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Passing the BPI Exam With Energy Auditor TrainingBPI Written Exam - Section 5 Analyzing Buildings' Systems2. Recognize need for mechanical equipment improvementsMechanical systems include HVAC systems, water heaters and pool pumps.
HVAC system improvements Opportunities to upgrade homes with more efficient heating and cooling systems should be addressed but is often subjective rather than objective-based. Energy auditors that work for HVAC contractors will be more likely to know and promote HVAC advances and upgrades available than a contractor who does insulation or windows. Energy audits can be done with an HVAC inspection but it is not required. Often home performance upgrades like air sealing, duct sealing, reducing the static pressure and insulation will extend the life of an older HVAC system but that does not mean that replacing the HVAC system should be ignored. An older HVAC system may continue to run, but it’s costing the homeowner money and can lead to higher replacement cost if emergency work is done. Higher SEER and AFUE units offer lower energy bills to homeowners, give peace of mind with new warranties and have better technology than units 20 years old. If you live in a cooling dominated climate like Phoenix or Houston, than you will talk more about SEER and air conditioning. In heating dominated climates like Chicago and New York, AFUE and furnaces speak more to homeowners than air conditioning does. Higher efficient units also offer dual and variable speed compressors and blower motors for greater comfort also. Just make sure that you are offering a whole home package when selling HVAC units, not just a HVAC-package. This means that you recommend oversized plenums to low static pressure, high flow registers, a sealed ductwork system as part of a new unit replacement. Also include thermal boundary work like air sealing and insulation to complete the whole home package. Water heaters Water heaters have been required to have more insulation around the tank since 2015 but replacement water heaters also can go into solar thermal and on-demand tankless water heaters as alternatives to reduce utility costs. A electric water heater can cost a family of 4, $400-$500 a year to operate. Gas water heaters cost about $200-$300 to operate but are less efficient. Electric water heaters have a high efficiency of 90% because the heating elements are surrounded by the water they heat, so very little waste occurs. Gas water heaters use a pilot light and burner to heat the bottom of the tank which heats the water, and are about 62% efficient. Solar thermal or solar water heaters There are two types of solar water heaters -direct or indirect. A direct solar thermal system heats the drinking water directly which goes into the water heater tank for consumption, the same water that gets pumps up to the solar collectors goes into the water heater for consumption. An indirect solar thermal system uses a closed heat transfer fluid like glycol to heat the water. The heat transfer fluid is pumped to the solar panel collectors, heated by the sun, and then goes to the water heater tank where it touches with the potable water and heats it. Solar water heaters that are directly heated have the issue of freezing in the collectors so the collectors come with a freeze protection safety pin that drains the water out of the collector if the water starts to expand and freeze before the collectors get damaged. Indirect solar water heaters do not have the issues of freezing, but some people don’t like the idea of glycol in their water heater because of the potential leak. Solar water heating systems cost $5,500-$8,500. Tankless water heaters Tankless water heaters save space because all the heating elements are contained within a 2x2 box mounted on the wall. Inside of box are heating elements that almost flash the water with heat only as needed. This is how they save money. By only heating the water when needed, homeowners are eliminating the traditional way of keeping water hot in a tank, which is all the time whether the water is being used or not. Pool pumps Pool pumps are starting to be mandated in many states to be variable speed pumps rather than single speed pumps. Single speed pumps are wasteful because they turn the pool water over many more times than is needed to keep the pool clean and sanitary. Variable speed pool pumps slow down the RPM’s of the motor and use exponentially less energy, cleans the pool better because the pump runs longer and the water spends more time over the filter and mixes the pool water more. 5a. Comprehensive building assessment
5b. Appliances and lighting
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BPI WRITTEN EXAM
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Section 1 Building Science Fundamentals
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1a. Basic Terms & Definitions
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- 1. Airflow in Buildings
- 2. Equipment Efficiencies
- 3. Power and Energy
- 4. Effective Leakage Area
- 5. Area Weighted R-Value
- 6. Baseload / Seasonal Energy Use
- 7. Driving Forces (Including Natural and Mechanical)
- 8. Behavior of Radiation
- 9. Thermal Resistance / Transmittance: R and U Values
- 10. Latent / Sensible Heat
- 11. Total Equivalent Length
- 12. Dehumidification / Humidification
- 13. Convert Pressure Units
- 14. Thermal Bridges
- 15. Pressure Boundary
- 16. Stack Effect
- 17. Exfiltration and Infiltration
- 18. Natural / Mechanical Ventilation
- 19. Net Free Area
- 20. Input & Output Capacity
- 21. Peak Electrical Demand
- 22. Permeability and Perm Rating
- 23. Standby Loss
- 24. IAQ (indoor air quality): Moisture, CO, Dust
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1b. Principals of Energy, Air & Moisture Thermodynamics
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- 1. Thermodynamics: Conduction, Convection, Radiation, ΔT
- 2. Factors That Affect Insulation Performance
- 3. BPI certification online with BPI practice exams and study guides.
