Performance Systems Academy Curriculum Deployment FAQs

Do I need anything besides your curriculum to run this training?

You will need an experienced trainer

• PSD offers BPI Train-the-Trainer, which prepares and certifies educators to transfer fundamentals to interested students. This is done 4-6 times a year in Ithaca, NY or anywhere we can get 10 people to sit in a room for one week.
• Check out our National Train the Trainer Tour to find a location near you!

You will need the following equipment (approximately $6,000 required)

• Blower Door REQUIRED (approximately $2,500)
• Duct Blaster REQUIRED FOR RATER TRAINING (approximately $2,000)
• Gas Leak Detector REQUIRED (approximately $300)
• Combustion Analyzer and Probe REQUIRED (approximately $1,000)
• Pocket Pro Moisture Meter OPTIONAL BUT RECOMMENDED (approximately $200)
• Infrared Camera OPTIONAL BUT RECOMMENDED (approximately $5,000 to $10,000)
• Pressure Pan (12 x 14 x 4) (approximately $70) OPTIONAL
• Exhaust Fan Flow Meter (approximately  $130) OPTIONAL
• Performance Systems has access to a low-cost equipment package through our training affiliate network

You will need field sites with access for several afternoons, and for each day of field testing

• HERS Rater week: The perfect field training scenario would be two different field sites:
  • Tuesday from 1pm to 5pm: A new construction site in some state of pre-finishing (without interior drywall) with combustion equipment if possible, and
  • Thursday all day: A finished house with ducts and air conditioning installed and operable. 
• BPI week: You can use a variety of housing stock.  Most any houses will do, but these should not be new (and if they have problems all the better).  Each needs a furnace with a chimney, and a vented water heater if possible.
  • Tuesday afternoon (1pm-5pm) for hands-on inspection and diagnosis
  • Wednesday afternoon for more hands-on
  • Thursday afternoon for more hands-on

You will need to find field sites in your community - near the training site if possible

• Connect with local housing boards, Habitat for Humanity, local green/environmental organizations, weatherization people/groups, builders, and others.
• Offer a free seat to anyone that can come up with three sites. If you find yourself without field sites as the date draws closer, you may have to “sweeten the pot.” Offer free audits and if you still don’t have field sites nailed down within two weeks of the training, offer $100.00 to $200.00 per day.

You will need a BPI proctor

• In addition to the online testing, there is a requirement for a BPI proctor to perform field testing.  BPI can provide proctors (www.bpi.org) and/or can help to make someone on your staff into a BPI proctor.

You will need a computer lab

• You will need internet access for the last day of training, for online testing
• You may need a computer lab for two days if you are intending to include software as part of the training.  If a computer lab is not available, then participants must be told to bring laptops with the software loaded.

We recommend the following books be given to attendees

• Residential Energy (Saturn Resources) for Rater Training
• Insulate and Weatherize (Taunton Press) for BPI Training

You may want to consider our Business Process Curriculum: Building a Successful Home Performance Business Process to supplement your training program.