BPI's Residential Energy Efficiency Upgrade Certificate Standard Published as BPI Standard

For immediate release from the Building Performance Institute, September 11, 2013:


Malta, NY - The Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI) is proud to announce that its BPI-2101-S-2013: Standard Requirements for a Certificate of Completion for Residential Energy Efficiency Upgrades has been published as a BPI standard.

"Created for the real estate sales process, BPI-2101 is designed to promote accurate valuation of energy efficiency by standardizing the way energy efficiency improvements are represented," said Robin LeBaron, managing director of the National Home Performance Council and co-chair of the BPI working group that developed the standard.

BPI-2101 identifies a standard set of data elements for certificates that document the completion of a whole-house energy upgrade (HEU) or individual energy conservation measures (ECMs) in existing homes. A certificate that complies with the requirements of this standard can be issued to homeowners by home energy upgrade programs or by entities implementing nationally recognized third-party quality assurance programs for inclusion in Multiple Listing Service (MLS) databases during the home re-sale process.

"Most of the data required for a more transparent transaction is already being captured by energy efficiency programs," said Anne Evens, CEO of CNT Energy, an organization instrumental in garnering stakeholder involvement for the development of the standard. "Standardizing and communicating this information makes upgrades visible and accessible at the time of a home sale, and encourages homeowners to invest in energy efficiency improvements. This helps efficiency programs meet goals, and benefits the real estate industry, homebuyers and sellers, and the environment."

The data elements in BPI-2101 are aligned with four other standards to promote consistency and transparency in the real estate, appraisal, and energy efficiency program industries: BPI-2200-S-2013 (Standard for Home-Performance-Related Data Collection), which serves as a data dictionary for the home performance industry; BPI-2100-S-2013 (Standard for Home Performance-Related Data Transfer), which defines a common standard for transferring energy efficient data; the Real Estate Transaction Standard (RETS), which defines a common standard for transferring real estate-related data; and the Appraisal Institute's Residential Green and Energy Efficiency Addendum, which provides appraisers with a standard template for collecting data about a home's energy efficient and other "green" features.

BPI-2101 was developed by a working group created by BPI's Standards Technical Committee (STC) and comprised of subject matter experts representing a broad variety of interest categories and geographical locations.

BPI-2101 is also currently in process to become an American National Standard. Once approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), it will be republished as an ANSI/BPI standard.

Click here to view the new Residential Energy Upgrade Certificate standard.

CNET Energy 
About CNET Energy
CNT Energy combines rigorous research with effective solutions to help consumers and communities control energy costs and become more energy efficient. We design and implement programs and conduct research in the areas of dynamic electricity pricing, building energy efficiency, and regional energy planning to achieve significant savings and job creation for low-income communities. Visit www.CNTenergy.org for more information.

National Home Performance Council About the National Home Performance Council 
The National Home Performance Council is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to encouraging improved home energy performance using a whole-house approach. NHPC seeks to advance the home performance industry by facilitating coordination and alignment between public and private sector stakeholders; developing standardized practices; and conducting research, analysis and education. Visit www.nhpci.org for more information.

New BPI Registered Color Logo  
About BPI
BPI is the nation's premier building performance credentialing, quality assurance and standards setting organization. BPI develops technical standards using an open, transparent, consensus-based process built on sound building science. BPI is approved by the American National Standards Institute, Inc. (ANSI) as an accredited developer of American National Standards and as a certifying body for personnel credentials. For more information on BPI, visit www.bpi.org.

USGBC Provides Snapshot of the Current Green Building Industry and Its Occupants

The U.S Green Building Council consists of environmentally conscious professionals who introduce healthier energy efficient buildings to the market. Many members of the USGBC organization help reduce waste and carbon emissions, increase energy efficiency and improve air quality, health and wellbeing. Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and founding chair of USGBC explains,
"Our forward-thinking community members rely on local USGBC chapters for support to carry out this work as USGBC itself looks to its member companies to champion the movement through the buildings they build and operate; the products they create and manufacture; and the policies they advocate that help advance this important work."
The green building market is estimated at $96-140 billion with 835 million square feet of construction in 2013, according to McGraw Hill Construction Outlook 2009. USGBC estimates that more than 4.3 million people are living and working in LEED certified buildings, with more than 6.2 million people experiencing a LEED-certified project each day. Interestingly, researchers found that workforce health and happiness to safer, greener, working environments and fewer hours commuting to traffic. Professionals have found that improved performance and workflow have improved greatly and building performance has benefited from reduced energy usage. Since 2011, The USGBC has been tracking the performance of LEED buildings that are reporting their energy and water data.

