Reference Library

• Field Guide to New Hampshire’s Municipal Buildings & Energy Audit Guidelines
  One of the challenges for New Hampshire towns and cities wanting to manage their building energy use is figuring out what kind of audit expertise they mkght need and how to ask for it. The energy auditing industry varies in procedure and depth, and each auditor brings their own individual strength and style to the table. Recognizing this and other challenges, the New Hamphsire Sustainable Energy Association, in collaboration with the Municipal Energy Working Group, and with funding from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, has sponsored the development of a Field Guide to New Hampshire's Municipal Buildings and Energy Audit Guidelines. This instructional resource is essentially broken down into two sections - the Field Guide and Energy Audit Guidelines.
• The New Hampshire Residential Energy Performance Association lists firms providing home energy audit services. Full REPA members have been vetted for their energy auditing qualifications.
• Home Energy Audits, US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
• Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Assessments
• Certification and Training
  • There is no energy auditor certification program in New Hampshire. The Office of Energy and Planning occasionally offers energy auditor training but individuals are not certified for working outside of the Weatherization Program.
  • The New Hampshire Residential Energy Performance Association (REPA) is an organization made up of individual Residential Energy Auditors and Weatherization Professionals providing energy efficiency services in NH and may also offer training opportunities.
• Training Tomorrow’s Energy Auditors
  Unitil and other New Hampshire electric utilities have joined forces with the state’s community colleges to establish an energy auditor training program. The eight-week training courses will prepare students to earn a nationally-recognized Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification, which is an essential accreditation for leading home energy auditors and weatherization contractors. The course is useful for students who wish to become auditors, or who are pursuing other aspects of construction, such as architecture, building, weatherization, or craft work. Whatever their choice, students will learn to identify the need and specifications for energy efficiency improvements in homes, to resolve air leakage and moisture problems, to measure carbon monoxide, and to resolve any health and safety issues relating to carbon monoxide and appliances or heating systems within a residence. BPI certification insures that homes are weatherized to a national standard, while protecting the health and safety of occupants. To learn more about these programs, visit www.bpi.org or contact Manchester or Laconia Community Colleges directly.