BPI Credentials

The Home Energy Professional (HEP) Energy Auditor certification is offered by BPI, and is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The HEP Energy Auditor certification demonstrates advanced competency through rigorous online and field exams, and work experience prerequisites.

Once certified, you will be able to evaluate the energy efficiency, health, and safety of a home. You will gain in-depth knowledge of how to use diagnostic equipment and modeling software to identify areas for energy savings, produce an audit report, and develop a prioritized scope of work for your customer.

The HEP Energy Auditor is listed as an example certification in the State-Based Home Energy Efficiency Contractor Training Grants Program Administrative and Legal Requirements Document. Additionally, HEP Energy Auditor is recognized by DOE as a credential that taxpayers can use to claim the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (Section 25C), and contractors can use to qualify for the Contractor Training Grant Program administered by the State Energy Offices.

Bonus: When you have earned the Energy Auditor certification, BPI will also grant the Building Analyst Technician (BA-T) and Building Analyst Professional (BA-P) certifications for an administrative fee.

1. Prerequisites required: Candidates must meet certain education and industry related experience prerequisites prior to taking the online and/or field certification exams. Please read the Prerequisites document for Energy Auditor certification. One pre-requisite is an energy modeling course and we have a great option for that here: Energy Modeling for Building Science Professionals
2. Read the Certification Scheme Handbook and Field Guide for the Energy Auditor certification.
3. Fill out all information requested in the application, and gather supporting documentation verifying you meet the prerequisite criteria. Save and send your application via email, fax, or mail to BPI.
4. Approval: You must receive BPI approval to challenge the exam prior to scheduling it. BPI will notify you of your approval status via email.
5. Training (optional): BPI does not require training and is not affiliated with any training centers. However, individuals who complete training typically perform better on BPI exams.
6. Take your Energy Auditor exams (online and field).
7. Exam Scores: You can log in to your candidate account to see your scores. Online scores are available immediately following the completion of your exam and field exams can take up to 5 business days for proctors to add results to your account.
8. Certification: If successful, your certification will be available for print or download in your candidate account.

Online exam: 100 multiple choice questions
Time limit: 2 hours
Passing Score: 70%

Field exam: The field exam is a hands-on exam with gated items (below) that must be completed successfully to pass the exam, regardless of any other exam score.

• Candidate prepared combustible gas and CO measurement for use
• Candidate tested indoor ambient CO levels and compared results to current version of ANSI/BPI-1200
• Candidate tested indoor ambient air and verbally confirmed that combustible gases are below 10% of LEL on each floor
• Candidate monitored and stated ambient CO levels measured in the CAZ during entire combustion safety testing
• Candidate set combustion appliance to pilot or standby

Time limit: 4 hours
Passing Score: 82% on remaining tasks.
Processing time for exam results: 5 to 10 business days

BPI Energy Auditors must recertify every three (3) years.

If you have accumulated and submitted at least twenty-four (24) relevant BPI Continuing Education Units (CEUs) over the course of the time you were certified, you may bypass the online exam when it comes time to recertify. In addition, all candidates must re-take the field exam prior to expiration. Once you are EA recertified, you are automatically agreeing to BPI’s Code of Ethics.

Please refer to the recertification section in the Energy Auditor Certification Scheme Handbook for more information.