Energy efficiency is big business. There are hundreds of companies, thousands of products, and even more advocates all working for the cause. It’s not a surprise, then, that there are energy efficiency inspectors, and finding a good one is critical to renovating your home properly for efficiency.
What is a BPI Certification?
The Building Performance Institute (BPI) is an organization dedicated to training energy efficiency experts. They offer certifications to prove that an individual is in fact a knowledgeable expert on the subject. These are known as BPI certifications.
The Building Performance Institute has managed to get its training and testing accepted as a de facto standard for energy efficiency experts. It has a network of partner organizations dedicated to training experts to assist in improving energy efficiency. [1]
Home Energy Efficiency
The green movement has not been mainstream for long. Most homes built more than a decade ago weren’t constructed with an eye toward efficiency or energy loss. Many modern homes also ignore energy efficiency concerns. [2]
Even if you don’t care about the environment, an inefficient home is bad to have. Poorly laid duct work can rob you of 30% of the energy put into cooling or heating it, and possibly leave your home void of the properly conditioned air altogether. [3] Walls, floors, and doors all pump heat out during the winter and suck it in during the summer, making sure that your power bill is massive.
If you are concerned about all this wasted power, look for an expert who has received his or her BPI certification. They will be able to inspect your house and look for the biggest problems, much like a home inspector would tell you of show-stopping flaws in a house. A good expert will bring equipment like a FLIR camera, which lets you see how much heat is leaking from any given spot. Even if they don’t spot any major flaws in the structure, your expert can still give you some recommendations on behaviors or products to change out to get the best efficiency.
Also, make sure that your BPI-certified professional does a blower door test. This test will give your expert an idea of how airtight your home, which in turn will tell you how much air (and air conditioning) you are losing to the great outdoors.
Getting BPI Certified
Obtaining BPI certification is a rigorous process. This ensures that your BPI-certified professional is knowledgeable and qualified to assess your home. BPI certification is a badge of honor that home energy efficiency experts wear, and you can trust that a professional who has achieved BPI certification is well-equipped to conduct an energy audit of your home.
Sources:
1. http://www.bpi.org/
2. http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,219638,00.html
3. http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11500
