NEWS RELEASE
October
30, 2006
Contact: Cynthia Putnam, 206-292-3977
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NSPMA and NEEC Announce Educational Partnership to Offer
Building Operator Certification Program for Energy Efficiency
Acknowledging the Building Operator Certification (BOC)
training as a leader in energy efficiency education for
facility M&O staff, the National School Plant Management
Association (NSPMA) Board of Directors voted in May 2006
to enter into an educational partnership with the program’s
sponsor, the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC),
a non-profit trade association of the energy efficiency
industry. Under the partnership, NSPMA members will be
eligible for training and credentialing opportunities through
NEEC’s nationally recognized BOC program.
The NSPMA membership includes school superintendents,
M&O personnel, custodial supervisors and others in
school operations, whose goal is to improve the workings
of the educational environment by providing professional
development in facilities operations. The result is a more
comfortable atmosphere for learning and enhanced operational
efficiencies. The savings that result from these efficiencies
enable financial resources to be deployed more effectively.
“BOC is a program that offers unique benefit
to our members and their employees,” says Kevin Hildebrandt,
NSPMA board president. “We’re excited about
the opportunity to work with NEEC to bring BOC to NSPMA
members.”
NSPMA members and their departmental staff will also be
eligible for tuition discounts for BOC training through
the educational partnership.
BOC is a competency-based, professional training and certification
that provides energy-saving operational strategies for
M&O staff and technicians. Participants benefit from
both improved job skills and more comfortable, energy-efficient
facilities. The certification also provides a credential
for professional development while offering employers a
way to identify skilled operators.
Participants save money for their districts almost immediately
upon starting training through projects geared to deal
with their specific facility issues. For M&O directors
interested in examples of how participants are putting
BOC to practice in their facilities, an extensive body
of evaluation research can be found at the BOC web site
at www.theBOC.info.
This research shows, among other things, that BOC-trained
operators are 30% more likely to engage energy efficiency
practices than non-trained operators – to the tune
of $20,000 savings annually per operator.
Over 100 school districts nationally have sent employees
to BOC with some 400 school M&O staff earning BOC certification.
BOC graduate Jim Everett, Physical Plant Supervisor of
schools in Fort Fairfield, Maine is committed to education
as a means to energy efficiency and savings. Everett said, “We’ve
been pleased with what we have been able to do so far and
are always working to spend less on energy and more on
education.” Overall he believes the school district
is saving 13 to 14% on energy costs resulting from the
operational improvements that have been instituted as a
result of the training.
Dave Cone, Facilities Manager and BOC graduate,
has been a driving force behind the success of the energy
conservation enjoyed in the Gresham-Barlow School District
in Oregon. His enthusiasm has been contagious and his efforts
were recognized when he was honored by the Association
of Professional Energy Managers as 2004 Energy Manager
of the Year for Oregon, and then the district was recognized
nationally as an Energy Star Leader in 2005. “The
BOC was a real eye-opener about where to look for system
flaws and how to get your arms around how you use energy,” says
Cone. “Many people still think of this stuff as smoke
and mirrors, but it isn’t. It’s technology,
it’s available and the savings are irrefutable.”
The Building Operator Certification (BOC) program continues
to expand its presence nationally and to gain recognition
as a leading provider of valuable training for facilities
managers and staff. Sponsored by the Northwest Energy Efficiency
Council (NEEC), BOC is already recognized as an “exemplary
program” by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient
Economy (ACEEE) as a part of a national awards program
to honor America’s best energy efficiency programs.
BOC Level I certification is earned by completing 56 hours
of classroom training and written exams, in addition to
hands-on projects conducted at the operator’s facility.
Topics include HVAC systems and controls, energy conservation
techniques, electrical systems, and indoor air quality.
Level II certification requires 49 hours of classroom training
in even greater detail.
Over 5,000 operators hold BOC certifications nationally.
ABOUT NEEC
The Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC) is a non-profit
business association of the energy efficiency industry.
NEEC’s mission is to promote policies and programs
that enhance market opportunities for energy efficiency,
of which BOC is one such program. Further information
on the BOC program, training schedules, and locations,
can be found on the national website, www.theboc.info.
National partners with NEEC in the BOC program include:
the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership, the Midwest
Energy Efficiency Alliance, the Wisconsin Focus on Energy,
the North Carolina Community College System at AB Tech,
the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Building Operator
Certification – California, the Northwest Energy
Education Institute at Lane Community College, and the
New York State Energy Research & Development Authority.
For more information on the NSPMA and the BOC educational
partnership, please visit the website at www.nspma.org.
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