LEED has brought sustainability on the development of mainstream of building design and construction. In 2013, the number of green building professionals was eight million and 35% of all U.S construction jobs are green today and are helping the community.

green building industry statistics from USGBC

One of the most recent projects from USGBC was for Park Central 7 in Dallas, Texas in 2011. Tenants were interested and participative in the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and
Maintenance certification. Important steps in Central Park 7's green initiative were changes to pest control procedures that eliminated all use of chemicals and an annual energy savings of $20,800.

These green initiatives are important because they provide education and awareness about the health hazards of non-LEED certified buildings. More organizations every day are becoming green and demonstrating the importance of the USGBC's mission to provide environment-friendly practices. Because people understand the long term effects of pollution, asbestos, lead and other harmful contaminants, buildings who took the time and effort to become LEED certified are worth more on the market than non-certified buildings. In the future, most, if not all, construction jobs will become green and workers will become LEED certified. One of the goals of the USGBC is to introduce the green effect, universally, and provide education about the importance of sustaining a green environment for the future. The rate of LEED-certified buildings in the U.S was 44% in 2012 and is continually growing to a predicted rate of 55% in 2016. By then, more than half of the U.S will participate in the green movement.

For more information on USGBC's LEED credentials, and to learn how you can join the green building movement, visit www.greenedu.com/leed-certification.

GreenEDU Trainer Spotlight: Long Island Safety Training

Amityville, NY- Long Island Safety Training is a New York-based training center that provides EPA Lead Certification and OSHA training. At GreenEDU, we are excited to work with such a well-rounded, accredited company. Each instructor at Long Island Safety Training has had many years of experience in the field and bring their own perspective and expertise when teaching. They are knowledgable and flexible, able to train larger groups on-site and in English or Spanish if needed. They custom tailor their training programs to meet the unique needs of their students and are proud to support their clients and community by continuously providing expert training.

Students have had only positive remarks about their training programs. Tony C. raved that, "The instructor, Lonny was completely thorough and methodical in his approach. He never rushed anything. I would hope to be lucky enough to have him again."

Timothy E. stated, "Lonny Davis made the class interesting and the time pass quickly by explaining the parts of modules without making them difficult. I would definitely take an additional certification classes especially if Lonny is going to be the instructor." Their authorized instructors strive to help their students to gain insight into EPA and OSHA requirements, allowing for safer, more productive work environments.

Long Island Safety Training currently has multiple upcoming courses with GreenEDU including an EPA Lead Renovators Certification Initial training course as well as an OSHA 10-Hour training course.

Anyone who performs lead renovations, repairs, or painting in pre-1978 housing or child-occupied facilities must be EPA Lead Safe Certified. Individuals and firms that are not certified could face fines of up to $37,500 per day.The Lead Renovator Certification Initial course is 8 hours in length and includes both EPA-approved lead safety training and certification. Any contractor performing work on pre-1978 homes or child-occupied facilities must employ at least one Certified Renovator who has successfully completed this training. Companies must also be registered as a Lead Safe Certified Firm with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Additionally, Long Island Safety Training has an upcoming OSHA 10-Hour Construction Industry training course. The OSHA 10-Hour Construction Industry Health & Safety course teaches OSHA regulations and standards as they apply to the construction industry. The course covers practices of identifying, reducing, eliminating and reporting on-site hazards. It also teaches safety awareness and assists workers in recognizing and reducing risks in the workplace. This course is intended to provide an entry level construction worker general awareness on recognizing and preventing hazards on a construction site.

About Long Island Safety Training
Long Island Safety Training instructs classes that provide an initial and basic overview of key OSHA Construction Industry Standards for workers and novice safety professionals, along with EPA Lead Renovators certification trainings for renovation firms. Their educational safety programs are flexible, allowing them to individually tailor their trainings to suit any organization's industry related, site-specific safety needs. They have on-staff, knowledgeable instructors that have years of experience in the industry, and They also offer classes in both English and Spanish.

