[bldg-sim] Action Alert! How should "qualified energy analysts" be certified for the new Federal commercial tax incentives?

[Misuriello, Harry]

Dear Building Energy Analysis Colleagues:

 

I am writing to you on behalf of the commercial subcommittee of the Tax
Incentives Assistance Project (TIAP.)  TIAP is a coalition of public,
private and NGO parties with a strong interest in effective
implementation of the energy efficiency tax incentives included in the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005, also known as the "energy bill".)

 

The commercial tax incentives require the use of "certified" computer
software that is run by "qualified individuals."  The Department of
Energy is in the process of making recommendations to the Treasury
Department on how these individuals should be certified.  A good fact
sheet on the commercial building tax incentives can be found at
www.nema.org <http://www.nema.org/> .

 

An excerpt from EPAct 2005 addressing this certification is shown below.

 

`(6) CERTIFICATION-

`(A) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall prescribe the manner and method for
the making of certifications under this section.

`(B) PROCEDURES- The Secretary shall include as part of the
certification process procedures for inspection and testing by qualified
individuals described in subparagraph (C) to ensure compliance of
buildings with energy-savings plans and targets. Such procedures shall
be comparable, given the difference between commercial and residential
buildings, to the requirements in the Mortgage Industry National
Accreditation Procedures for Home Energy Rating Systems.

`(C) QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS- Individuals qualified to determine
compliance shall be only those individuals who are recognized by an
organization certified by the Secretary for such purposes.

 

In recent discussions we found that DOE views this as an issue and is
looking for some creative ideas on certification of energy analysts for
the purposes of tax incentive rule compliance.  The default outcome may
be to require a licensed design professional (i.e. PE, AIA) as a
qualified individual; however, many of the best modelers and analysts
may not be registered engineers or architects.  Also, unlike the
residential sector, there is no commercial equivalent to RESNET.  As far
as we know there is no certifying body for commercial building energy
analysts or modelers.

 

TIAP is most interested in maximizing participation in the commercial
tax incentives program in order to achieve significant energy savings.
We would like to see a certification approach that allows the greatest
number of qualified energy modelers and energy analysts to carry out
this work.  We are looking for workable solutions to certification that
do not exclude qualified modelers from this market.

 

So, what advice can the community of modelers and energy analysts
provide on this topic?  TIAP and the Alliance to Save Energy are looking
for input on the following questions:

 

*	Are there any existing energy analysis certification programs
that can be used as a model?
*	Is there any existing organization that could be designated for
certifying energy modelers?
*	Are there any training courses in modeling and energy analysis
that should be required?
*	What level of experience should be required for an individual to
be deemed capable for this work?
*	How should this experience be documented?  Are satisfactory
client references for modeling projects acceptable?
*	Which of the following designations indicate that an individual
is qualified for energy modeling:

	*	Licensed design professional (i.e. PE, AIA)?
	*	Certified Energy Manager (CEM) from the AEE?
	*	LEED-AP certification from the USGBC
	*	Other?
	*	No existing designation works for this purpose?

*	Is it practical to require no certification for energy analysts
and just have the licensed building designer sign off on the analysis
results?

 

TIAP would greatly appreciate your ideas and opinions as soon as
possible, but it would be great to have them by Monday.  Please post
replies to the list.  There are some meetings in Washington DC next week
where this issue will be discussed.

 

Thank you for your consideration of these questions.

 

Harry

 

Ps---I apologize for any redundant cross postings.  I'm sending this out
to all three of the energy modeling email lists.

 

-----------------------

Harry Misuriello

Director of Buildings and Utility Programs

Alliance to Save Energy

1200 18th Street, NW, Suite 900

Washington, DC 20036

Tel: 202 530 2214

Fax: 202 331 9588

 



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