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Home My WebLink AboutRESPONSE - RFP - 7074 CONTRACTOR TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION SERVICESLightly Treading, Inc. Energy & Design Lightly Treading Proposal to City of Fort Collins For Contracting Training and Certification Services Objective: To provide 10 —18 participants with Building Performance Institute — Building Analyst Training and Certification in a period of 2 weeks Submitted: Tuesday, September 23, 2009 Primary Contact: Brian Albers Director of Operations Lightly Treading Inc 303.733.3078 Ext. 302 866.973.9268 303.503.0896 Mobile 303.295.2661 Fax www.LightlyTreadinp,.com Relevant experience Project Understanding Lightly Treading understands the following service expectations: "This section outlines the general types of work to be provided by the Professional. Details of the scope of work will be developed as the contract is negotiated. Multiple Professionals may be contracted to deliver different components. Utilities is seeking expertise for training of the target groups and competencies described below. Individuals wishing to be trained will have to meet prerequisites and will be pre-screened by Utilities. For a successful outcome, close collaboration and effective communication will be needed among all members of the delivery team: Utilities, the Professional(s) and any other personnel." Qualifications and Staffing Company Lightly Treading is partnering with Xcel Energy to offer services designed to enhance the comfort, energy savings, and greening of homes for Colorado Xcel Energy Customers at a substantially discounted price. The following services are currently available: Home Energy Audits Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® As a company dedicated to educated steps towards greener living, Lightly Treading independently offers all of the following services for homeowners and renters throughout Colorado: • Energy Audit • Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® (HPwES) • Infrared Thermal Imaging • Carbon Monoxide Safety Testing • Energy Audit with Computer Modeling • Solar Assessments • Duct Diagnostics - Leakage Analysis • Post -Improvement Inspection (follow-up to Energy Audit) • House Doctors for Home Buyers, Realtors, Property Managers & HOAs • Remodel and New Home Construction Consulting and Quality Control On top of technical services, Lightly Treading also offers a wide range of training options for the working professional who wants to fine tune specific building analysis skills or who is starting from scratch. Our training classes can be completed in a short period or broken up into manageable blocks. We also offer focused field mentoring to ensure the highest level of comprehension. 2 Lightly Treading Proposal for Contractor Training & Certification Services Key Personnel Principal Paul Kriescher is a Principal of Lightly Treading Energy & Design — a Colorado based company —formed in 1997- that works to better the energy efficiency, safety, environmental impact and comfort of homes & small commercial buildings. Kriescher has served on the board of the Colorado Renewable Energy Society and is currently on the Habitat for Humanity for Metro Denver's Plan Review committee, the Advisory Board of the Colorado Earth Expo and the Denver Home Builders Association's Energy & Environmental Affairs committee, and is a member of the Energy Efficiency Business Coalition. In addition, Mr. Kriescher is an Adjunct Professor for Colorado State University's Institute for the Built Environment Program. Paul Kriescher has a Masters of Science in Energy Analysis & Policy from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Director of. Operations Brian Albers Manager of Education Nancy Kellogg is Lightly Treading's existing home specialist or existing home "mom" as she likes to say. She is passionate about helping homeowners address comfort complaints and problem solving energy and design concerns. Nancy has been interested and active in energy conservation since the early 1970s. She has been a certified energy rater since 1997. Nancy has a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. Training Director Deacon Taylor is a Building Performance Institute Proctor for the Building Analyst Professionals certifications. His background includes HVAC business owner specializing in efficient system design, initiator of the developing Nevada Home Performance program, and a Bachelors of Science in Construction Management from CSU. How company will provide on -call responsiveness to support Program needs Lightly treading will have its staff available during normal operating hours of 9am — 5pm. All staff will help out with any program needs. If standard operating procedures need to be put in place, Lightly Treading will identify those systems with the City of Fort Collins. Provide examples of similar projects in which the firm has been involved. Lightly Treading has taught approximately 70 courses to date, through its partnerships. Independently, the company has taught two BPI Building Analyst Professional Courses. These trainings geared people to test out for BPI Certification. Lightly Treading currently offers trainings in Colorado and can work to arrange trainings in other location's as requested. Trainings are, or will be, offered in the following categories: • Training Class: 3 Weeks (In partnership with iCAST) • Building Science (Class Room): 5 days • Building Science (Online): 4 — 8 weeks • Building Science Field Instruction: 3 days • Mentoring Sessions: 4 Hour Sessions 3 Lightly Treading Proposal for Contractor,Training & Certification Services • BPI Written Exam: 2 Hours • BPI