On June 17th the Department of Energy announced that the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC) was awarded $549,000 in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support advanced energy-efficient building technology projects. One of four national organizations to receive the funding for Training Program Development for Commercial Buildings Efficiency Experts, NEEC will partner with the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, City University of New York, and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance on the project. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance will each contribute matching funds to the project.
Funding will be used to develop new curriculum to address energy efficiency knowledge gaps in the existing national Building Operator Certification (BOC®) program, and to create a blended learning approach to course delivery using classroom, online and on-site training. BOC® is a national workforce training and credential program offering job skills for building technicians in energy efficient building operation and maintenance practices. More information on the program can be found at www.theBOC.info.
This project will advance DOE’s goal of net-zero energy commercial buildings by leveraging the national platform of the BOC® program to serve a large national audience of building technicians. It will also advance the broader ARRA goal of job preservation by providing technicians with a means of distinguishing themselves to employers through improved job skills and a commitment to the profession.