The Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals project supports the development of an effective and highly skilled weatherization workforce in the residential energy upgrade industry. The project assists industry by defining quality work through standard work specifications, a rigorous accredited training process, and advanced professional certifications for workers.

The Guidelines project is a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the home energy performance industry.

Standard Work Specifications

Standard work specifications (SWS) for single-family, multifamily, and manufactured housing define the minimum requirements for any weatherization or home performance upgrade and describe the acceptable result: the upgrade must be effective, durable, and safe for that housing type. Each SWS was developed in collaboration with industry subject matter experts and underwent extensive public/industry review.

Professional Certifications

Home Energy Professional Certifications are funded by DOE, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and administered by BPI. BPI is the first third-party organization licensed to deliver the certifications. Learn more about earning the advanced Home Energy Professional Certifications.

Contact NREL for additional information about becoming a licensed certification body for the Home Energy Professional Certifications.

Accredited Training

The accreditation of energy-efficiency training programs verifies that qualified trainings are capable of teaching to the job task analyses (JTAs), which define what a worker needs to know and do to be successful. NREL's JTAs for the four major energy upgrade job classifications include energy auditors, retrofit installer technicians, crew leaders, and quality control inspectors.

Training program accreditation under the Guidelines project is performed by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC).