Malta, NY, January 7, 2013 – The Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI) launched its Building Science Principles (BSP) Certificate of Knowledge and companion Reference Guide today, responding to strong demand for a method of verifying basic building science knowledge in the home performance and energy efficiency retrofit fields.
“The Building Science Principles certificate is a first step into the world of home performance,” said Larry Zarker, BPI CEO. “It’s for those in the residential building trades and anyone interested in a career in sustainability, who need to know how homes work but don’t need the hands-on technical skills required of BPI certified professionals.”
BPI has received strong interest in the certificate from manufacturers on behalf of their dealers and distributors, from home inspectors, appraisers and realtors, from educators, and from program managers in government and utility energy efficiency programs.
Earning the BSP certificate is based on passing a 100-question online exam that verifies a basic knowledge of building science. The BSP certificate’s companion Reference Guide helps prepare candidates to understand how various systems of the home interact to maximize energy efficiency, enhance building durability, and protect occupant comfort, health and safety. The Reference Guide can be used alone or as a complement to online or classroom training, should candidates require it.
Because the BSP is a knowledge-based exam, it requires no hands on field testing with diagnostic equipment. For those considering a career in home performance contracting, it serves as an introduction to BPI’s technical certifications, including the Building Analyst, Building Envelope, Heating and AC/Heat Pump professional designations. The BSP certificate is not a BPI professional certification, and certificate holders are not ‘BPI certified’.
BPI certified professionals will earn three Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by taking this exam and achieving a passing score.
House-as-a-system building science demonstrates how various components of the home interact to affect the home’s overall performance. To perform optimally, the building envelope, heating, A/C, insulation, mechanical ventilation, lighting, appliances and other systems of the home must be considered together as one system.
For more information on the certificate, to purchase the Reference Guide or to register to take the exam, go to www.bpi.org/certificate.