building sales with certification - energy auditor
DESCRIPTION
This presentation will examine how growing a building performance company can be aligned with nationally recognized professional certifications as a business model, and as a marketing program. Homeowners able to recognize and trust quality energy upgrades will tell their neighbors at the backyard grill. Contractors able to adapt will hire more certified crews and grow business.http://www.ableideas.net/WebinarSeries.htmlTRANSCRIPT
BUILDING SALES WITH
CERTIFICATION Part One: Energy Auditor April 18, 2012
Four-Part Webinar Series Part One - Energy Auditor
Wednesday, April 18 at 12:00 pm PDT
Part Two - Retrofit Installer Technician
Wednesday, April 25 at 12:00 pm PDT
Part Three - Crew Leader
Wednesday, May 2 at 12:00 pm PDT
Part Four - Quality Control Inspector
Wednesday, May 9 at 12:00 pm PDT
For more info or to register: www.ableideas.net/WebinarSeries.html
Energy Auditor
An Energy Auditor is a residential energy efficiency professional who
evaluates the energy efficiency, health, and safety of a home, and
conducts field measurements to identify areas of savings.
The Energy Auditor produces this information as a report and makes
recommendations to the customer.
This presentation will examine how growing a building performance
company can be aligned with nationally recognized professional
certifications as a business model, and as a marketing program.
Homeowners able to recognize and trust quality energy upgrades will
tell their neighbors at the backyard grill. Contractors able to adapt will
hire more certified crews and grow business.
Today’s Panelists
• Julie Hughes, U.S. Department of Energy
• Bruce DeMaine, Building Performance Institute
• Christopher Hill, Construction Lawyer
• Chris Jones, Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance
• Randy Bates, InOrOut Smart Energy
Make a Strategic Plan
Today - It’s already over
Next Month – Will be here tomorrow
Next Year – It’s a good place to start
Build your business
like bears fish.
Go where the fish are!
Are you here wondering…
Who moved my salmon?
How do…
Home energy business owners
plan for strategic success looking
to the future of their industry?
How can…
Employers ensure they are hiring
people who can offer home energy
upgrades in a complete and
efficient manner?
How will…
Customers and homeowners know
they are getting a highly-qualified
person to work in their home?
Answer…
Certification!
Benefits of Certification:
•Competitive Edge
•Assurance of Quality
•Employee Value
•Quality of Work
•Reduce Call-Backs
• Improve Profitability
•Consistency
•Homeowner Trust
Important Point!
Certifications
put you
where the fish are!
1 | WAP Training & Technical Assistance Tools and Resources
eere.energy.gov
Certifications for Home Energy Professionals
Julie Hughes Senior Policy Advisor
April 18, 2012
2 | WAP Training & Technical Assistance Tools and Resources
eere.energy.gov
Two of the Three Barriers Preventing the Growth of the Home Performance Market*
1. Access to information: Consumers do not have access to straightforward and reliable information on home energy retrofits to make decisions.
2. Access to Skilled Workers: Too few skilled workers and green entrepreneurs to expand weatherization and efficiency retrofit programs on a national scale.
* “Recovery Through Retrofit” report, initiative of the Vice President’s Middle Income Task Force
3 | WAP Training & Technical Assistance Tools and Resources
eere.energy.gov
DOE Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals Project
• Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals Project o Delivers tools for private sector contractors o Built off 30+ years of DOE Weatherization experience and input
from 2,000 home performance industry members.
• Consists of three components: 1. Guidelines for Quality Work 2. Guidelines for Effective Training 3. Guidelines for Professional Certifications
The project is critical to DOE efforts to reduce U.S. energy consumption and strengthen the home energy upgrade market.