Field Exam: 2 Hours For each, describe the outcome. Was it successful? Why or why not? Working with iCAST on a US Department of Labor grant, Lightly Treading and iCAST have trained approximately 150 individuals. This partnership has resulted in an approximate job placement rate of 20%, which is considerable high given that the trainings were geared toward a non -technical, underserved target market. Lightly Treading has also provided independent BPI training to a group of 12 individuals, 9 of which were already employed and seeking professional development. Proposed training approaches, curricula and certifications • Recommended approach to build a strong contractor infrastructure Lightly Treading recommends that the City of Ft. Collins standardize the training required to perform Home Energy Improvements. The first recommendation is to set up an assessment process, preferable through the local workforce centers. Workforce center case managers will assess the skills and knowledge of the trainee to determine the level of training they should enter into. Depending on the individuals technical background, he/she will be referred to iCAST (International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology), as the manager of future training programs, to sign up for the most appropriate course. iCAST and Lightly Treading can work together to provide a ladder of trainings. If the trainee required a basic introduction to residential energy efficiency, that person will take the Fundamentals of Energy Efficiency course. From there, Lightly Treading and iCAST will provide a Building Performance Institute Building Analyst Professionals course. This course has already been developed and tested. Following the classroom training, the partnership will coordinate field mentorship and testing preparations with its industry partners. Clients will receive the highest quality of training to prepare him/her for the Live Audit Field Exam. • Recommended professional certifications The primary recommended professional certification is Building Performance Institute (BPI) Building Analyst Professional Certification. Because many utility companies are using this as the standard professional certification required for employment or sub contracting, iCAST and Lightly Treading believe it's the most appropriate certification for anyone interested in entering into the Home Energy Improvement Program. Other certifications most appropriately geared toward Specialty Contractors, and Home Performance Contractors include HERS, NAPE, ASHRAE, and ACCA. • Recommended curricula, amount of customization needed, ownership/licensing considerations The first step for anyone new to the energy efficiency industry is iCAST's Fundamentals of Residential Energy Efficiency Audit training. It provides the best entry point for job seekers with limited or no knowledge of the energy efficiency industry. In one week it provides knowledge of what goes on in the 4 Lightly Treading Proposal for Contractor Training & Certification Services field so transitioning workers with operations or admin experience can immediately compete for support positions upon graduation. Transitioning workers with technical experience in trades like construction and general contracting learn the critical concept of how the building functions as an integrated system, using technical equipment, data collection process, trouble shooting, solution analysis, all of which is critical preparation before advancing for BPI - Building Analyst certification. BPI is a national accreditation standard that makes workers most competitive for working in the residential efficiency industry. The BPI Building Analyst Certificate will make any graduate highly employable within the energy efficiency industry in Colorado. Currently, about 70 % of existing energy efficiency workers lack these certificates because previously there has been no certification requirement. The push to certify energy efficiency workers is being driven largely by utility companies and others who are providing financial incentives and rebates to their customers. Industry experts also support the mandate to certify workers to ensure the quality of work being done by contractor's meets performance standards. If energy efficiency and weatherization work is not done according to coherent standards then the customer might not be eligible to receive rebates or incentives from the utility company. In fact, most utility providers like Xcel are mandating that workers MUST be BPI certified to perform energy efficiency work within their territory, without exceptions. This is so they can ensure the quality of the work being done by their contractors before giving out rebates and incentives to consumers. To prepare our future workforce iCAST is offering a pair of training programs designed to meet the coming needs of the energy efficiency industry. The curriculum recommended is a 3 week format. Lightly Treading will slightly modify the curriculum to provide 2 weeks o training. • Experience with recommended curricula Lightly Treading has taught two BPI Building Analyst Professional Courses. These training geared people to test out for BPI. Trainings, in partnership with iCAST, are offered in the following categories: • Training Class: 3 Weeks (In partnership with iCAST) • Building Science (Class Room): 5 days • Building Science Field Instruction: 3 days • Mentoring Sessions: 4 Hour Sessions • BPI Written Exam: 2 Hours • BPI Field Exam: 2 Hours • Building Science (Online): 4 — 8 weeks iCAST and Lightly Treading's partnership provides more detailed mentoring, administration, and provides modifications for the most appropriate curriculum, based on the target audience. Lightly Treading has provided independent BPI training to a group of 12 individuals, 9 of which were already employed and seeking professional development. 