Colorado Green Building Post

From Steve Bade, executive director of RESNET and Larry Zarker, CEO of Building Performance Institute:
April I , 2010
ln anticipation of the Home Star legislation passing Congress, BPI and RESNET have been working to make it as seamless as possible for BPI and RESNET professionals to deliver services under the $6 billon retrofit effort.
This cooperation will not only increase the business opportunities  of our networks but will also serve to set up the infrastructule to meet the goals of the Home Star program.
We are pleased to announce the following agreements:
Development by BPI of a RESNET Rater supplemental Training Module for raters to be certified to conduct combustion tesling and preparation of a work order.
The legislation creates a path for RESNET certified Raters and BPI Building Analysts to conduct the required energy audit, testing, calculation of energy savings and testing out for Gold Star rebates. Cunently a rater has all the qualifications to undertake this task except for combustion safety testing and preparing a work order.
RESNET’S Chapter Eight Task Force is currently developing standards for these activities but the process of adopting their product as a part of the RESNET standards will take time. ln the meantime, raters will need to receive lhe training and recognition needed to compete in this field. BPI Affiliate
Training organizations have the oppodunity to offer a “RESNET Rater Supplemental  Training Module”. Through this training BPI’s affiliates are requested to offer training courses for RESNET raters to prepare them in combustion safety lesling and work scope development  necessary to challenge the BPI Building Analyst exams. BPI already waives the 50 questions of building science for RESNET Raters but would offer the 50 question B.A. test for the specialty components  and the field test.
BPI would also offer RESNET raters a special bulk pricing by charging its affiliates only $150 for the combined written and field tests. BPI will reach out to its Affiliate organizations for the availability of RESNET Rater Supplemental Training Module opportunities and will post them on its web site and RESNET will inform its rater network of these opportunities.
Adoption by RESNET and BPI of a protocol for the quality assurance inspection of Silver Star rebates.
The proposed Home Star legislation cites BPI standards covering Silver Star work that involves: whole house air sealing, attic insulation, crawl space insulation and wall insulation. lt makes sense that BPI and RESNET adopt the same protocols for quality assurance review of work in these areas. RESNET and BPI will develop a joint protocol for the quality assurance inspection of Silver Star work. This joint protocol will be available as soon as the Home Star is signed into law.
ln addition to these near term areas where BPI and RESNET will be working together cooperatively, there are also ongoing discussions taking place on longer term opportunities. These include: Standards for Professional Development - The two organizations  will collaborate on an approach to recognizing professional development of those holding certifications from either organization. This includes an examination of the process of awarding continuing education/professionaldevelopment  credits as a requirement for certitication renewal.
Another area being considered is a quality assurance process on the work of BPI certified professionals. Chapter Eight of the RESNET Standards RESNET is developing standards for the performance testing of homes including combustion safety testing and preparing a work scope. The new standard will be including recognition of the BPI methods for the certification requirement for combustion safety testing and preparing a work order for Chapter Eight of the RESNET Standards. This means that raters who complete the proposed CAZ and work scope BPI training will be credited as meeting the proposed Chapter I requirements.