How the Building Performance Institute Raises the Bar

There are dozens of signs that your home isn’t as energy efficient as it could be—costly energy bills, difficulty keeping rooms warm or cool, and the development of mold or mildew are just a few. If you suspect that your home could use an upgrade, contractors credentialed by the Building Performance Institute (BPI) can help you properly assess the energy efficiency of your property and make the appropriate changes to address your home’s weaknesses.

The Building Performance Institute Approach

BPI was founded in 1993 in order to set technical standards for home energy audits and the improvement of home efficiency as well as to certify the energy upgrade workforce. The non-profit organization believes in a whole-house approach that considers the house as a system. BPI-certified professionals are trained to evaluate the relationship among all the different components of a home, such as the building envelope, insulation, HVAC mechanical systems, appliances, and lighting. This approach helps prevent issues that might arise from making a change to one aspect of the home that, inadvertently, would negatively affect another. BPI states that it sets standards high by using building science to provide energy efficiency, comfort, health, safety, and durability to homes.

BPI Certification & BPI GoldStar Contractors

BPI Certification. BPI offers several certification exams that verify the home-efficiency knowledge, skills, and abilities of professionals. Any individual who has obtained a certification from BPI has completed intensive training and exams—both written and in the field—and must requalify for certification every three years. The certification program develops energy-efficiency professionals with superior evaluation, diagnostic, and installation abilities. You can be sure that a BPI-certified technician will be able to propose a successful energy solution for your home.

BPI GoldStar Contractors. The BPI GoldStar Contractor program recognizes home performance companies committed to quality service. The program teaches companies sustainability, cost-efficiency, management, and customer service techniques to help them offer consistently high-quality home performance services to their customers. Once a company becomes a BPI GoldStar Contractor, it also has the opportunity to become a BPI Business-to-Business Mentor, which promotes building industry relationships and sharing knowledge of good practices.

Green-collar Workforce

Not only does BPI provide eco-friendly solutions, but the organization also aims to create jobs that cannot be outsourced to other countries. With over 200 independent training organizations that administer exams, BPI’s credentialing programs contribute significantly to the professionalism and excellence of what is known as the “green-collar” workforce, a group of environment- and sustainability-focused professionals. Because the properties being evaluated by BPI-certified professionals are located primarily in the US and the nation has its own set of auditing standards, BPI is helping to create great job opportunities for Americans with an interest in energy efficiency.

BPI exists primarily because it recognized a need for a highly trained, professional workforce to help America’s homeowners save energy and live more comfortably in their homes. As more properties are audited and upgraded according to BPI standards, money and resources will be conserved, which benefits both the people and the environment.