For more information and course registration, please visit http://www.greenedu.com/long-island-safety-training

Sample AIA Contract Documents Are Now Available For Interns and ARE Candidates

Sample AIA Contract Documents Are Now Available! AIA Contract Documents are the most widely used standard form documents in the design and construction industry. These forms and contracts define the relationships and terms involved in design and construction projects. The appropriate contracts can prevent conflicts and help create more successful collaborations between industry professionals.

Interns and candidates for the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) should utilize these AIA Contract Documents as study materials for the Construction Documents and Services Division and when completing activities in the Emerging Professional's Companion, an online resource to gain IDP credit. Sample documents are now available online for interns and ARE Candidate use. You can access these documents here.

Additionally, ARE Candidates should register for an ARE Exam Prep course. Sign up for a course with GreenEDU! 

Top 10 Green Universities

As Labor Day weekend comes to a close, college students around the nation head back to campus to start the fall semester. Some of these students have the benefit of attending environmentally-friendly campuses, and studies show that this has a positive impact on the way the students interact with the environment themselves. The Sierra Club has rated the top 10 green universities around the nation, taking everything into consideration, from clean transportation to renewable energy in the classrooms.

University of Connecticut
  1. University of Connecticut- The Sierra Club named this college the 2013 winner. At UConn, 40% of its faculty do academic work and research in environmental fields. The university has decreased its water usage by 15% in the past six years and has renovated its buildings to reduce carbon emissions by 2,640 tons in the past two years. 
  2. Dickinson College- This smaller college located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania uses wind power to meet its energy needs. Students at Dickinson have even collected grease from nearby restaurants to use as biodiesel for the school's vehicles. Several of its buildings meet LEED Gold standards and the school has decreased its paper usage by 60% in just four years. 
  3. University of California, Irvine- UC Irvine uses solar panels to generate energy, saving 20 million kilowatts a year. Along with LEED Silver buildings, the school also features a botanical garden on campus.
  4. University of California, Davis- This UC is dedicated to agriculture and features weekly farmers' markets in the spring and fall. Additionally, over 60% of its trash is recycled or composted, and the school hopes to increase it to 100% by 2020. 
  5. Cornell University- Cornell has decreased its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% in the past two years and are planning to be a net-zero campus by 2050. Students at Cornell can choose from over 300 classes in sustainability and can minor in climate change. The campus features a botanical garden and arboretum.
  6. Green Mountain College- This Vermont school only contains about 600 students. The school uses sourced woodchips to provide 85% of its heat and 20% of its electrical power. Students have taken initiatives to build gardens, grow produce, and has even derived energy from methane produced by cows.
    Green Mountain College
  7. Stanford University- Stanford has raised over $430 million for its Initiative on the Environment and Sustainability and is planning on building a new facility that will cut its carbon emissions by 50% and its water usage by 20%. 
  8. Georgia Institute of Technology- Georgia Tech is located in downtown Atlanta and has access to several forms of transportation, including buses, trains, and cars. All of its buildings built after 2008 are LEED certified, and its water usage hasn't grown since 2001 due to its efficient storm water collection system.
    UC Santa Barbara
  9. American University- American University, located in Washington DC, plans on having 30 of its buildings LEED Silver certified. It recycles and composts 2/3 of its waste and has the largest solar hot water system in DC. 
  10. University of California, Santa Barbara- UC Santa Barbara has 44 LEED certified buildings, 321 sustainability courses, and 10 miles of bike paths. 94% of its students take alternative forms of transportation to class. 
For more information, read the Sierra Club's full report here.

D-Lead Paint Test Kit Instructional Video Released by ESCA Tech


Test for lead paint with D-Lead Test Kit

To date, the EPA has recognized three lead paint test kits that can be used by Certified Renovators for the purposes of determining if there is lead paint present for a Renovation, Repair, or Painting (RRP) job. These include 3M™ LeadCheck™, D-Lead®, and the State of Massachusetts test kits. LeadCheck and D-Lead are also approved by the state of Wisconsin for use on RRP projects in the state.

