- Who can be an Affiliate?
- What is the value of being an Affiliate?
- What do affiliates teach?
- I’m an Affiliate, now what?
- Where do candidates come from?
- How do I proctor the exams?
- Who decides whether a candidate passes the exams?
- How do I post training and exam sessions?
- How do I promote my courses?
- What services does BPI provide to Affiliates?
Who can be an Affiliate?
Home Performance Affiliation is open to any organization that can attest to meeting all of the obligations in the Affiliate Agreement. You can review the sample Affiliate Agreement in the BPI Affiliate Policies and Procedures.
What is the value of being an Affiliate?
Affiliation can bring many benefits. You still concentrate on your primary business and specific market, while enjoying the financial rewards and recognition for providing training services, mentoring contractors, proctoring exams and even participating in the BPI Quality Assurance program. BPI is responsible for developing the national standards and the credentialing exams, so you don’t take on the risk.
What do affiliates teach?
Your curricula will provide students with a firm foundation in building science, while preparing them to obtain the following BPI certified professional designations:
- Building Analyst
- Building Envelope
- Heating
- Air Conditioning/Heat Pump
- Manufactured Housing/Mobile Homes
- Residential Building Envelope Whole House Air Leakage Control Installer Certification Scheme Handbook (RBE-WH-ALC)
- Residential Building Envelope Whole House Air Leakage Control Crew Chief Certification Scheme Handbook (RBE-WH-ALC-CC)
For the Multifamily Building Certification, you can teach:
- Multifamily Building Analyst
- Energy Efficient Multifamily Building Operator
- Multifamily Hydronic Heating System Designer
- Multifamily Advanced Heating Plant Technician
I’m an Affiliate, now what?
The first step for a new Affiliate is to determine what type of training to offer. Is there a curriculum available for this course? If not, how will it be procured or developed? Several sources of independent curricula are available for licensing. BPI does not certify or approve instructors, but does require that proctors for the field exam are certified in the specialty area they are proctoring and have been through an orientation on how to conduct the exam. BPI will coordinate a visit to your facility to work through the orientation process.
Where do candidates come from?
As an affiliate, you can promote your services and attract students. You will benefit from referrals from the BPI office and website for candidates in your area that have inquired about training and certification.
How do I proctor the exams?
In order to proctor online and field exams, you must fill out all the appropriate application forms, become certified in the specialty area you will be proctoring if you are a field proctor, and undergo a BPI orientation session. BPI will coordinate an orientation for online (written) exams and the specific procedures for proctoring the field exams.
Who decides whether a candidate passes the exams?
The decision on awarding certification is made by BPI. Your role is to provide the objective input to BPI so that a fair and unbiased award decision can be made. Not all candidates pass the exams. After all, we are trying to “raise the bar in home performance contracting,” so the exams are rigorous. Candidates who fail the exam may schedule a time to repeat the exams, although new exam fees will apply.
How do I post training and exam sessions?
An Affiliate may enter their training schedules through their BPI affiliate portal. BPI will then list the Affiliate’s training and examination sessions on the Training and Education page of our website.
How do I promote my courses?
Access BPI Affiliate Logos – Login to the Affiliate portal to download nationally recognized BPI logos per policies and procedures. Develop a Webpage – More and more people are using the Internet to conduct their research before making a decision. A good website will help you convince more students to attend your courses. Keep it simple, and be sure to include the fact that you are an affiliate organization – links to the BPI website and/or your local residential energy efficiency program never hurt. Don’t forget to list your site in your local business directories to make it easier for students to find you on the web. Reach Out with Direct Mail – Sometimes old-fashioned letters can connect you with potential students. Try getting a list from your local chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI).
What services does BPI provide to Affiliates?
BPI assists Affiliates by providing a variety of services, including:
Standards and Guidelines
- Access to BPI national standards, Testable Knowledge List and Field Guides to Certification
- Access to BPI credentialing exams that have been maintained in accordance with accepted industry practices for testing
- Review of applications submitted by an Affiliate’s proposed online proctors and issuing decisions within 30 days
Orientations and Portal Access
- Login IDs and passwords for the Affiliate’s portal
- Orientation and updates for Affiliate’s field proctors at BPI’s prevailing rate
- Orientation on BPI policies and procedures for an Affiliate’s online exam proctors. Periodic notification about BPI orientation sessions offered via email or postings on BPI’s website at www.bpi.org.
Marketing Materials and Opportunities
- Access to national advertising and promotional materials through BPI’s website and marketing services
- Co-branded marketing and promotional materials at a reasonable cost
- Flat fee pricing on exams to affiliates – affiliates determine candidate exam pricing
- Volume discounts
