAZ Simulation Exam, remember to return to Everblue Training (that’s us) and we can offer the exam to you.

What You’ll Get from Our RESNET Combustion Safety Program

After you’ve paid the registration fee, we will give you access to the RESCAZ simulation platform.

RESCAZ is an online, interactive simulation experience designed to help you understand RESNET’s combustion appliance zone (CAZ) safety standards.

You will need to actually download the software, so be sure that you use your own computer or that you are allowed to download software on the computer that you end up using.

Your registration fee with Everblue gives you practice simulations, the actual RESCAZ Simulation Exam, as well as five exam attempts.

Practice Simulations

This platform contains practice simulations and videos to help you prepare for the RESCAZ Simulation Exam.

Prep times vary based on an individual candidate’s ability to understand and consistently apply the RESNET CAZ procedure per the standard. Initial evidence suggests 5-10 hours of CAZ practice, at a minimum, to be successful on the exam.

The RESCAZ Simulation Exam

The platform also houses the actual exam, which must be proctored.

The simulation exam consists of performing one complete combustion appliance assessment. The actual exam is comparable in length and complexity to the SINGLE CAZ scenarios available in the training section of the simulation platform.

You have 2 hours to complete the exam, though you will probably need less than 1 hour to complete it.

5 Exam Attempts

You must score at least 85% to receive a passing score on the exam.

If you’re unsuccessful, RESNET allows a total of 5 exam attempts under the initial registration fee.

Whether you are interested in becoming a RESNET Rating Field Inspector or certified HERS Rater, Everblue can help you out! We specialize in energy efficiency training and helping residential contractors achieve their professional career goals. Give us a call at (800) 460-2575 if you have any questions.