The Department of Energy has released Energy Better Buildings Workforce Guidelines that are aimed at strengthening and streamlining commercial building workforce training and certification programs for workers in energy auditing, building commissioning, building operations, and energy management.
The DOE, National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), and a group of energy and building industry professionals developed the standards under the guise of the Commercial Workforce Credentialing Council.
“By creating nationally recognized standards for competency-based certification programs, these guidelines can ensure that workers have the skills they need to do their jobs effectively, while helping cut the pollution and energy costs that come from the country's commercial building sector,” the DOE says.
The guidelines “offer credentialing bodies a framework that will help their certification programs meet the needs and standards identified by the experts in the industry,” the DOE says. This type of quality assurance is especially important in jurisdictions that require energy audits or retro-commissioning of buildings.
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | May 30, 2015
Energy Department releases resources to assess building energy benchmarking policies, programs
The new handbook demonstrates methodologies using real data from New York City.
Codes and Standards | May 27, 2015
Construction industry concerns with ‘Waters of the U.S.’ rule remain
EPA and Corps of Engineers rule may lead to a longer, more expensive permitting process
Codes and Standards | May 22, 2015
Rapid growth for environmental insurance in construction industry
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is paying closer attention to intrusion of potentially harmful vapors into commercial and residential buildings.
Codes and Standards | May 22, 2015
Roof collapse at Minnesota water park highlights failure to enforce codes
Rural areas say they can’t afford to enforce state-adopted building code.
Codes and Standards | May 22, 2015
U.S. House scuttles EPA plan to expand definition of waters in Clean Water Act
Construction industry officials said the rule would hamper developers, cost jobs.
Codes and Standards | May 22, 2015
First EPD covering PVC water and wastewater piping published
Benchmarks impacts of seven PVC pipe products across their life cycles.
Office Buildings | May 18, 2015
New ASHRAE standard offers test method to determine heat gain of office equipment
The standard will aid engineers in configuring cooling systems in office buildings.
Codes and Standards | May 7, 2015
Widespread damage from Nepal earthquake due to poor implementation of building code
Nepal’s code author says destruction was ‘inevitable.’
Codes and Standards | May 7, 2015
Lavish residential skyscrapers prompt concern over shadows
New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Boston among cities grappling with height regulations.
Codes and Standards | May 7, 2015
Several states moving to repeal prevailing wage laws
Anti-prevailing wage bills that apply to state-funded construction projects have been passed in West Virginia and Nevada. Similar laws could be passed in Indiana and Illinois.
