CleanEdison

CleanEdison is rolling out a new series focused on building occupants and what they can do to help their building run as efficient as possible. The Green Occupants Series, or Go! Series, has been created for those building owners, managers, and maintenance staff who are hoping to train their occupants in energy efficiency, and thus cost efficiency.

CleanEdison instructor Robert Orfino is a huge proponent of the GO! Series because of what it directly focuses on—the triple bottom line of planet, people, and profit. This idea has been discussed for years and is built on the belief that sustainability will only occur when we consider the planet, the people, and the profit when facing each and every business decision.

“Many LEED building still have high energy bills because they never train the occupants,” says Orfino because, while these building execute sustainable improvements, few monitor these improvements to make sure that they continue to be beneficial therefore eliminating the long-term sustainability of the buildings. Orfino goes on to say that “occupants have a direct impact in the triple bottom line…everyday is critical” and CleanEdison is determined to help with this challenge.

CleanEdison will launch the Go! Series with a focus on Building Occupancy Training which is the true “key to sustainability” according to Orfino. With this training, we will all begin to create a better overall awareness regarding what sustainability means within all buildings, both commercial and residential. Whether it is recycling or speaking up when the bathroom sink is leaking, building occupants are the daily eyes and ears within buildings and if they do not know what they are looking for, then sustainability cannot be attained.

Building Occupancy Training is the first step towards the green economy that we have been striving for. By training the people, we are helping to protect the planet and altering our bottom line. However, the biggest profit gain will be the change in behavior. “It will do everything that’s promised when it works right,” says Orfino. Simply by turning off their monitors at the end of each day, occupants have the opportunity to make the triple bottom line a reality. We have to keep our buildings and continued training in the forefront in order to ensure that these buildings will not only be around for awhile, but will be beneficial to the environment.

Whether you have a LEED-certified building or not, Building Occupancy Training and the Go! Series is a great option to begin working towards the triple bottom line and sustainability throughout your building. With a focus on better awareness, CleanEdison hopes that the GO! Series will begin to take the necessary steps towards a stronger, more sustainable future in building development and usage.

BPI certification refers to the credential awarded by the Building Performance Institute to building professionals who have completed a stringent training program in the safety, health, durability, and efficiency of residential and commercial buildings. The BPI provides quality assurance measures that certified professionals employ in their work as energy auditors and building analysts. A career as a BPI certified professionals boasts a great deal of growth potential, thanks in part to stimulus packages that make green building projects more affordable and easier to launch.

You can earn your BPI certification by taking a BPI training course from an accredited provider. BPI training courses use the “house-as-a-system” approach to teach students to analyze building energy consumption in order to provide well-reasoned recommendations for building improvements that can actually deliver cost savings by reducing the cost of energy for the consumer. BPI was recently accredited by ANSI, the American National Standards Institute, therefore increasing the legitimacy and relative value of BPI certification.

The great thing about BPI certification is that it lends credibility to your business or to your existing credentials as a building professional. For those new to the building industry, BPI certification can open doors to green job opportunities that continue to pop up despite widespread job losses and economic downturn. You can enter the budding green building industry as a certified energy auditor, a profession that invokes BPI standards to help residential and commercial buildings improve their energy efficiency. BPI certified professionals are in high demand, so if you can equip yourself with BPI certification, you can stay ahead of the green jobs curve.

Obtaining your BPI certification is easier than you think. The basic building analyst course has no prerequisites, so anyone can take it to prepare for the BPI certification exam. A sustainable career in the green building industry awaits you.

Last week was packed in terms of groundbreaking national news. Green jobs have been a popular news item throughout this presidential administration, and on Tuesday, President Obama took the stage for his State of the Union address. His speech contained some interesting information about the country’s green economy.

Obama claims that reducing energy waste will save money. Then he called for assistance for manufacturers who waste energy in their facilities. This assistance defines the work of commercial building analysts and commercial energy auditors, who assess energy bills and inspect commercial buildings for opportunities to reduce energy costs. Federal support of programs to help commercial facilities reduce energy waste means more revenue for certified energy auditors. Increased investment in energy audits and incentives for buildings that improve their energy efficiency.

The President also vowed to refine clean energy standards to spur innovation in green markets. When legislation supports the efforts of green building professionals, the value of green certification increases. Take BPI certification, for example, which has been recently accredited by the American National Standards Institute. This backing from a major authority makes BPI certification course fees higher, BPI standards more reputable, and BPI training more valuable for building professionals.

A push for clean energy tax credits is also on President Obama’s green jobs agenda. As clean energy projects become less expensive in the wake of increased investment from the public and private sector, these projects will flourish and grow in number, emphasizing the need for certified green building professions who can bring their expertise to sustainable building projects.

New incentives for businesses that upgrade their facilities will support careers for BPI certified energy auditors and building analysts, improving the potential to make green building standards industry norms. Now is the time to enter the exciting realm of sustainable building as a green building professional. There are numerous certification options, including solar panel training, lead renovator training, BPI training, and LEED certification.

