MALTA, NY -- September 10, 2009 -- The Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI), a national standards development and contractor credentialing organization for residential energy efficiency retrofit work, reports the number of individuals who have achieved professional certification credentials from BPI has grown, from 2,737 to 4,666, a 70% increase between December 31, 2008 and August 1, 2009. The number of accredited contracting companies has also expanded from 220 to 304, an increase of almost 40% so far this year, according to BPI.

BPI affiliate training also has shown rapid growth for the organization this year. Administered across the country, the network of training affiliate organizations has grown by more than 35% so far in 2009, from 70 to 95. Another 21 organizations are ready to sign affiliate agreements, and an additional 87 organizations are in the process of becoming training affiliates. If all are successfully integrated into the network, BPI expects to have 203 affiliates by the end of 2009, an increase of almost 300% over 12 months.

BPI and its national network of training affiliate organizations offer turnkey training, professional certification for individuals, company accreditation and quality assurance protocols for the home performance contracting industry. As an independent, not-for-profit organization, BPI's programs are key components of several state-level weatherization assistance programs, as well as the national Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® program.

"Training and certification are key steps in building a strong, highly-skilled and professionalized home performance workforce," said David Hepinstall, chairman of the BPI Board of Directors. "The increasing interest in providing training to prepare individuals for BPI certification is most encouraging, and perhaps the best part is that a lot of that interest is coming from regions that did not have this kind of program running before."