Training

Performance Systems Development's Whole House Contractor Training prepares students for participation in performance based energy efficiency and home performance programs. PSD's training programs include:

• Distance Learning: Building A Successful Home Performance Business Process
• Whole House Contractor Training
• Energy Rater Training
• Contractor Skills Assessment
• Extending Training to the Web
• Train the Trainer
• Sales and Business Development Training

 

Performance Systems Academy

Pushing the Envelope on Building Performance

 

Performance Systems Academy (PSA) trains students, adults, and business owners to take advantage of the growing market opportunities in energy efficiency and “green” jobs. PSA offers high quality training programs through a variety of venues, to meet the diverse needs of this quickly growing industry. Classes are delivered in Ithaca NY, at client sites around the country, and through distance learning “webinars.”

 

Whole House Contractor Training – Performance Systems Development has worked closely with the Wisconsin Technical College System and the Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation as the primary subcontractor in a project to develop a comprehensive performance based training for building performance contractors. The development of this training curriculum included the identification of the over 50 competencies and over 300 associated learning objectives necessary to be a building performance contractor. This training has been enhanced and expanded for use in contractor training for energy programs in New York and California.

A variation of the curriculum and learning activities is being deployed in the vocational high school system in Binghamton, NY, in conjunction with the Alliance to Save Energy's Green Schools program. This high school training is helping inform students about building science and performance testing career opportunities, and provides students and teachers with linkages to local contractors using building performance techniques.

Energy Rater Training – PSD has developed an innovative curriculum for training energy raters in preparation for national certification testing through the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). PSD is a RESNET accredited provider of energy rater training. Our one-week course involves field skills, software training, and comprehensive building science.

To register, complete this application, or for more information, contact our Registrar at (607) 277-6240 ext. 214 or email

Please turn on scripting to get the email link.

Contractor Skills Assessment – In support of it's training, PSD has developed a standardized inspection protocol accompanied by a standard field assessment tool. The protocol takes each aspect of a whole house inspection and breaks it down into an overall procedure, sub tasks and individual components. The components are provided in a checklist used by the instructor and students as a study guide and eventually as a way for the instructor to conduct a field assessment of the student's ability to conduct the procedure.

The procedures and data collection forms cover:

1. Customer concerns
2. Site inspection
3. Health and durability, IAQ and safety
4. Carbon monoxide
5. Combustion efficiency, flue inspection, HVAC equipment, HVAC and DHW
6. Envelope and thermal boundary, insulation and envelope inspection
7. Blower door test
8. Transition zones
9. Duct leakage, heating/cooling ductwork, AC air flow test
10. Conditioned zones
11. Base load appliances
12. Inspection report

Contractors can use a standardized consumer report as starting point for developing their own report, complete with active website links and specific page references to the No Regrets Remodeling book available from Home Energy. This report also drives the collection of data for the standardized inspection process.

Training resources include a database of building performance test questions. PSD uses these questions in quizzes to help acclimatize contractors who may have been away from the school testing process for many years. This resource helps contractors prepare for written certification exams. The test questions are stored in a database and linked to the list of competencies.

The assessment of contractor skills and knowledge in Wisconsin determined that most contractors had an inadequate level of health and safety knowledge. Attention to these heath and safety is an important way to limit the liability of program sponsors. The PSD Whole House Contractor curriculum includes detailed attention to health and safety issues.

Extending Training to the Web (www.BuildingPerformance.net) – PSD has developed an online database of building performance competencies linked to online references and documents. This resource allows students to go to BuildinPerformance.net to repeatedly obtain access to resources such as Home Energy Magazine online articles and hundreds of other downloadable. These resources are organized into various indexes for easy and repeated access by contractors.

One contractor described BuildingPerformance.net as a comprehensive online filing cabinet or library for building performance resources. BuildingPerformance.net also contains an online message board, which uses the same software as CNN online and the New York Times online message board systems. This system has many features designed to enhance the communication between participants.

Curriculum Development and Train the Trainer services are provided to programs seeking to invest in the development of local training infrastructure. PSD's adult education specialists have created a comprehensive curriculum database using nationally recognized performance based training software developed by the Wisconsin Technical College Foundation. PSD can customize this database and related training materials to your program needs. The database produces curriculum documentation suitable for use in vocational and technical college settings. PSD will conduct training programs in conjunction with your local trainers who can then continue to offer the training locally using PSD's training materials under license.

PSD's Sales and Business Development Training is designed to help contractors and not-for-profits develop the sales, marketing skills, and business systems to become a successful Home Performance contractor. PSD's business development training is an in-depth workshop that helps all the staff in a contractor's company to work together to define and document.