I intend to maintain my BOC credential annually to be a more knowledgeable building manager in the field (and) to serve as an ambassador for promoting BOC training to others.
The Need
Over time, wear and tear, improper operation, lack of maintenance, and changes in use can lead to energy inefficiencies and increased operating costs in institutional, commercial, and industrial buildings. Facility managers and building operators need the tools, training, and networking to keep up with current best practices on Building Re-tuning (BRT), a low-cost approach to recommissioning a building to restore or exceed its original performance.
The PennTAP Connection
PennTAP’s Energy and Environment Team offers training and education to help those involved with building operations learn how to run facilities more efficiently and reduce operating costs.
The Project
As a result of a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) State Energy Program and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), PennTAP worked with them and the Pennsylvania College of Technology to offer a one-day workshop that provided technical hands-on BRT and Building Operator Certification (BOC) training modules, giving participants the opportunity to earn 0.7 CEU and 7 BOC certification maintenance points.
The Outcome
There were 108 registrants from K–12 school, community college, government, and industrial facilities, making the event an unqualified success. Walkthroughs of unique campus buildings highlighted occupancy, lighting, and technical challenges in real-life scenarios, while the technical sessions included topics on energy benchmarking, preventive maintenance, utility incentives, equipment troubleshooting, energy tools, and current technologies. Building operators were empowered with the knowledge of tools, resources, and connections to identify, implement, and track energy conservation projects at their own facilities throughout the state.