New certificate program teaches how health can be affected by issues in a home

The Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI), developer of home performance standards and certifications, announces the launch of its new Healthy Housing Principles Reference Guide and Certificate of Knowledge.

"Many of the homes in this country were built before energy and building codes were established, and often suffer from issues such as excessive energy consumption and poor indoor air quality. As we spend more and more of our time inside, there is a growing concern that the indoor environment may be negatively impacting occupant health. The main goal of this new certificate is to help health professionals, product manufacturers, contractors, technicians, students, and countless others recognize risk factors and use this knowledge to fix issues before they lead to major health problems," said Larry Zarker, BPI CEO.

The comprehensive Healthy Housing Principles (HHP) Reference Guide digs into the eight principles of healthy housing: keep it clean, dry, pest-free, contaminant-free, safe, ventilated, comfortable, and maintained. Each chapter focuses on a different principle – describing with instructional language, diagrams, and full-color images how to pinpoint and address any issues. This reference guide is conveniently available in both a print and digital flipbook version. Once review of the guide is complete, readers can prove their healthy housing knowledge by challenging the 100-question online exam to earn the certificate.

Kevin Kennedy, the principal author of the Reference Guide, says, "We didn’t plan to produce this guide in the middle of a national pandemic, but with everyone spending so much time in their homes, now is a great time to learn about ways our homes can both compromise and enhance our health."

Anyone interested in the connection between human health symptoms and the possible home issues that could be causing them should purchase the HHP reference guide and earn BPI's Healthy Housing Principles Certificate. BPI certified professionals will earn eight CEUs for successfully completing the exam for the HHP Certificate of Knowledge. For additional information on the HHP, visit bpi.org/hhp.

With the addition of the new HHP Certificate, BPI now offers a total of 14 certifications and 2 certificates to those interested in expanding their building science, healthy housing, and energy efficiency knowledge and skills.