It does not take a financial analyst to see that formerly lucrative industries such as the automobile industry have fallen into disrepair. As investment shifts from industries that were seen as infallible and moves toward sustainable industries that promise continued returns on investment and job creation, so does the popular opinion about trades that may have previously been considered impractical and unnecessary. Nowadays, the building professional who can replace an incandescent light bulb with an energy efficiency LED bulb will find himself in higher demand than the person whose skill set reflects the values of previous generations. Thanks to research and development aimed at growing green industries, the climate for green building professionals has become friendlier. Now is the time to equip yourself with green building certification so that you can break into this ever-expanding industry.

As long as private and public investment goes toward renewable energy sources, clean technology, and green building projects, green jobs will stay in existence and hopefully increase in numbers and ease of entry. If you work as a contractor, carpenter, engineer, or designer, then you have already probably undergone a great deal of hands-on job training, making the transition into green jobs even easier for you. There are resources around the globe that make the shift into the green building industry a seamless one, including solar panel installation training courses, lead training courses, and specialized training for individuals who want to work as residential and commercial energy auditors.

Green job training represents a minute investment for many building professionals whose work has been impacted by changing federal regulations surrounding the building industry. For example, renovators who work in buildings constructed prior to 1978 must obtain lead safety certification or pay extremely costly fines for violating EPA rules. For others, green job training is an opportunity to create a sustainable revenue stream in addition to an existing career. Green jobs are the way of the future, and now is the time to get on board.

The housing market is not what it used to be. Nowadays fewer people are purchasing brand-new homes in favor of renovating their properties or renting due to the vast uncertainty surrounding housing trends. Renovation work can create a sustainable revenue stream for savvy building professionals, and so can energy auditing, a profession that is pretty easy to enter. Anyone can work as an energy auditor, whose job involves walking through properties, assessing building systems, rating their relative efficiency, and seeking ways to improve the building system to lower the cost of energy for the consumer.

Residential energy auditors can make a living by selling their skill set to neighbors who are looking for an affordable way to improve home energy efficiency. If you already work in the building industry as a contractor, HVAC specialist, or homebuilder, then you already possess a lot of the practical knowledge that energy auditors rely on when conducting audits. An energy auditor training course, such as a BPI Certification course, will build upon your knowledge of building systems and give you practice in doing walkthroughs and using auditing software and tools to measure building performance.

Green jobs are the way forward. As energy becomes more expensive, green building professionals will be able to leverage their skills to help people lower their utility bills and save money in the long run. Homeowners will more often look to green certified renovators and energy auditors for cost-effective ways to improve their home’s energy efficiency, such as retrofitting appliances and outlets to optimize energy use.

There is no time like the present to join the ever-growing green building industry, whether you enter the field as a solar professional, energy auditor, lead safe renovator, or building analyst. Find out how you can get a foothold in the sustainable building field. Your supplemental income is just a green job training course away.

Making a case for the benefits of sustainable jobs can get a little tiring. Skeptics abound, people cite the bandwagon effect, and the continued profitability of conventional resources such as petroleum all serve to undermine the case for green job training. However, the increasingly friendly climate for renewable energy due in part to more private investment and greater returns points to a paradigm shift in ecological values that will hopefully boost the clean energy field and create more jobs for green building professionals. As long as individuals continue to invest in green building projects and organizations improve their standards for sustainable design, green jobs will continue to materialize and provide fulfilling careers for people who sincerely care about minimizing their impact on the environment.

There are numerous ways that experiences building professionals such as architects and engineers can break into the increasingly popular fields of sustainable design and green building. For example, a carpenter who has performed numerous home renovations can enhance her credentials with an EPA certification in lead safe working practices. Lead certification courses teach builders how to minimize the health risks associated with lead poisoning by engaging in careful and diligent containment and cleanup procedures when working around lead paint. Lead safe working practices, as mandated by the EPA, can help impede the occurrences of lead poisoning in adults and children, who can experience sever developmental issues when exposed to lead based paint.

Green job training aims to increase the relative value of industries that do not negatively impact the environment while providing cost competitive benefits to conventional energy sources. If you already consider yourself a building professional, then adding lead certification, BPI certification, solar cell installer certification, or energy auditor certification is an affordable way to update your credentials in response to changing attitudes toward careers in sustainable building and renewable energy.

In the field of solar cell installation, NABCEP is the governing body for industry standards and also accredits solar cell certification training bodies. Solar professionals can stay abreast of developments in the industry by paying attention to NABCEP initiatives and changes to the organization. Now, in order to work as a certified solar PV installer, one must meet new solar PV training requirements before taking the certified PV installer exam administered by NABCEP.

Lucky for you, we are in the process of rolling out a new solar PV training course that meets the new NABCEP standards for the training required of individuals who take the solar panel installation certification exam. Whereas before the solar PV course comprised of about 40 hours of training in solar cell design, sales, installation, and mechanics, the changing NABCEP eligibility requirements now make 58 hours of solar PV training mandatory for anyone who wants to take the solar panel installer exam.

