When you employ a BPI certified professional, you are employing someone who has excelled in his or her field involving one or more components of building science. I am a Certified Building Analyst with more than 36 years experience in Air-conditioning and 20 years experience with Solar Systems. A building Analyst has a sound understanding of how a building works and the energy profile of a building. When I am requested to replace an existing air conditioning system, I evaluate the installation to determine if the equipment I am proposing to install will meet the requirements of the home and its occupants. For instance, there may be persons with allergies that are new occupants to the home or there might have been conditions that caused degrading of building material.

An air conditioning sales or repair technician not familiar with Building Sciences cannot appreciate the role of the air-conditioning system with respect to Air Quantity, quality, energy usage and indoor vulnerabilities. Most companies care less about load profiles and simply replace units based on request or existing equipment installed.

BPI certified professionals are specialists in their chosen field(s). By attaining certification, you demonstrate your knowledge and skills are among the best in the country – capable of diagnosing critical performance factors in a home that impact comfort, health, safety, durability and energy efficiency.
Note: The first four certifications listed below are advanced Home Energy Professional certifications offered by BPI and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). These credentials demonstrate advanced competency through work experience prerequisites as well as rigorous written and field exams. Learn more here.
Energy Auditor – Evaluate the energy efficiency, health, and safety of a home, and use diagnostic equipment to identify areas for energy savings. Use modeling software to produce an audit report and develop a prioritized scope of work for the customer.
Retrofit Installer – Ensure quality and compliance of proper installation/execution of products and in-home services related to existing home energy efficiency. Install residential envelope air sealing, HV/AC duct sealing, minor lighting upgrades, and basic home repairs.
Crew Leader – Ensure quality and supervise the installation and performance of weatherization measures defined in each project’s work scope developed during the auditing/estimating process.
Quality Control Inspector – Verify compliance of retrofit work performed based on work plans and standards. Use diagnostic equipment to conduct audits and inspections, and develop reports that specify corrective actions to achieve optimal whole house home performance.
Building Analyst – go beyond a traditional energy audit to perform comprehensive, whole-home assessments, identify problems at the root cause and prescribe and prioritize solutions based on building science.



Envelope – quantify performance and prescribe improvements to help tighten the building envelope (shell), stop uncontrolled air leakage and optimize comfort, durability and HV/AC performance.
Residential Building Envelope Whole House Air Leakage Control Installer – implement measures to tighten the building envelope to reduce energy loss from air leakage and also reduce pollutants and allergens through air migration. Improve thermal comfort and energy efficiency through the proper installation of dense-pack insulation materials.
Manufactured Housing – apply house-as-a-system fundamentals to the specific needs particular to the various types of housing technologies.
Heating – optimize the performance of heating equipment to help save energy and ensure occupant comfort, health and safety.
Air Conditioning and Heat Pump – understand the role of these systems within the whole home and how to diagnose and correct problems properly to achieve peak performance.
Multifamily – apply building-as-a-system fundamentals to diagnose problems and improve the performance of larger, more complex residential structures.
You can choose to achieve one designation, or expand your skill set to encompass all of them. Remember – all BPI certified professional designations are based on house-as-a-system fundamental building science. The designations are not meant to take the place of your other qualifications, but to enhance them and build upon them to make you one of the most valuable contributors to the home performance industry.
When next you are considering replacing your HVAC system, or upgrading to a more efficient system, consider having a Building Analyst or a Certified Building Professional evaluate your home and provide with a system that works not a system that runs.