BPI Credentials

The Building Science Principles (BSP) Certificate of Knowledge teaches some of the widely-used industry terminology related to building science. Building science demonstrates how various components of a home interact to affect the home’s overall performance. Understanding the relationships between the building envelope, heating, A/C, insulation, mechanical ventilation, lighting, appliances and other systems of the home will enable you to assist yourself and others. Learn how these systems affect the comfort, health and safety of occupants and durability of the home. Discover why improving the energy efficiency of the home should be the first step toward solar, geothermal, or other renewable energy improvements.

The BSP guide features an extended renewables section and an entire chapter dedicated to the U.S. DOE Home Energy Score. The guide and the exam are available in English or in Spanish, based on the user's preference.

The BSP Certificate of Knowledge can be earned by studying the guide and then challenging the BSP online exam from your computer. The BSP exam is a 100-question multiple choice exam with a passing score of 70%. Once you successfully complete the exam, you can print your personalized BSP certificate from a computer connected to a working printer.

• Training: A BSP exam prep course is recommended but not required.
• Exam Cost: $109

Note: Candidates who need to retake the exam for a passing score must pay the $109 exam fee for each attempt.

• Scheduling: Because the exam is an online knowledge-based exam, it may be taken at any time from a computer connected to the internet. Candidates have one year from the date of BSP exam purchase to complete the exam. A BPI Proctor is not required to be present or record the BSP exam session.

Building Trade Professionals: Build Trust, Improve Your Bottom Line, and Be Able to Speak to Consumers in everyday language

If you advise homeowners, but don’t need the hands-on technical skills required of BPI Certified Professionals at this time, the BSP is for you.

The knowledge you’ll acquire when earning this certificate will allow you to educate your customers about potential building performance problems, and help you to know when to call in an expert BPI Certified Building Analyst or Envelope Professional to conduct diagnostic testing.

• Energy-related product manufacturers and their distributors and sales reps
• Remodelers
• Insulation/ HVAC/ window sales reps and installers
• Solar, geothermal heat pump and other renewable energy system sales reps and installers
• Non-hands-on employees of home performance contractors, including sales reps and administrative personnel

Are you a home inspector who needs to identify potential building performance problems in homes? Are you an appraiser or financial officer who needs to value green features of a home? Perhaps you’re a realtor who wants to be able to find, understand, and market homes with sustainable features. The BSP is for you.

• Home inspectors
• Appraisers
• Realtors
• Mortgage and energy efficiency financing officers

Whether you’re a state regulator, a government or utility program manager, or a contract administrator, you need to understand the building science behind the policies you promote. Make more informed decisions and reduce your program’s risk when you know how the house works as a system.

• Federal, state and local government energy office and call center personnel
• Managers of state, local or utility home energy efficiency incentive programs
• Contract administrators of incentive programs
• Government regulators of incentive programs

BPI Certified Professionals can earn six (6) BPI CEU credits by passing the BSP exam and uploading their BSP Certificate of Knowledge through BPI's CEU Account.