- 4. Heat Gain / Loss
- 5. Power and Energy
- 6. Moisture Transport Mechanisms
- 7. Identify Areas of Highest Relative Humidity
- 8. Principles of Combustion
- 1c. Combustion Safety >
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1a. Basic Terms & Definitions
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Section 2 Buildings and Their Systems
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2a. Building Components
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- 1. Identify basic duct configurations and components
- 2. Identify Basic Hydronic Distribution Configurations and Components
- 3. Identify Basic Structural Components of Residential Construction
- 4. Thermal Boundaries and Insulation Applications
- 5. Basic Electrical Components and Safety Considerations
- 6. Basic Fuel Delivery Systems and Safety Considerations
- 7. Basic bulk water management components (drainage plumbing gutters sumps etc)
- 8. Vapor barriers/retarders
- 9. Radiant Barrier Principles and Installations
- 10. Understand Fenestration Types and Efficiencies
- 11. Understand Issues Involved With Basements, Crawlspaces, Slabs, Attics, Attached Garages, Interstitial Cavities, and Bypasses
- 12. Understand Issues Involved With Ventilation Equipment
- 13. Understand Basic Heating / Cooling Equipment Components Controls and Operation
- 14. Understand Basic DHW Equipment Components Controls and Operation
- 15. Identify Common Mechanical Safety Controls
- 16. Identify Insulation Types and R-Values
- 17. Understand Various Mechanical Ventilation Equipment and Strategies: Spot, ERV, HRV
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2b. Conservation Strategies
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- 1. Appropriate Insulation Applications and Installation Based On Existing Conditions
- 2. Opportunity for ENERGY STAR Lighting and Appliances
- 3. Identify Duct Sealing Opportunities and Applications
- 4. Understand Importance of Air Leakage Control and Remediation Procedures
- 5. Blower Door-Guided Air Sealing Techniques
- 6. Water Conservation Devices and Strategies
- 7. Domestic Hot Water (DHW) Conservation Strategies
- 8. Heating & Cooling Efficiency Applications
- 9. Proper Use of Modeling to Determine Heating and Cooling Equipment Sizing and Appropriate Energy
- 10. Understand the Use of Utility History Analysis in Conservation Strategies
- 11. Appropriate Applications For Sealed Crawlspaces Basements and Attics
- 12. Identify / Understand High Density Cellulose
- 13. Appropriate Applications for Fenestration Upgrades Including Modification or Replacement
- 2c. Comprehensive Building Assessment Process >
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2d. Design Considerations
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- 1. Appropriate Insulation Applications Based On Existing Conditions
- 2. Understand Fire Codes as Necessary to Apply Home Performance in a Code-Approved Manner
- 3. Understand / Recognize Building Locations Where Opportunities for Retrofit Materials
- 4. Understand Climate Specific Concerns
- 5. Understand Indoor Environment Considerations for the Environmentally Sensitive
- 6. Understand Impact of Building Orientation, Landscape Drainage, and Grading
- 7. Opportunity Potential Renewable Energy Applications: Geothermal, Photovoltaic, Wind
- 8. Understand Impact of Shading on Heating / Cooling Loads
- 9. Awareness for Solar Gain Reduction / Solar Gain Opportunities
- 10. Understand Need for Modeling Various Options For Efficiency Upgrades
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2a. Building Components
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Section 3 Measurement & Verification of Building Performance
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Section 3a Measurement & Verification of Building Performance
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- 1. Air Leakage Test Results
- 2. Understand Building Shell / Envelope Leakage
- 3. Apply Fundamental Construction Mathematics and Unit Conversions
- 4. Calculate Building Tightness Levels (Minimum Ventilation Requirements)
- 5. Calculate Heating Degree Days and Cooling Degree Days
- 6. Identify Proper Appliance and Combustion Appliance Venting
- 7. Ventilation calculations and strategies
- 8. Proper methods for identifying / testing fuel leaks
- 9. Blower door setup, accurate measurement and interpretation of results
- 10. Combustion Appliance Zone (CAZ): depressurization, spillage, draft, Carbon Monoxide (ambient and flue)
- 11. Carbon Monoxide (CO) evaluation: ambient
- 12. Proper applications and use of temperature measuring devices
- 13. Pressure pan and room to room pressure diagnostics
- 14. Recognize contributing factors to comfort problems
- 15. Inspect for areas containing moisture or bulk water in undesirable locations
- 16. Understand and inspect for basic electric safety (e.g. frayed wires, open boxes, etc)
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Section 3a Measurement & Verification of Building Performance
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Section 4 BPI National Standards & Project Specifications
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- 1. Understand applicability content and intent of BPI National Standards – Do no harm, make buildings more healthy, comfortable, durable and energy efficient
- 2. Recognize need for a professional local/state/national codes evaluation
- 3. Be able to specify appropriate materials and processes needed for building performance projects
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Section 5 Analyzing Buildings Systems
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- 1. Recognize need for air sealing measures and their impact on other building systems
- 2. Recognize need for mechanical equipment improvements
- 3. Understand blower door use for identifying critical air sealing areas
- 4. Apply blower door test results and Building Tightness Limit (minimum ventilation requirements) in development of improvement strategies
- 5. Using combustion analysis and safety testing results to develop appropriate recommendations
- 6. Determine appropriate method for assessing wall insulation levels
- 7. Equipment control strategies for maximizing occupant comfort and minimizing energy consumption
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Section 6 Conduct and Communications
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- 6a. Conservation strategies
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6b. Personal Safety & Work Practices
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- 1. Locations in which to identify indoor air quality issues
- 2. Material Safety Data Sheets
- 3. Isolation procedures for household pollutants
- 4. Practice building science within your limits of professional competency
- 5. Precautions when working around chemical biological and other potential hazards
- 6. Understand role and responsibilities of the building analyst professional
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Section 1 Building Science Fundamentals
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BPI WRITTEN EXAM
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