MALTA, N.Y. — The Building Performance Institute Inc. (BPI) announced that it has achieved accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as a national certifying body. BPI’s accreditation is based on earning ISO 17024 accreditation for its Residential Building Envelope Whole House Air Leakage Control Installer (RBE-WH-ALCI) certification.

“The development and execution of ANSI procedures is a major undertaking, and BPI has committed considerable resources to ensure its success,” said David Hepinstall, BPI chairman of the board. “Many organizations develop industry level certifications for technicians within their sector; but achieving accreditation to this international standard means BPI has put in place processes critical to delivering fair exams at every BPI test center across the country.”

ANSI is the United States representative of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 17024 is the international benchmark for personnel certifications across all industries. It sets requirements for organizations that manage the certification of individuals in order to ensure impartiality of operations and reduce any conflict of interest. Under ISO 17024, certifications are developed and administered using international best practices, including cross-disciplinary peer review and industry validation of technical materials.

“This milestone will carry BPI and the contractors it serves well into the future. It allows us as an organization to continue to grow and provide home performance professionals with the support and resources they need to succeed,” said Larry Zarker, BPI CEO.

According to BPI, the RBE-WH-ALCI certification is the first of its certifications to undergo the ANSI accreditation process, and is its fastest growing certification. Its exam verifies a candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities to tighten the building envelope to reduce energy loss from air leakage as well as reduce pollutants and allergens through air migration. The exam also verifies the candidate’s ability to improve thermal comfort and energy efficiency through the proper installation of dense-pack insulation materials.

BPI said its new Home Energy Professional certifications for Energy Auditor, Retrofit Installer, Crew Leader, and Quality Control Inspector will be the next four certifications it submits to ANSI for accreditation under ISO 17024.

For more information, visit www.bpi.org.

Publication date: 9/10/2012