SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Larry Zarker, CEO of the Building Performance Institute (BPI), plans to retire this fall. Zarker, who has more than 40 years of experience in the residential buildings sector, has managed the national expansion of BPI’s standards, credentialing and quality assurance programs since 2006.

BPI is a building performance credentialing, quality assurance, and standards-setting organization. 

Under Zarker's leadership, BPI’s network of independent training organizations (BPI test centers) has expanded nationwide from four to 110 organizations, while BPI’s active certifications have increased from 1,000 to more than 16,700 today. 

Zarker oversaw the creation of BPI’s Home Energy Professional certifications, including Energy Auditor and Quality Control Inspector, in support of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program quality-assurance goals. According to a press release from BPI, Zarker has also been a key driver of industry efforts to combine the principles of healthy housing with energy performance: He led the development of both the Healthy Home Evaluator (HHE) certification and the Healthy Housing Principles (HHP) certificate of knowledge to address the impacts housing has on the health of occupants.

“Larry Zarker will have a lasting impact on BPI’s legacy,” said BPI board chairwoman Amanda Hatherly. “Throughout his tenure, Larry has been a tireless advocate for the house-as-a-system approach, ensuring that the workforce has the knowledge and skills to deliver high quality energy analysis and retrofit services, and that practical standards are in place to deliver the credentials that verify these workers’ knowledge and skills.”