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    • BPI WRITTEN EXAM >
      • Section 1 Building Science Fundamentals >
        • 1a. Basic Terms & Definitions >
          • 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
        • 1b. Principals of Energy, Air & Moisture Thermodynamics >
          • 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 >
          • 1. Combustion Analysis
          • 2. Carbon Monoxide (CO) Testing
          • 3. Combustion Appliance Venting, Draft, Combustion Air & Sizing
          • 4. Understand Combustion Safety Issues
      • Section 2 Buildings and Their Systems >
        • 2a. Building Components >
          • 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
        • 2b. Conservation Strategies >
          • 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 >
          • 1. Determine Areas of Customer Complaints / Concerns in Interview
          • 2. Understand / Recognize Need For Conducting Appropriate Diagnostic Procedures
          • 3. Interaction Between Mechanical Systems, Envelope Systems and Occupant Behavior
        • 2d. Design Considerations >
          • 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
      • Section 3 Measurement & Verification of Building Performance >
        • Section 3a Measurement & Verification of Building Performance >
          • 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)
      • Section 4 BPI National Standards & Project Specifications >
        • 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
      • Section 5 Analyzing Buildings Systems >
        • 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
      • Section 6 Conduct and Communications >
        • 6a. Conservation strategies
        • 6b. Personal Safety & Work Practices >
          • 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
    • BPI FIELD EXAM >
      • How To Put The House Under Worst Case & CAZ
      • What's What? Pa, CFM, CFM50, CAZ, Draft, Room Pressure
      • What To Know In The Attic
      • What To Know In The House
    • BLOWER DOOR TEST >
      • Manometer Setup
    • BPI BUILDING ANALYST STANDARDS >
      • BPI Standards Decoded
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  • BLOG

The Problem of Energy Auditors, Crew Techs and Sales Staff Leaving

4/6/2015

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The home performance world is a small niche and as with many small niches, it is prudent not to burn any bridges along your journey whether you are a technician, sales rep, energy auditor or owner.  It's the way it goes, many of my staff worked for my competitors and many have left my company to go work for my competitors.  My job is to create an environment where people want to stay more than leave.  

I recently interviewed an energy auditor who worked for a competitor and is doing energy audits on his own now for several different companies.  He told me he got his experience at this competitors company and then got good at doing audits and retrofits to the point where he became pretty self sufficient and required little to no oversight.  The owner probably thought they could do what every owner's unrealistic fantasy in business i..., and that is to put him on autopilot.  Unfortunately the "set it and forget it" model doesn't work so well with managing people and you can guess this auditors next thoughts were, "boy, if I'm doing all the work, I can just do it for myself and get all the money for myself."  That's just what he did and saved enough to buy a blower door and cheap IR camera (see blog about cheap IR cameras) and went into business for himself.  By the way, he was smart and did not burn any bridges and still does audits for his previous employer.

His story resonated with him because I have been on both sides of his story and know so many home performance contractors who have also.  Human resources is one of the core problems we have in business growth as small construction companies in home performance with tight margins and high installation standards.  Employee hiring and retention are where I've learned to devote much more of my time more by trial and error than prudence.  Unfortunately, as small business owners we can't offer free daycare, afternoon massages, free meals 4 times a day with Frisbee golf parks to play during spare time, but there are perks that will keep employees engaged and around for long term.

Newbie Owner

  • Using ADP (or a payroll processor or DIY is better) to turn 1099 contractor employees into W-2 employees. It will cost you about 6% of their check additional in social security, unemployment and tax fees but there is a mental change and an increase in loyalty that happens when someone becomes an employee rather than an independent contractor that is beneficial for employee retention.
  • Bonuses given out per job, per week or per month for meeting or exceeding company metrics, or key performance metrics.  For a crew, it might be finishing jobs on time, customer satisfaction, clean up, referrals and/or quality inspection.  Trial and error will tell you if your metrics are unrealistic, too complicated, too much or too little.  Bonuses can be paid out on each check or withheld until the New Year to keep employees and forgone if the employee quits prior to their bonus check.
  • Medical insurance is a bigger for some employees who need medicine or have kids and families.  It took me a long time to even find one because I was looking in the wrong places.  If you Google, "medical insurance provider (or broker)" you can find some companies, who are usually brokers.  Just calling Blue Cross will give you the run around for days.
  • In-house training is also very important because it puts you in front of your staff to share your experiences, vision and get feedback from your staff.  If you are spent time in the trenches, create training folders of different problems and topics you want to talk about at each training.  Throw in audit pictures and gather evidence of how to do it wrong and how to do it right.  Quiz your employees on different scenarios and have them answer what-if questions.  What if a homeowner says this, what if you break the drywall, what do you do if the machine clogs, etc.
  • Certifications and training are carrots that ambitious employees can't pass up. Even if your employee leaves your company, it is worth getting them trained and certified.  I have a policy of paying for training only after a year or partial reimbursement if before.
  • Company vans that employees can take home with GPS tracking systems installed.

Advanced

  • 401K company match but if you offer it one employee, you have to offer it to all employees.
  • Dental and vision insurance is just a little more money out of your pocket.
  • Sick time and paid time off.
  • Paid holidays.



My last bit of advice is to do some number crunching before to see from your profits what perks you can afford doing, what you want to pay yourself and what you want to go to the business.  Planning helps ensure your business outlasts your employees.
0 Comments

    David Byrnes

    Owns and operates Green ID, a residential home energy auditing and contracting company in Phoenix, AZ. He is a BPI Proctor and has trained over 40 energy auditors.

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