“We have been studying the market and listening to the industry,” said NATE President Rex Boynton. “Our first new certification release will be the Energy Efficiency Technician Test and thereafter four hydronics tests.”

The tests will be available over the next 18 to 24 months.

“The energy-efficiency test for technicians will be more encompassing than the energy-efficiency sections of the current 10 NATE specialty service and installation tests,” said Boynton. “For a technician to take this certification, there may be some NATE certification testing prerequisites. The hydronics tests include Hot Water for Oil Service; Hot Water For Oil Installation; Hot Water For Gas Service; and Hot Water For Gas Installation specialty tests.”

NATE subject matter experts are working with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) to define and develop a practices analysis for the technicians’ energy-efficiency certification. From that, the NATE energy-efficiency test will be created which will certify technicians by testing their knowledge of industry-determined and approved skills and standards for energy efficiency.

Boynton explained that NATE has other certifications the group plans to develop. They include commercial and industrial HVAC and refrigeration; Master (Senior) certification; water-source and geothermal heat pumps; boilers; and hydronic heat.

Publication date: 06/09/2003