4 | WAP Training & Technical Assistance Tools and Resources
eere.energy.gov
Four New Home Energy Upgrade Certifications
Inspector
Auditor
Crew Leader
Installer
5 | WAP Training & Technical Assistance Tools and Resources
eere.energy.gov
Benefits of Certification to the Employee
• Nationally recognized credential
• Drives consumer confidence; relieves consumer anxiety
• Demonstrated testament to qualification and skill
• Credible indication of professionalism
6 | WAP Training & Technical Assistance Tools and Resources
eere.energy.gov
Benefits to the Industry & Contractors
• Reduces costs of employer recruitment
• Provides a more qualified workforce
• Promotes careers, not just jobs
• Improves consumer confidence – becomes a
marketing tool
7 | WAP Training & Technical Assistance Tools and Resources
eere.energy.gov
Process for Developing Certifications
Standard Work Specifications
Defines the work
JTAs and KSAs
Defines how the
work is done correctly
Curriculum
Provides a foundation to teach the right way to do the
work
Training programs
Teaches the right way to do the work
Certification
Verifies that the worker has learned the right way to do
the work
JTAs and KSAs are the basis of a valid certification test
Good accreditation aligns these four sections
8 | WAP Training & Technical Assistance Tools and Resources
eere.energy.gov
How to Register for the Certifications
Pilot exams are being offered in June 2012.
Those who take them and pass will be the first to have the certifications – early
mover market advantage.
For more information and to register: http://www.bpi.org/tools_downloads_pilot.aspx
9 | WAP Training & Technical Assistance Tools and Resources
eere.energy.gov
Please Contact Us for More Information or Questions
Julie Hughes
Senior Policy Advisor
P: 202.586.1603
Home Energy Professionals Certifications Pilot
www.BPI.org/Pilot www.BPI.org/Pilot
What is BPI? Standards
Certification
Accreditation
Quality Assurance BPI
Who
BPI
Works
With
BPI
Test Centers & Proctors
Utility Programs,
State & Federal
Government (GSA )
Quality Assurance Providers
BPI Accredited Contractors
BPI
BPI Certified
Professionals
Home Owners
BPI Governance Structure
Personnel Certification
(ensures competency) Related to an individual not a company
Measures competence of the individual through
prerequisites, written and/or performance exams
On-going certification maintenance requires CEUs and
subsequent exams
Very little ability by Certification Body to monitor work
performed by the individual – most instances a complaint
must be filed by consumer against individual
Accredited Contractor
(reduces risk, benefits consumer) Related to a company not an individual
Company commits through a contract with BPI to: Carry insurance, be licensed, no outstanding BBB complaints
Employees certified in at least two BPI designations
Perform work to specified safety criteria and standards
Maintain complete documentation of every job performed
Have customer survey and dispute resolution systems in place
Work monitored through independent, third-party quality assurance
audits
BPI/DOE/NREL
Certifications
Update
BPI/DOE/NREL Certification Development
BPI working with the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL) and the U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE) to develop 4 new certifications
Energy Auditor
Retrofit Installer Technician
Crew Leader
Quality Control Inspector
Major Milestones March and April
SMEs perform test item writing and field exam development
May Applications due by May 1st for pilot exams taken in June
June Pilot exams take place
July– August Cut score panel convenes makes determination of minimum passing
scores
Cut scores reviewed by Certification Scheme Committees
Psychometric analysis of test responses
Successful/Unsuccessful score reports sent to candidates
September Exams become available to everyone
FAQs About the New Certifications Will the Energy Auditor (EA) certification replace the
Building Analyst (BA) certification?
EA certification is not replacing the BA certification
It will be the next step in the career ladder from BA
The BA certification verifies that the worker has a foundation in
diagnostic and analytical building science
The EA certification will be specifically tailored to the job task of
energy auditing. Verifies through prerequisites that the worker has
software modeling skills, previous work history in doing energy
audits, and can develop a scope of work to implement home
performance measures in the home
FAQs About the New Certifications What is the difference between BPI’s existing Residential
Building Envelope Whole House Air Leakage Control
Installer (RBE-WHAL-CI) certification and the new Retrofit
Installer certification?
