Carolinas Energy Associates, LLC has experienced professionals with a wide range of technical skills and field experience. You can count on us to satisfy your training needs and/or energy audit requirements. We are proud to be BPI Certified and Certified Master Inspector(CMI) approved (NACHI), and have conducted many thousands of home inspections. We believe in the ‘whole house approach’ in our training program which allows students to fully understand how a whole house works as a system.  Our mission is to provide the most comprehensive training to our candidates that will enable real solutions to be offered to potential customers wanting to reduce their energy consumption while improving the safety and comfort level of their homes. This is achieved by using building science technologies and the ‘whole house approach’ to educate, certify, and provide home energy auditors with the necessary hands-on skills to perform a thorough building analysis with confidence.

The following Building Analyst & Envelope Professional courses have been scheduled for 2011 in Charlotte, NC:

We now offer training on a weekly basis. Please contact us for more details.

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            Our Training Curriculum  (BPI - Building Analyst BP1)

1. Introduction:

Energy Perspectives: 1949 – 2008 (DOE graphical presentation)

Energy – Past and Present

Residential Energy – Cost savings for existing homes (John  Krigger & Chris  Dorsi)

BPI Technical Standards - Certified Building Analyst 1

1. Introduction to Energy Concepts:

Definition of Energy

Basic forms of Energy

Units of Energy

Energy and Power

Laws of Thermodynamics

Efficiency

Energy Definitions (primary energy, delivered energy , useful energy)

Renewable vs. Non-renewable

Types of Pollutants

Nature of Energy

Law of conservation of Energy

Transferring thermal Energy (conduction, convection, radiation)

British Thermal Unit – BTU

R-value

U-value

Heating Degree Days  - HDD

Cooling Degree Days – CDD

Home Heating Index – HHI

1. House as a System:

House as a system of inter-related components and systems

Balloon Frame vs. Platform Frame

Sources of Moisture

Moist warm air rises

Roof structure: joist frame vs. truss frame

Attic ventilation types

Flat roofs vs. pitched roofs

Recommended grading slopes

Swales vs. French drain

House flashings

Foundation types

Heated vs. unheated crawlspaces

1. Combustion Safety

What we inspect on combustion appliances

Testing for gas leaks: valves, pipes, connectors.

What we test on combustion appliances

Chimney and flues: different types of chimneys and problems found

CAZ Zones

What is worst case for draft testing

Recommended procedure for inspecting an existing gas appliance

Set-up for CAZ depressurization test

Obtaining stable readings

Appliance testing set-up (water heaters & central heating systems)

Checking for drafting

Checking for spillage

Carbon Monoxide poisoning  - what it is and what is a safe level

Carbon monoxide causes and solutions

Carbon monoxide testing procedures

Carbon monoxide recommendations as per BPI standards

Other safety issues: Radon Gas, Mold, Lead Paint, Asbestos

1. Building Science Basics

Requirements of a safe and energy efficient home

The Thermal Boundary

Difference between pressure and thermal boundaries

Thermal and air barriers must be continuous

Pressure and thermal boundaries alignment

The Air Barrier

Air leakage

Direct leakage

Ventilation

Driving forces of air leakage: Temperature difference vs. pressure difference

Stack Effect

Combustion equipment and exhaust fans

Duct leakage

Room pressure imbalances

1. Blower Door Basics

Using a blower door as a controlled driving force

Pascal – metric standard

Cubic foot per minute – cfm

Blower door installation set-up procedure

Accurate cfm-50 measurement: cfm-50, cfm-natural, cfm-50/”n” factor

Air changes per hour at 50 pascals  - ACH-50

Minimum ventilation requirement – MVR

Room by room inspection with blower door running

Leaks and doors, windows, wall outlets, switch boxes

1. Typical Improvement Measures

Moisture problems identified and recommended solutions

Condition and types of air filters

Duct and pipe modifications

Waste heat recovery devices

Appliances with older electric motors

CFL’s vs. incandescent lamps

Hot spots: chimney penetrations and recessed light fixtures

Dryer ducts

Insulation: attic, walls, crawlspace

Zonal pressure diagnostics – ZPD

Pressure pan testing

CAZ testing

Thermal losses and imaging

Solar heat gain through double insulated windows

NFRC window ratings

Weatherstripping, door seals

Recommended air sealing - Onsite

Recommended mechanical ventilation – Onsite

1. Physical on-site energy / building performance audit

Pre-audit briefing and preparation

Home owner introduction and interview

Exterior walk about: grading issues, thermal boundaries, chimneys, etc.

Health and safety testing: 

- gas leaks

- CAZ testing, appliances testing

- CO testing of water heaters(DWH), Furnaces, Gas ranges

            Blower door test:

• installation and set-up
• Locate air leaks
• Room by room zonal testing

Central heating systems: Furnaces, boilers

Water heating systems

Lighting

Refrigeration equipment

Windows, doors, attic access hatches

Fuel switching opportunities

Heat loss savings opportunities

Energy consumptions and recommendations

Appliance and lighting upgrade opportunities

1. Energy Related Formulas and geometry

Cost effectiveness:

                      - Payback - PB

                      - Rate of return - ROR

                      - Savings-to-investment – SIR

Geometry:        - plane geometry

                      - solid geometry

Air exchange factors:  CFM50, ACH50, ACHn, ALH

Please contact us anytime! We look forward to hearing from you. Click this "Link" to contact us.