As part of the development of the Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals resources, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) collaborated with trainers and technicians from across the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and home performance industry to develop high-quality, nationally recognized credentials. Learn more about the credential framework, how to get certified, and resources for training centers below.

Credential Framework

The credentials include the Energy Auditor (EA) and Quality Control Inspector (QCI) certifications, the Retrofit Installer Badges, and the Crew Leader job task analysis (JTA). The EA and QCI require experienced home energy professionals to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge, practical skills, and technical proficiency to earn the certification. The Retrofit Installer Badges provide a flexible, customizable, and voluntary approach to training and skills recognition for WAP implementers, utility programs, private-sector workers, and contractors.

To establish the framework for the Home Energy Professional credentials, DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), brought together more than 40 industry-nominated volunteers to define the general requirements of each. Those requirements are based largely on:

  • Standard Work Specifications (SWS) for single-family homes—Developed by NREL in collaboration with industry experts and subjected to extensive public/industry review, these specifications define the minimum acceptable outcomes for any weatherization or home performance task to be effective, durable, and safe.
     
  • Job Task Analyses (JTAs) for single-family home energy upgrades—Developed by NREL and validated by more than 800 industry experts, JTAs define the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to be successful in each of the four primary energy upgrade job classifications. JTAs in whole or in part also serve as a foundation for accredited industry training programs

The certification blueprints were produced in accordance with ISO/IEC 17024:2012 "Conformity assessment—General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons" (ISO/IEC 17024) for the quality and rigor of personnel certifications. The certifications and credential resources are revised every five years based on changes to industry practices.

With ISO/IEC 17024-accredited certifications and training programs based on the SWS and JTAs, weatherization and home performance contractors will know the caliber of the people they are hiring, consumers will know that these workers have proven their ability to do quality work, and workers will have the professional status that comes with being nationally certified.

How to Get Certified

The Building Performance Institute (BPI) is the first third-party organization licensed to deliver the Home Energy Professional Certifications.

Because these certifications are for experienced professionals, candidates must meet prerequisite criteria to be eligible to take the exams. For detailed registration information, read BPI's Registration Instructions for the Home Energy Professional Certification Exams.

To apply to take the certification exams, visit the BPI website.

Resources for Certifying Bodies

NREL licenses the Home Energy Professional Certification blueprints to ISO/IEC 17024 accredited certifying bodies. To learn more about becoming licensed to deliver the Home Energy Professional Certifications, contact NREL.

Resources for Training Centers

For training centers interested in developing training that prepares students for the Home Energy Professional Certification exams, the Weatherization Assistance Program provides standardized curricula for each of the four job classifications listed below, plus other topics. Additionally, training centers will want to refer to JTAs for single-family home energy upgrades.

Energy Auditor

Quality Control Inspector

Retrofit Installer Badges

Crew Leader

Access and learn more about standardized training curricula.