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July/August 2009
2009 Training Guide for Home Performance Professionals

Download the "Guide to Training Programs for Home Performance Professionals" (PDF).



This update of Home Energy’s biennial “Guide to Training Programs for Home Performance Professionals,” published here and on our Web site, comes at an exciting time. With the renewed emphasis on energy-efficient, sustainable, healthy, and affordable homes, and with the rush of funding support for the Weatherization Assistance program (WAP) and other energy efficiency projects, we expect the list of training programs to continue to grow. Once the funding of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the stimulus bill, runs out, we hope that current and new legislation aimed at increasing energy security; fighting global warming; and growing a new, more energy-efficient and sustainable economy will keep the interest and funds flowing. After all, money spent on energy efficiency creates more wealth in the end, creates well-paying, long-term jobs for the economy, and makes housing more sustainable and affordable for everyone.

This time we are doing things a little differently. Instead of providing a short description of each training organization and its offerings, we have created a grid, which we hope will make it easier to find the kind of training our readers are looking for. Each listing, by state, begins with contact information for the training organization and whether the training is offered regionally or nationally. The focus for the rest of the listing is on job skills needed for work in WAP, and on education that prepares one for certification through the Building Performance Institute (BPI), the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), national and local green building programs, and other programs. We are also indicating whether the particular training opportunity prepares one to do infrared thermography.

Running under each two-page spread of the training guide is a key identifying the abbreviations used in the guide to represent the different training areas and desired competencies for a particular certification or program. Here are some other abbreviations that are used in the guide:

ASHI – American Association of Home Inspectors
CBPCA – California Building Performance Contractors Association
CheckMe! – Heat pump commissioning certification
CREIA – California Real Estate Inspection Association
FABI – Florida Association of Building Inspectors
LEED – U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
NAHB – National Association of Home Builders green building program
NAHI – National Association of Home Inspectors
NYSERDA – New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
TAREI – Texas Association of Real Estate Inspectors