Passing the BPI Exam With Energy Auditor Training

FREE BPI PRACTICE EXAM

PUT YOUR HOME PERFORMANCE BUSINESS ON ROCKET FUEL

ENERGY AUDITOR NEWSLETTER

Get the only Energy Auditor Marketing Newsletter with monthly strategies and tactics to grow your home performance business.

BPI Written Exam - Section 1 Building Science Fundamentals

12. Understand Basics of Dehumidification / Humidification As Well As Measurement Equipment

There are 3 factors that determine how comfortable we are in our homes. They are:

  1. Temperature levels
  2. Humidity levels
  3. Airflow and wind speed


Experienced HVAC designers and energy auditors know the balancing act between the three comfort factors and how to manipulate the systems in a home to maximize homeowner comfort.  A high performing home should always be working in the background where the homeowner never feels temperature discomfort, minimal dust and good air quality and low utility bills.  

Humidity levels between 30-50% are considered optimum relative humidity (RH) levels. RH levels above 50% can promote mold growth.  Warm air retains moisture better than cold air, which is why relative humidity levels decrease during the winter and our skin feel dryer or starts to crack.

Terms: 

  1. Dehumidification - is a process that pulls and removes moist air from a room and deposits it either to the outside or in a bucket inside a dehumidifier.  If indoor temperatures reach lower than 65 degrees, common dehumidifiers will not work effectively. Dehumidifier capacity is usually measured in pints per 24 hours
  2. Humidification - is a process that add moisture into the air and raising the relative humidity of the air.  Humidifiers can be retrofitted onto existing air handlers and furnaces to help add or remove moisture in a home.

Measurement Tools
  1. Hygrometer - is a gauge that measures the water-vapor content of air, aka the relative humidity .
  2. Humidstats - regulates the relative humidity in the air.

Next Section

  1. 1a. Basic terms and definitions
    1. Understand airflow in buildings / ducts: CFM, CFM50, CFM25, ACHn, ACH50, FPM
    2. Understand equipment efficiencies: AFUE, SSE, SEER, EER, HSPF
    3. Understand power and energy: watts, BTU/hr, ton of refrigeration  watt-hours, BTU, therm, decatherm
    4. Understand effective leakage area
    5. Understand area weighted R-Value
    6. Understand baseload / seasonal energy use
    7. Understand driving forces (including natural and mechanical: Pressure, temperature, moisture differential
    8. Understand behavior of radiation: emissivity, reflectivity, absorbtivity
    9. Understand thermal resistance / transmittance: R and U Values; including conversions
    10. Understand latent / Sensible heat: evaporation, condensation / specific heat, heat capacity
    11. Understand total equivalent length
    12. Understand basics of dehumidification / Humidification as well as measurement equipment
    13. Understand and convert Pressure units: Inches of Water Column (iwc), Pascal (Pa)
    14. Understand, identify thermal bridges
    15. Understand pressure boundary 
    16. Understand/define stack effect 
    17. Understand and define exfiltration and infiltration 
    18. Natural / mechanical ventilation 
    19. Understand net free area 
    20. Understand input / output capacity 
    21. Understand peak electrical demand 
    22. Understand permeability and perm rating 
    23. Understand standby loss 
    24. IAQ (indoor air quality): moisture, CO, dust
1b. Principals of energy, air & moisture
  1. Thermodynamics: conduction, convection, radiation, ΔT including air movement due to temperature gradients
  2. Factors that affect insulation performance: density, installation, moisture
  3. House pressurization/depressurization by various forces
  4. Heat gain / loss: internal, solar, heat transmission, air leakage 
  5. Power and energy: BTU content of fuels, capacity of combustion appliances and electrical appliances 
  6. Moisture transport mechanisms: bulk water, air leakage, diffusion, capillary action 
  7. Identify areas of highest relative humidity 
  8. Principles of combustion: combustion analysis, CO 
1c. Combustion science
  1. Combustion analysis: oxygen, flue-gas temperature, carbon monoxide 
  2. Carbon Monoxide (CO) testing of combustion appliances 
  3. Basics of: Combustion appliance venting, draft, and combustion air including identification of proper sizing/vent tables 
  4. Understand combustion safety issues: Combustion air, draft, worst case / baseline depressurization, spillage, backdrafting, unvented combustion appliances 
Quick Links

1. BPI Written Exam
2. BPI Field Exam
3. Blower Door Test 
4. BPI Standards
The main topics of the BPI BA exam are listed out below.  Click on a link that interests you, or you need some brushing up on to learn more on each subject.

1. Building Science Fundamentals
1a. Basic terms and definitions
1b. Principals of energy, air & moisture
1c. Combustion science

2. Buildings and Their Systems
2a. Building components
2b. Conservation strategies
2c. Comprehensive building assessment process
2d. Design considerations

3. Measurement and Verification of Building Performance
3a. Applied diagnostics and troubleshooting

4. BPI National Standards and Project Specifications
4a. Comprehensive building assessment

5. Analyzing Buildings Systems
5a. Comprehensive building assessment
5b. Appliances and lighting

6. Conduct and communications
6a. Conservation strategies