If you already took a solar PV training course but missed the deadline for the solar cell installer exam taking place in March, then you must sign up for a solar training course that meets the new NABCEP solar cell training requirement of 58 hours of PV-specific training. Solar panel installation requires a practical knowledge of how to handle solar systems as well as marketable skills required to thrive as a solar cell professional. A solar PV training course will prepare you to sell your skill set as a solar PV installer.

Solar cell training requirements have changed, and so now anyone interested in becoming a solar PV installer will need to take a 58-hour training course. Our solar cell training curriculum will meet the new NABCEP eligibility criteria so you can rest assured that your training will allow you to take the certified PV installer test.

If you have not sought certification as a building analyst or energy auditor, then now is the perfect time to enroll in an energy auditing course so you can get started working as a certified energy auditor. Even more reason to obtain your energy auditor or BPI certification is the passage of the North Carolina Energy Conservation Code, which sets regulations for minimum energy efficiency in residential and commercial buildings. Now that North Carolina buildings have to meet these requirements, the demand for energy auditors who provide recommendations for building improvements should see an increase.

Hopefully this North Carolina law will help change the climate for green building practices. For North Carolina energy consumers, the law will reduce their energy costs considerably, while the energy auditors who will be more appealing to hire for energy improvement projects will see an influx of new customers, with the commercial building customers providing a large share of profits for building improvements. If you work in renovation or provide building retrofits, then you should certainly pursue an energy auditor certificate or BPI certification so you can work as a building analyst.

The energy conservation code is just one example of a state government interceding in building practices to make commercial and residential properties less expensive to operate and to set standards for energy efficiency in buildings. Building professionals with BPI certification and certified energy auditors position themselves well to take on more customers thanks to the eco-friendly climate created by legislation such as the energy conservation code.

BPI certification paves the way toward large-scale building improvement projects that promise higher returns on investment than private home energy improvement projects. The way to become BPI certified is to take an energy auditor training course so you can take and pass the BPI exam for building analysts.

A friendly reminder from CleanEdison that in order to comply with ANSI Accreditation, the Building Performance Institute is raising exam prices and tightening its administrative procedures. This will go into effect on February 1st, 2012, so now is the perfect time to get trained before the prices go up.

What ANSI Accreditation Means For BPI Certification

Your BPI certification will be recognized by ANSI, which sets national standards in an effort to make the United States economy more competitive globally. When you obtain your BPI certification, you will be recognized by ANSI as a member of a select group of building professionals who are working toward making the sustainable building industry more influential across the world. BPI certification courses will prepare you to take the BPI exam. The sooner you enroll in a BPI training course, the better, because ANSI accreditation will likely up the fees for BPI courses. Enrolling in a BPI training course will keep you up to speed in the standards of sustainable building and sustainable design.

The climate for green building has changed considerably, especially since green building has proven more cost-effective and energy efficient than ever before. Whether you are a seasoned building professional or you have just entered the field, you should make every effort to stay up-to-date with industry standards for building design, safety, and environmental impact. By continuing your professional education, you can make yourself a more attractive candidate for green jobs, which represent an ever-growing sector of the job market.

Now that ANSI has lent its authority to the Building Performance Institute, which administers the BPI exam and various BPI certification levels, students of a BPI course can expect to pay more for training, both online and in the field. If you are still waiting to sign up for a BPI certification course, then think about the potential earnings you could make as a BPI certified professional whose credentials are backed by the American National Standards Institute. ANSI accreditation means BPI certification is more legitimate, so if you are looking for a way to attest to your skills as a green building professional, then register for a BPI training course as soon as you can.

IRS Publication 970 is a document that the IRS published to announce which educational pursuits qualify as tax-deductible business expenses. If you are taking courses that exceed the minimum educational requirement for your current job, then you might be able to write those off as tax deductions. For example, an energy auditor who enrolls in a Commercial Energy Auditing course or a BPI Building Analyst course can write off the fee as a tax deduction because the course helps him improve his skills as an energy retrofit professional. If the courses relate to your job and the courses help you stay abreast of changes in your industry, then you can likely write them off as tax deductions for qualifying work-related education.

Professional training seminars and conferences can qualify as tax-deductible business expenses. That means the four days you spend attending a solar energy conference can count doubly as continuing education and a business expense as long as it relates to your profession. Conferences and seminars for green professionals abound, and in addition to increasing your exposure to others working in your field and fostering community among industry players, you can view professional conferences as opportunities to write-off expenses such as start-up costs for market research. The better you understand the IRS regulations surrounding tax write-offs for work-related education, including travel, meetings, and other unpaid time, the more you can capitalize on tax deductions.

As the year rolls to a close, think about registering for CleanEdison’s many BPI Certification classes, especially in light of the impending increase in pricing for the exams. In the eyes of the IRS, the training course or seminar could be considered a work-related educational expense, meaning you could write off the fee for the course and associated costs as tax-deductible business expenses and put some cash back into your pocket.