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Building Operator Certification – Energy Efficiency Through Operator Training

 

 

 


Training for Certification

The Level I course series offers eight one-day classes with Level II offering seven one-day classes. Course series consist of classroom training, project assignments completed at the facility, and in-class exams administered at the end of each day of training. Completion of Level I requires a time commitment of 74 hours; Level II requires 61 hours.

Classes consist of lecture, discussion, small group exercises, and facility tours. Facility projects require participants to demonstrate competence in locating building equipment, distribution pathways, and control points; calculating facility energy consumption; critiquing HVAC systems operation; and, sketching the facility's electrical distribution system.

Level I Course Series

BOC 101 – Building Systems Overview description » « hide description

Provides overview of preventive maintenance, energy efficiency principles, and fundamentals of building systems, equipment, and operations. Reviews heating, cooling, ventilation and control systems, water, lighting, and indoor air quality. Covers system interaction and relationship to overall building performance. Provides foundation for Level I certification courses. Participants can expect to learn how to begin to assess their own facilities with respect to energy conservation and are required to complete a project that will begin the process to more energy-efficient management at their own facilities. One day.

More details on BOC 101 and course outline.
 

BOC 102 – Energy Conservation Techniques description » « hide description

Operators learn how energy is used in commercial buildings and how to identify and prioritize conservation opportunities. Includes basic principles of energy accounting, evaluation of fuel options, operation and maintenance strategies to improve efficiency, and energy management planning techniques. Participants will learn how to perform quantifiable evaluations of their facilities’ energy use in order to be able to target prospects for energy conservation. One day.

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BOC 103 – HVAC Systems and Controls description » « hide description

Focuses on operation and maintenance of equipment and components typically found in commercial buildings, including central heating, cooling, air and ventilating systems in buildings. Provides introduction to automatic control systems and equipment, particularly for central air systems. Emphasis placed on group problem solving and exercises with respect to preventive maintenance. Participants will learn to target possible inefficiencies in their HVAC systems and to be able to evaluate potential solutions. Two days.

More details on BOC 103 and course outline.
 

BOC 104 – Efficient Lighting Fundamentals description » « hide description

Focuses on operation and maintenance of equipment and components typically found in commercial buildings, including central heating, cooling, air and ventilating systems in buildings. Provides introduction to automatic control systems and equipment, particularly for central air systems. Emphasis placed on group problem solving and exercises with respect to preventive maintenance. Participants will learn to target possible inefficiencies in their HVAC systems and to be able to evaluate potential solutions. Two days.

More details on BOC 104 and course outline.
 

BOC 105 – Operation & Maintenance Practices for Sustainable Buildings description » « hide description

Provides an overview of best O&M practices for green or high performance buildings and addresses exterior site issues, water efficiency, cleaning products, material and supply purchasing, energy, and indoor environmental quality. National green building rating systems such as LEED™ and tools through ENERGY STAR® for evaluating the sustainability of the existing buildings are also explored. Participants will learn to identify and apply O&M practices for improving the performance of both existing buildings and newly-designed green buildings. One day.

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BOC 106 – Indoor Air Quality description » « hide description

Introduces the basic causes of indoor air quality problems and begins to develop a method of diagnosis and solution. Students will gain an understanding of the dynamic components of indoor air quality in relation to source control, occupant sensitivity and ventilation. Emphasis will be placed on communications with building occupants for reliable investigations without aggravating existing issues. One day.

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BOC 107 – Facility Electrical Systems description » « hide description

Teaches participants how electricity is distributed in a facility. Participants will learn the fundamentals of electricity and its application to the workplace with the goal of highlighting and working to resolve common electrical distribution problems. The participant will learn how electricity is distributed in his or her facility, the maintenance requirement for the distribution equipment, basic troubleshooting techniques for the system, and how energy can be saved in the distribution system. One day.

More details on BOC 107 and and course outline.
 


Level II Course Series

COURSE STRUCTURE: Core and Electives
To become Level II certified, participants must attend four core classes and at least two supplemental classes, complete class exams, and assigned projects for a total of 61 hours, or 6.1 CEU’s.