The RBE-WHAL-CI is an entry level certification
Evaluates a candidate’s ability and fundamental level of skill in the
selection and installation of appropriate materials used to reduce air
leakage in a typical home
The new Retrofit Installer Certification is geared toward experienced
technicians who have been in the field and can demonstrate a wider
range of skills than just air leakage control
FAQs About the New Certifications What is the value of the QC inspector certification?
BPI sees two primary roles for the QC inspector
The first is within contracting companies whereby QC
inspector on staff to verify the home performance job is
completed according to BPI standards
The second role is as a true third party QC inspector,
performing quality control on behalf of a government or
utility energy efficiency incentive program or financial
lenders
FAQs About the New Certifications Will the four new certifications be required to maintain a
company's BPI accreditation?
No changes to the accreditation program at this time.
We are discussing various options, one of which is to cycle the new
certifications into BPI’s accreditation program over a 3-year period
As an accredited company's employees' certifications come up for
renewal, they could choose to upgrade from the BA to the EA
certification, for example
BPI is convening an Accreditation Management Board that will be
considering this topic, among others
FAQs About the New Certifications How can certification candidates prove their training and/or
work experience to meet prerequisite criteria?
Letter from the training organization on company letterhead
Documenting the name of the class taken, when the person attended
the class, and a brief summary of the class curriculum.
The letter should be signed by a representative of the training
organization
BPI accepts a letter on company letterhead from current and/or past
employers documenting work experience
FAQs About the New Certifications What if I am self employed how do I document work
experience to meet prerequisite criteria?
An Employer Identification Number (EIN) or other documentation
showing how long your company has been in business
Number of jobs completed over the last year, including customer
contact information and a brief description of each job, i.e. energy
audit, air sealing, insulation
BPI will randomly contact customers to verify information given
For those documenting energy audits completed, include
documentation showing us PO of blower door and pictures of
equipment, along with some completed examples of the reports
issued to the customer for the energy audit
FAQs About the New Certifications What are the requirements for Test Centers to administer
these new Home Energy Professional exams?
Must be a BPI approved Test Center and a BPI approved proctor
Proctors will be required to attend a training session specific to the
field exams they wish to provide services for
BPI will be scheduling various training sessions across the country
Proctors must attend and get signed off in order to proctor exams
during the pilot period
BPI Test Centers may need to assembled new props for the pilot
exams. They will be given drawings and/or pictures of what the new
props should look like so they can be assemble prior to offering the
pilot exams.
FAQs About the New Certifications In some cases the trainer/proctors are not current
practitioners in the field. Will trainers and proctors have to
meet the same experience prerequisite criteria in order to
take these exams ?
Training will count toward prerequisites if the content is varied and in
combination with other activities
Trainers and proctors will need to show through documentation that
the classes they provide and the exam sessions they proctor show
enough variability and include current technology as would be found
by practitioners in the field
Pilot Exam Applications
For more information and applications to take the
pilot exams visit:
http://www.bpi.org/pilot
Home Energy Professional Certifications
Part 1: Home Energy Auditor
April 18, 2012
Chris Jones, Operations Director
1
About the Energy Alliance
• Non-profit 501c3 organization
• Energy Efficiency services
– Education/outreach
– Project Management
– Financing
• Market Focus
– Market-rate residential
– Non-profit commercial
2
Public/Private Partnership
• Greater Cincinnati Foundation
• Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant – Hamilton County, OH
– City of Cincinnati, OH
– Kenton County, KY
– Boone County, KY
– Campbell County, KY
– City of Covington, KY
– City of Florence, KY
• DOE Better Buildings Neighborhood Program – 1 of 25 recipients nationwide
3
Residential Program Design
Home Performance with Energy Star Program • Customer Engagement
– Energy Alliance marketing
– Contractor marketing
• Request assessment through web portal – $50 energy assessment ($400 value)
• Audit delivered, entered into Compass
• Customer invests in home energy upgrade – 35% retrofit cash incentive
– 6.99% unsecured, 10-year loan, up to $20,000 (3.99% in N. KY)
• Quality assurance
• Payment to contractor
4
The Market Opportunity in
Cincinnati
• Residential market = 140,000 households
– Single-family detached, owner-occupied,
income > 200% of poverty
• Proactive + Reactive programs
GOAL: 3,4000 retrofits
5
Workforce Development
• $500,000 investment in a Building
Performance Training Center at Cincinnati
State Technical & Community College – Tuition Assistance Program (TAP); 50% discount
– 6 required certifications (BPI-BA, BPI-EP, BPI-I&AS,
IGSPHA Installer, IGSPHA Driller & NATE)
– Additional courses (Sales/marketing, technical, etc.)
