BPI Celebrates 20 Years of Raising the Bar

More than 20 years ago a group of building tradesmen and weatherization program professionals had a vision for independent, third party verification of worker skills in the weatherization industry. The Building Performance Institute was born from this vision, and, together with scores of pioneering true believers volunteering hundreds of hours of their time, BPI has developed the standards and credentials that set the bar for quality in home performance contracting.

In 1993 BPI was founded to create the industry's first ever Building Performance Field Manual, as a project under New York's NYSTAR program. Within two years BPI had established a "test house" in Glen Falls, New York, to test candidates' skills and training in a real life setting. In 1996 BPI officially incorporated and issued its first certifications for Weatherization Assistance Program auditors and installation personnel. Ever since, BPI has played a pivotal role in the advancement of the weatherization and home performance industry, setting the standards not only for the diagnosis and installation of energy efficiency measures, but for the health and safety protocols critical to house-as-a-system retrofit work.

BPI's 20th anniversary this year is an extraordinary milestone. Today, BPI certified professionals hold over 42,000 active certifications working in all 50 states, U.S. territories and seven foreign countries. Nearly 600 BPI accredited contracting companies perform work according to BPI's third party Quality Assurance Program. And more than 150 energy efficiency programs nationwide specify BPI credentials to ensure quality.

These achievements are possible due to the heroic efforts of so many impassioned contractors, trainers, program managers and others, whose dedication and perseverance has made it possible to accomplish what could only have been described as a dream in the early 90s.

Please join me as we take a walk through BPI's history.

I am proud to let you know that today I PASSED! Thank you for your assistance, the materials were an invaluable part of my study process!
Julie A. Baylor
Radisson