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Training and Education
PECI designs and conducts both targeted and broad-based training programs that generate outstanding student results. Using in-house staff as well as training experts, programs range from hour-long seminars to multiple day hands-on training courses tailored to the specific needs of a client. Content is influenced by clients’ technical requirements and the latest knowledge of current and future market needs.
Commissioning Seminars and “Brown Bag” Trainings
PECI regularly develops topic-specific trainings for anyone interested in increasing their commissioning and building-operation skill set. Offerings range from web-based seminars to presentations during the lunch hour at the firm's office in Portland. Recent topics have included:
- The Functional Testing Tool Belt: an overview of functional testing practices and the tools currently available to help commissioning providers prepare for and execute functional tests.
- The Cx Process & How it Applies to LEED-NC®: the commissioning process for LEED-NC, CI, and CS (new construction/major renovation, commercial interiors, core and shell) projects; how to apply the commissioning process in new construction, tenant build out and core and shell projects pursuing LEED certification.
- Tips & Tools for Energy Savings Calculations: general tips and techniques on calculating savings and valuable tools for making more accurate customized energy savings estimates; the most common retrocommissioning findings and specific methods to calculate their estimated energy savings.
- Lessons in Commissioning Control Systems: the architecture, performance, and design of DDC systems, covering areas that should be targeted by the commissioning provider during the design phase and beyond.
We are working with market partners to expand training programs to address specific technical needs in the market; check back for details as they become available.
Retrocommissioning Training
In an intensive, hands-on course, PECI engineers train building managers, engineers, and commissioning providers to carry out all the phases of a retrocommissioning project. This Advanced Retrocommissioning course has been conducted in numerous facilities to meet building-specific client training needs. By actually retrocommissioning the facility, the participants learn the “ins and outs” that would be difficult to experience in any other setting. In addition to a high-performance building, the firm also has a highly trained staff that is able to increase the return on investment through enhanced operations and maintenance.
Building Operator Certification
PECI assists the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council in the development of continuing education classes as part of the Building Operator Certification (BOC) Program. The BOC Program is a competency-based training and certification program for building operators designed to improve the energy efficiency of commercial buildings. PECI convenes a curriculum committee to provide input on course development, and develops course curriculum, including an Instructor Manual and Student Handbook.
Having BOC-certified operators translates to improved energy performance in the building and a preventative maintenance program that improves the building environment and prolongs equipment life. The BOC certification is a means for employers to identify qualified operators and to recruit them to work in their buildings. Third-party evaluations of the BOC show that employers look for the certification on resumes, and recommend the certification to others; in a long-term follow-up, over 80% of employers found the BOC useful to their employees.
Find out more at the BOC website, http://www.theboc.info/.
Monitoring-Based Commissioning Training
PECI has provided training for the Monitoring-Based Commissioning Program implemented by the University of California/California State University/Investor Owned Utility Partnership. The program paid for installation of monitoring equipment on college campuses, and for retrocommissioning of facilities, making full use of the monitoring for detecting improvement opportunities and for ongoing diagnostics. Training for campus staff members involved in the program ensured that the campuses got the most out of the program, and that the staff was prepared to pick up skills from third-party providers to realize savings that persist over time and that can be applied to other buildings.