This Online Resource Center was created to address a major barrier to scaling whole-home retrofit projects: access to a workforce with the right skills. To achieve this goal, NEEP is working alongside partners to remove the roadblocks of accessibility and cost for anyone looking to enter the clean energy workforce. The Online Resource Center is home to the resource library, a collection of workforce training resources from NEEP, our partners, and others. It also provides the training materials for the Building Performance Institute (BPI) Total Building Performance Certificate of Knowledge, which was launched as a pilot exam on October 2, 2023.
The Online Resource Center provides on-demand courses and technical assistance for anyone looking to enter the clean energy workforce. The flexibility of these resources is intended to help meet the needs of individuals and small businesses who may not have the time to step away from work for a day-long training or may be budget constrained. This can be especially important when trying to attract more women and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) to the energy efficiency industry.
What Can You Find Here?
Resource Library:
NEEP has collected resources from across the industry and compiled them into an ever-growing library. Resources include on-demand courses, general industry information, paid internship programs, and government resources. Click here to view the collection of materials in the Online Resource Library.
The Total Building Performance (TBP) Certificate of Knowledge:
Recognizing the critical need for a retrofit-ready workforce, NEEP and partners have developed the Building Performance Institute (BPI) Total Building Performance (TBP) Certificate. The Certificate is the only one of its kind designed to prepare individuals with the holistic knowledge to assist and guide whole-building retrofits that center customer satisfaction and maximize residential energy and emissions savings. To earn the TBP certificate, you must successfully pass the certificate exam. Click here to learn more about TBP and the certificate exam.
Training Modules for TBP:
Eight domains of knowledge were identified for an ideal whole-home retrofit general contractor. The certificate exam tests for these eight domains of knowledge. The project team developed eight free training modules to help individuals prepare for the TBP Certificate Exam. Click here to access these Training Modules.
More on the Total Building Performance Certificate
One Pagers and Fact-Sheets
- Analysis of Workforce Demographics in the Northeast Region
- What Do We Envision for “Whole-Home General Contractors”?
- What Can TBP Offer You or Your Business?
TBP Related Interviews
Listen to three interviews that demonstrate the demand for TBP certified contractors.
- Michael Rossi, a HERS rater demonstrates some building science topics.
- Adam Stenftenagel, an energy modeler who retrofitted his own home.
- Russ Flannigan, a home performance contractor who sees the value in TBP employees.
Partners
The Online Resource Center was created under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) TEP Workforce Project; NEEP is partnered with Energy Futures Group, Building Performance Institute (BPI), and Building Performance Association (BPA) to meet the goals of this project. A project advisory committee, which includes 10 state governments and nonprofits, is assisting with the implementation of this project and ensures that the project outcomes are met.
Acknowledgment: This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under the Building Technologies Office and "Empowering and Diversifying the Design and Construction Workforce" Initiative. Award number DE-EE0009740
The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the view of the U.S. Department of Energy or the United States Government.