The National Sustainable Structures Center at Pennsylvania College of Technology has added a groundbreaking chapter to its three-decade success story: It is the first in the commonwealth to offer accredited training in all four of the Home Energy Professional programs.
The Interstate Renewable Energy Council recently approved NSSC’s application for accreditation of its Quality Control Inspector and Crew Leader training programs, completing a credentialing sweep that began with endorsement of the Retrofit Installer Technician and Energy Auditor programs in the summer of 2013.
“I am very proud of the NSSC team for successfully attaining full IREC accreditation, the first in Pennsylvania,” said Tracy L. Brundage, vice president for workforce development at Penn College. “For years, the staff at NSSC have proven themselves as technical resources for residential and commercial customers who share a commitment to improving the energy efficiency of their structures by looking at new approaches to age-old challenges. This recognition affirms the high level of professional and technical expertise attained by the staff of NSSC. This accreditation solidifies our approach to continue to provide the very best service to our current and future customers.”
The QCI training program accreditation is of particular note, as the U.S. Department of Energy will require (starting July 1) that all homes weatherized under the Weatherization Assistance Program receive a final inspection by a certified Quality Control Inspector – the energy-efficiency professionals who ensure the completion and professionalism of residential energy upgrades.
“We want to enable our students so that they can be extraordinary,” said Alison A. Dillon, assistant director of NSSC. “Energy utilities, companies and homeowners that seek competent and skilled energy professionals can rest assured that the graduates from NSSC’s Home Energy Professional training programs have received the gold standard in building science education and have demonstrated their ability to successfully diagnose and improve a home’s comfort and energy efficiency.”
For more about NSSC, which provides a variety of building science and energy efficiency training and technical assistance in the mid-Atlantic, visit www.pct.edu/nssc or call 570-327-4768.
For more about Penn College, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.