Using the test kits properly is critical to obtaining valid results. In an effort to assist Certified Renovators and training professionals on learning how to use the D-Lead testing kit, the manufacturer ESCA Tech, Inc. has developed an instructional video for the D-Lead Paint Test Kit and Klean Strip D-Lead Paint Test Kits. D-Lead test kits are recognized for use on wood, ferrous metal, or drywall and plaster surfaces.

The training video can be viewed on ESCA's website here.
About D-Lead Test Kits
This test quickly and simply determines if a paint a paint sample contains less than the USEPA regulated lead limit (1.0 mg/cm2) and the WI regulated lead limit (0.7 mg/cm2). The test can easily be used drywall, plaster, wood and ferrous metal surfaces. The results comes in minutes and, according to the ETV Verification Report, the test is 99% accurate in determining the absence of lead-based paint.

Testing for Lead Paint and the RRP Rule 
Renovation, repair and painting activities often disturb painted surfaces. If these surfaces had been painted with lead-based paint, serious lead contamination and exposure may result. According to a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) survey of the prevalence of lead-based paint hazards in the nation's housing, approximately 38 million pre-1978 U.S. dwellings contain lead-based paint. Before undertaking this work in a home built prior to 1978, it is important to either assume that the area undergoing work contains lead-based paint and take appropriate precautions, or to accurately determine whether lead-based paint is present. In the 2008 Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program (RRP) Rule, the Agency described criteria for recognizing test kits that detect lead in paint. The federal standards for lead-based paint in target housing and child-occupied facilities is a lead content in paint that equals or exceeds a level of 1.0 milligram per square centimeter (mg/cm2) or 0.5 percent by weight. (Source: www.epa.gov/lead)


GreenEDU Trainer Spotlight: Global Environmental Network, Inc.

Global Environmental Network, Inc. provides environmental consulting services in California. They have served the public for 22 years. GENI strives to become an international leader in providing environmental and health services, providing more than just certification for their students, but instead, an education that surpasses state and federal regulation requirements. Their mission is to protect lives, the environment, and property by providing their students with quality, cost-effective training, teaching them how to apply their skills in real life hazardous situations. At the root of the company are core values of integrity, teamwork, diversity, and community.

Their staff is comprised of a talented team of professional engineers, certified industrial hygienists, stormwater managers, asbestos consultants, lead building inspectors, and technicians. They are qualified and enthusiastic about teaching. GreenEDU student Harold S. stated he found the instructor "very knowledgable" and he "made the course interesting [and] went into detail...and made key points relevant to our applications."

Global Environmental Network, Inc. currently has 67 upcoming courses with GreenEDU in both Anaheim and Oakland, California. These courses include:


Their most popular classes include OSHA-10 Hour Construction Industry and Qualified SWPPP Practitioner. 

The OSHA 10-Hour Construction Industry Health & Safety course teaches OSHA regulations and standards as they apply to the construction industry. The course covers practices of identifying, reducing, eliminating and reporting on-site hazards. It also teaches safety awareness and assists workers in recognizing and reducing risks in the workplace. This course is intended to provide an entry level construction worker general awareness on recognizing and preventing hazards on a construction site. The training covers a variety of construction safety and health hazards which a worker may encounter on the job. 

The Qualified SWPPP Practitioner (QSP) course is a two day course required to become a stormwater professional responsible for implementing the SWPPP. The Qualified SWPPP Practitioner (QSP) course is an overview and review of necessary forms and regulations governing pollution caused by stormwater, especially implementing a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). This course describes the SWPPP development process and provides helpful guidance and tips for implementing an effective Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan on your construction site. With critical changes in requirements under the new EPA Construction General Permit (CGP), construction site Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs) must be developed following the requirements of the EPA or applicable state and describe the specific conditions of the site and plans for development.


About Global Environmental Network, Inc.
Global Environmental Network, Inc (GENI) has been providing Health and Safety Engineering, Consulting, and Training services since 1992, and has grown tremendously in presence in the municipal, utilities, oil, gas, construction and engineering sectors. GENI's ability to integrate customized, project specific services while constantly evaluating the services ensures our ability to meet or exceed the most rigorous guidelines available. With multiple course types and talented instructors with diverse backgrounds, GENI is your source for high quality safety training in California.

For more information and registration, check out GENI's page http://www.greenedu.com/global-environmental-network-inc
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