– Quality Assurance Inspections
• Equipment leasing program (blower door, IR, etc.)
6
What is being done now?
• Energy Auditors:
– BPI-Building Analyst
– BPI-Envelope Professional
• Auditors are crucial due to being:
1) 1st point of contact with homeowner, and
2) Determining the scope of work for the home
energy upgrade (HVAC, air seal, base
load, etc.)
7
What’s Next?
• Continue to educate and train the Auditors in
the local area (less than 2 years experience)
• Communicate the DOE National Certification
program to the contractors and the benefits of
having national certification (being on “short list”)
• Determine how to participate in the Pilot
Phase as a local Program and Training/
Testing facility (Cincinnati State)
8
Contact Info
Chris Jones Operations Director
Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance
200 W. 4th St., Suite 600
Cincinnati, OH 45202
W: 513.621.GCEA (4232)
www.greatercea.org
facebook.com/greatercea
twitter.com/greatercea
United States Department of Energy/ National Renewable Energy Laboratory Home Energy Professional Certification Part One - Energy Auditor
Homeowners and contractors are confused with the multiple certifications available today.
Between B.P.I., RESNET L.E.E.D. and the myriad of other certifications in the market today, homeowners and contractors find it difficult to know which certification to trust. Some of these certifications may only generally apply to new homes or towards specific types of local state or federal retrofit programs. How do Home Energy professionals differentiate with nationally recognized ANSI certification programs?
Raising consumer confidence in our industry is one of our biggest struggles.
The growth of our industry depends on quality work.
Our number one marketing tool is reputation in this value driven economy.
CURRENTLY
Variety of certifications
Multiple opinions about how to do the job
Basic training requirements with limited work scope requirements
NEW PROCESS
Nationally accredited certification
Minimum requirements for high-quality work and the conditions necessary to achieve the desired outcomes of a given energy upgrade
Training providers are able to access the JTAs and KSAs to develop curricula and course content. These documents are also fundamental to the development of certification examinations.
Clearly defined standards provide tools for homeowners to scrutinize proposed work and estimates
Educated homeowners raise the value of quality work
Our Industry has tremendous growth opportunities and there are many opportunities to define the best practices in these areas of growth.
Stand on the front edge of the energy efficiency wave with proven practices
WHEN:
New Hires have prior definable experience and skills Current employees are able to develop themselves and
others We have a recruiting criteria for growth in other regions GROWTH GETS A LITTLE EASIER
Next Webinar
Building Sales with Certification
Part Two - Retrofit Installer Technician
Wednesday, April 25 at 12:00 pm PDT - $10 - Register
A Retrofit Installer Technician is a residential energy efficiency
professional who installs energy efficiency upgrades in single-
family homes, and small multi-family housing (2-4 units).
This series builds on each webinar presentation and more
details will follow on session presenters and topics as we
progress through the series.
Upcoming Webinars
Part Two - Retrofit Installer Technician
Wednesday, April 25 at 12:00 pm PDT
Part Three - Crew Leader
Wednesday, May 2 at 12:00 pm PDT
Part Four - Quality Control Inspector
Wednesday, May 9 at 12:00 pm PDT
Contact Us
Stephen Michael Self
Post Office Box 20896
Boulder, Colorado 80308
www.AbleIdeas.net