How Airtight Can You Make an Older House? One of the best things you can do to improve your home is to make it more airtight. Yeah, it’s good for energy efficiency, but that shouldn’t be your main motivation. It’s good for indoor air quality. A good air… Continue reading “How Airtight Can You Make an Older House?”
How BPI Certification Opens Doors – A Chat with BPI CEO Amanada Hatherly Sometimes the most compelling endorsements come from unexpected sources. When asked about success stories of professionals whose careers were transformed by BPI certification, Amanda Hatherly, CEO of the Building Performance Institute, didn’t hesitate to share her own journey. What started… Continue reading “How BPI Certification Opens Doors – A Chat with BPI CEO Amanada Hatherly”
The 6 Worst Indoor Air Pollutants Consider the multitude of air pollutants you could inhale. You’re probably inhaling some of them right now. Which of them, though, should you worry about the most? Well, IAQ researchers have begun addressing that question. The early work is showing… Continue reading “The 6 Worst Indoor Air Pollutants”
New Course: 7 Steps to Good Indoor Air Quality When you change the filter in your heating and air conditioning system and see all that dirt and debris collected there, it’s a eye-opening reminder: that stuff was floating around in your home. While you might not be able to… Continue reading “New Course: 7 Steps to Good Indoor Air Quality”
Boost Your Building Science & Heat Pump Knowledge with the Building Systems PRO Badge Heat pumps are replacing furnaces and air conditioners across the US. For professionals in solar, HVAC, construction, and energy efficiency, one of the next waves of opportunity lies in comprehensive building systems – heat pumps, building science, and load calculations… Continue reading “Boost Your Building Science & Heat Pump Knowledge with the Building Systems PRO Badge”
New Course Announcement: Avoiding Main Panel Upgrades Home electrification is accelerating rapidly, but there’s a bottleneck that’s been frustrating homeowners and professionals alike: the dreaded main panel upgrade. If you’ve worked on the residential side, you know the story all too well. A homeowner wants to install… Continue reading “New Course Announcement: Avoiding Main Panel Upgrades”
What Are the Biggest Misconceptions About Building Performance Work? When most people think about building performance work, they immediately picture energy audits, blower door tests, and monthly utility savings. But according to Amanda Hatherly, CEO of the Building Performance Institute, this narrow focus on energy efficiency misses the most… Continue reading “What Are the Biggest Misconceptions About Building Performance Work?”
The Four Major Indoor Environmental Contaminants Every home contains potential health hazards that most homeowners never see coming. Understanding the four major categories of indoor contaminants – lead, asbestos, mold, and carbon monoxide – is essential for anyone serious about protecting family health and safety. These… Continue reading “The Four Major Indoor Environmental Contaminants”
How BPI Creates and Maintains Their Industry-Leading Certifications Ever wondered what goes into creating a Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification? The process is far more rigorous and collaborative than most people realize. These credentials aren’t developed in isolation by a small team (although that would probably be much… Continue reading “How BPI Creates and Maintains Their Industry-Leading Certifications”
BPI Certifications Explained: Insights from CEO Amanda Hatherly The Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification landscape can feel overwhelming at first glance. With multiple pathways, different levels of rigor, and varying prerequisites, where do you even begin? In this clip from our interview with BPI CEO Amanda Hatherly, she… Continue reading “BPI Certifications Explained: Insights from CEO Amanda Hatherly”
New Free LEED Green Associate Practice Exam Brick Maier just published a free LEED Green Associate practice exam. It includes 140 practice questions for the GA Exam and it’s based on LEED v4. All LEED exams are still based on v4, with a switch to v5 expected… Continue reading “New Free LEED Green Associate Practice Exam”
An Inside Look at the Building Performance Institute with BPI CEO Amanda Hatherly The building performance industry has transformed how we think about existing homes, but it wasn’t always this organized or standardized. Enter the Building Performance Institute (BPI) – a nonprofit organization that’s been quietly shaping the home performance industry for over… Continue reading “An Inside Look at the Building Performance Institute with BPI CEO Amanda Hatherly”
Understanding Your Home’s Hidden Air Leaks: The Power of Blower Door Testing Every building has unseen pathways where conditioned air escapes and outdoor air infiltrates – through gaps around windows, cracks in walls, and countless other small openings that together can dramatically impact your home’s energy efficiency and comfort. While these air… Continue reading “Understanding Your Home’s Hidden Air Leaks: The Power of Blower Door Testing”
New Course: BPI HEP Quality Control Inspector (QCI) Certification Training We’re excited to announce Brynn Cooksey‘s brand-new course to help building professionals prepare for the BPI Home Energy Professional (HEP) Quality Control Inspector (QCI) Certification. This credential, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its National Renewable Energy… Continue reading “New Course: BPI HEP Quality Control Inspector (QCI) Certification Training”
Slipstream’s “Smart Building Training Series” now on HeatSpring HeatSpring has partnered with Slipstream to offer a “Smart Buildings Training Series” designed for building and energy professionals. The whole thing takes about sixteen hours to complete, but it’s broken down into five smaller courses: Slipstream is cool and you… Continue reading “Slipstream’s “Smart Building Training Series” now on HeatSpring”
How Much Does Building Commissioning Save? With energy costs continuing to climb, building owners and facility managers are increasingly looking for proven methods to reduce consumption without sacrificing performance. Building commissioning (Cx) has emerged as one of the most effective approaches, delivering substantial returns that extend… Continue reading “How Much Does Building Commissioning Save?”
New Course Announcement: BPI Healthy Home Evaluator (HHE) Certification Exam Prep In homes across the country, environmental issues often reveal themselves through subtle signs. In one house, stagnant air and persistent musty odors might signal poor ventilation. In another, water stains on the ceiling could point to hidden plumbing problems or… Continue reading “New Course Announcement: BPI Healthy Home Evaluator (HHE) Certification Exam Prep”
The Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Healthy Housing Principles (HHP) Certificate Imagine that you walk into a home and immediately sense something’s amiss. The air feels heavy and stagnant. A distinct musty odor permeates the space. Perhaps your eyes begin to sting, or you feel a slight irritation in your throat.… Continue reading “The Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Healthy Housing Principles (HHP) Certificate”
HVAC Pros & Builders: Boost Your Credentials with BPI’s Infiltration and Duct Leakage Certification Looking to stand out in the competitive construction and HVAC industry? The Building Performance Institute (BPI) Infiltration and Duct Leakage (IDL) Certification can give you a solid edge. This specialized certification proves your expertise in duct leakage and blower door… Continue reading “HVAC Pros & Builders: Boost Your Credentials with BPI’s Infiltration and Duct Leakage Certification”
Celebrating Top Energy Efficiency Companies: Greenlink Energy Solutions According to the Department of Energy, buildings account for approximately 40% of all US energy consumption, yet many property owners struggle to navigate the complex landscape of energy efficiency improvements. Greenlink Energy Solutions is working to change that by providing… Continue reading “Celebrating Top Energy Efficiency Companies: Greenlink Energy Solutions”