CORE

BOC 201 – Preventive Maintenance & Troubleshooting Principles description » « hide description

Covers the step-by-step process for starting and operating a preventive maintenance program that produces energy savings and equipment reliability. The primary focus is using the system that is set up to manage and implement preventive maintenance. A system review will be conducted from the work orders that are generated to the tools that maintenance staff select. Specific maintenance and operational issues are addressed in detail in 202 and 203 for electrical and HVAC. Emphasis on effective troubleshooting methods for problem identification, testing procedures, problem solving and operational analysis. Included are the procedures for developing troubleshooting service records. One day.

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BOC 202 – Advanced Electrical Diagnostics description » « hide description

Students will learn to locate and repair electrical opens, shorts, overloads, and high resistance. The use of digital electric meters is taught along with maintenance and operational procedures to prevent electrical problems and evaluate power quality issues for the facility. One day.

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BOC 203 – HVAC Troubleshooting & Maintenance description » « hide description

Learn to troubleshoot and improve the efficiencies of the primary heating, cooling and ventilation systems of commercial buildings. This intensive two-day class will focus on system performance evaluation and efficiency optimization of central boiler and chiller systems, vapor-compression cycles of AC and heat pump systems, and distribution and ventilation systems. Two days.

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BOC 204 – HVAC Controls & Optimization description » « hide description

Learn energy efficient operation, maintenance, and service of HVAC controls and related devices for central air systems commonly found in commercial buildings. The course will cover control principles, components, computerized controls, and calibrating the controlled sub-systems. One day

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SUPPLEMENTAL COURSES (2 offered per course series)

BOC 210 – Advanced Indoor Air Quality description » « hide description

Learn to use the EPA recommended procedures for preventing and troubleshooting Indoor Air Quality problems for equipment and building operations. Sampling and troubleshooting will emphasize prevention and evaluation. Special emphasis will be placed on evaluation of mitigation approaches. One day.

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BOC 211 – Motors in Facilities description » « hide description

Participants will learn how motors work, and identify their uses and applications in facilities, identify the steps involved in a quality motor repair and how to make effective repair/ replacement decisions when motors fail. One day.

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BOC 212 – Water Efficiency for Building Operators description » « hide description

Students will identify water savings measures in their building through detection and repair of leaks, operational changes, and low-cost equipment improvements. The class will start with an examination of water/sewer bills for savings opportunities. Other subjects will include deduct meters, leaks, faucets, showerheads, toilets, urinals, cooling towers, garbage disposals, and landscapes. One day.

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BOC 213 – Mastering Electric Control Circuits description » « hide description

Covers planning, retrofitting and/or troubleshooting basic electrical control systems. Topics include basic electric control concepts, wiring schematic fundamentals, and blueprint to panel-board recognition. Hands-on activities provide an understanding of ladder logic diagram symbols and their equivalent component counterparts. Upon completion, students will be able to identify and modify electric control diagrams, recognize diagram symbols and equivalent components, and comprehend basic electric control system strategies. One day.

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BOC 214 – Introduction to Building Commissioning description » « hide description

Introduces the building commissioning process for new and existing buildings with an emphasis on existing building commissioning and the building operator’s role. Topics include an overview of commissioning types, the elements of a successful project, working with a commissioning service provider, and the building operator’s role in a commissioning project. At the completion of this class, students will understand the range of commissioning; when, where and what type of commissioning may be appropriate for their building or project; how building operators can reduce commissioning costs through active participation in the process; establish a list of expected work products (deliverables) from a third party commissioning service provider; and access the available resources. One day.

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BOC 215 – Electric Motor Management description » « hide description

Attendees will learn how to calculate power costs for electric motors, and to identify improvements in motor management practices that make big differences in system reliability and electricity bills. Topics include calculating motor operating costs; practical uses of a motor database for repair/replace decisions; a model repair specification for ensuring quality repair; and a demonstration of free tools and software to improve motor management. The presentation format will include practical exercises, interactive discussion, and a demonstration of free motor database software. One day.

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BOC 216 – Enhanced Automation and Demand Reduction description » « hide description

This class introduces technologies to help building personnel better manage their energy use, reduce electrical demand, and maintain or even improve the comfort of building occupants. Topics covered include how to screen buildings to assess enhanced automation (EA) potential, lighting and HVAC technologies and control strategies, energy management and information systems, as well as EA implementation strategies. Upon completion, students will understand the complexities of enhanced automation and the role of the building operator in making EA really work in facilities. One day.

More details on BOC 216 and and course outline.
 

 

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