5 Lightly Treading Proposal for Contractor Training & Certification Services • Classroom and field components Lightly Treading will administer the training in the following capacity: BPI Week 1— Classroom Curriculum Day #1 • Introductions • BPI Certifications & Standards, Health & Safety • Building Science • Building Shell - Parts of a Home • Area and Volume - Math Formulas Day #2 • Insulation • Doors & Windows • Moisture • Field Review for Shell and Moisture Day #3 • Building Air Flow • Blower Door & Air Leakage • Duct Leakage & Duct Blaster • Field Review for Air Leakage & Flow Day #4 • Mechanical Systems • Appliances/Lighting • Indoor Air Quality • Utility Bill Analysis/ Field Forms/ Data Collection • Combustion Air Zone Theory and Testing Day #5 • Field Review for CAZ Testing • Practice Testing BPI Week 2 — Mentoring from Industry Experts in the Field *Student to instructor ratio for classroom training is 24/1 maximum, student to instructor ratio for field sections is 12/1 maximum. Day #6 - Day #10 • Field Mentoring Sessions — students learn one on one with instructors in the field • Basic Blower Door Operation • Combustion Appliance Zone Testing ` • The Building Shell and Moisture Problems • Duct Testing • Introduction to Manual J & D • Mechanical Systems (Heating/Cooling) • Evaluating Utility Usage and Calculating Seasonal Loads 6 Lightly Treading Proposal for Contractor Training & Certification Services • Practice Tests - field practice test to prepare students to take the BPI Certification test in Week 3 BPI Week 3 — Live Audit Field Exams Day #11 - Day #15 • Field Testing Sessions — students perform a solo audit of a home to complete certification field test • Tests are proctored by licensed providers and submitted to BPI for Certificate Approval • Number of students that can be effectively trained, both in classroom and field settings Lightly Treading has the capacity to train up to 25 people per course. However, to provide a high quality experience, the partnership proposes to train a maximum of 18 people in the classroom, with no more than 3 groups of 6 in the field training. • Prerequisites for each group, including ownership of tools Participants will be pre -tested on knowledge of residential energy efficiency to enroll into the BPI training program. If students do not receive a 70% on the test, they'll be referred to iCAST's online residential energy efficiency training before being retested. • Mentoring approaches o Individuals that have successfully completed training through other organizations but are not certified by BPI or RESNET will need to complete the mentoring phase to demonstrate their capability. o Based on discussions with heating and insulation contractors across the Front -Range, job applicants with "no previous experience" (but who are certified BPI Building Analyst or Heating Specialist) are typically eligible for 10% to 20% higher compensation/bonus levels. In addition, the BPI certification levels allow the company to now do improvement work in Xcel service territory. Describe key differences in approach between groups outlined in the Target Groups and Training Competencies Table above. The target groups require different training approaches, as they are expected to complete auditor jobs, and installation jobs separately. While this proposal does not seek funds outside of BPI training for auditors, the partnership does provide training for residential energy efficiency installation. 7 Lightly Treading Proposal for Contractor Training & Certification Services Proposed compensation structure Cost for initial pilot course ITEM BPI Building Analyst (Professional Services) COST $1250 per student Students $12,500 Students $22,500 Written Test $250 per student $2,500 $4,500 Field Test $350 per student $3,500 $6,300 Course Books & Supplies $205 per student $2,050 $3,690 Insurance $200 fixed $200 $200 Travel $185 per day $1,850 $1,850 Facility $200 per wk in class $2,000 $2,000 Total $24,600 $41,040 Overhead (10%) $2,460 $4,104 TOTAL Requested $27,060 $45,144 Cost Per Participant $2,706 $2,508 Future Costs for 3 week BPI Training for 30 students with additional services is $75,000. This includes assessments, additional training, online training, potential for extra mentoring, and education. Lightly Treading will partner with iCAST to provide extended online and hands on instruction. Professional ProgramBPI Certification BPI Building Analyst (Professional Services, Facilities, Testing Costs) 35,500 Pre -Test $625 Written Test $5,000 Field Test $8,750 iCAST Salaries $15,760 iCAST Interns $2,400.00 Equipment $2,500.00 Course Books & Supplies $2,965.00 Communications $100.00 Medical $200.00 Insurance $200.00 Travel $1,000.00 Total $75,000 Cost Per Participant j $3,000.00 8 Lightly Treading Proposal for Contractor Training & Certification Services References John Krigger Saturn Resource Management Principal 406.443.3433 Chris Dorsi Saturn Resource Management Principal 406.443.3433 Vikki Murphy Building Performance Institute 518.289.8103 Chandler Von Schrader National Director of Home Performance with Energy Star 202.343.9096 Les Lezareck Home Free Nevada Las Vegas HPwES Program Manager 702.508.8436 Availability Once funding is approved please allow a month for preparation time, pre -testing, and enrollment of students. The courses can be delivered in the second month and students will complete their certification. 9 Lightly Treading Proposal for Contractor Training & Certification Services