Building Operator Training

Building Operator Certification (BOC) and Building Re-Tuning (BRT60)

Through US Department of Energy's State Energy Program (SEP), DEP's Energy Programs Office has provided financial assistance to expand professional development in the building sector through the nationally recognized Building Operator Certification program.

Building Operator Certification (BOC) is a national workforce training and credential program offering job skills in energy efficient building and operational maintenance practices. BOC leverages the U.S. Department of Energy's occupational skills standards for operating engineers/building technicians in a curriculum that covers energy efficient building operation and maintenance practices, energy management, sustainability, water efficiency, general and electrical safety, and building performance measures. Studies indicate that the average annual savings per BOC certified operator is 100,500 kWh per year for electricity and 1400 therms (135 MCF) per year for natural gas. In addition, these savings have persistence. Certified operators who conserve energy have been shown to maintain these efficiency standards for at least 5 years.

If you are responsible for managing a building's energy profile, you may want to participate in this training. In previous years, DEP's program has assisted with cost buy-down for over 65 building operators who manage facilities from a single 10,000 sq. ft. building to college campuses. During the 2018-2019 fiscal year, DEP has is supporting BOC trainings in a few areas in Pennsylvania by funding up to $1420 of the $1895 tuition for government and school entities.

For larger facilities or individuals who have already instituted energy efficiency measures, there is a training offered for Building Re-Tuning (BRT). BRT is a systematic process to identify and correct building operational problems that lead to energy waste. It is implemented at no or low cost other than the labor required to perform the re-tuning process. Re-tuning may include adjusting thermostats for actual occupancy patterns or small, low-cost repairs such as replacing faulty sensors or caulking openings in the building envelope. By proactively utilizing the energy savings opportunities taught in building re-tuning training, operations and facilities personnel can typically save between 5 and 20 percent of all energy used in their building.

Here is a link to the BOC website, as well as the BRT webpage. For BOC, the "How to Get Certified" and "Why Certification" drop-down menus provide you a good background.