Grantee Question: Sheri from Bartow County, GA asks: I find that our maintenance staff needs some additional training on energy conservation measures and efficiency best practices. I am looking for training resources for our Facilities and Building Maintenance staff to maximize the energy savings from retrofits made to our buildings as part of our EECBG grant.
The TAP team responds:
Training Courses
On a regional level, cities and counties in Georgia are taking advantage of Building Operator Certification (BOC®) courses offered at local technical colleges to train their building operators in the operations and maintenance of energy efficient facilities. BOC® is a nationally recognized program that teaches operators how to undertake measures such as large energy conservation projects and indoor air quality improvements. The BOC courses include 8 days of training scheduled over seven months. The benefits of the training and certification include:
• Better understanding and application of energy efficient O&M practices that save energy for municipalities.
• Reduction in municipal facilities’ contributions to greenhouse gas emissions.
• More efficient operation of new equipment and systems installed during energy retrofit projects, facility upgrades, and tenant improvements.
• Reduced operating costs and savings that can be redirected towards new energy efficiency retrofit projects and maintenance of jobs.
Additional hands-on training opportunities are available through local community and technical colleges such as Cleveland State Community College located in Southeastern Tennessee. While they may not be as comprehensive as BOC® programs, local colleges often provide workshops and special courses targeting building maintenance. Other resources available include web-based guides, webinars and best practices.
Online Resources
The US Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) produced A Guide to Achieving Operational Efficiency, a comprehensive guide to O&M best practices that target energy efficiency. These best practices are estimated to save from 5% to 20% on energy costs without significant capital investment. While created specifically for the Federal sector, the document is a comprehensive guide to developing and implementing robust O&M practices for municipal buildings and is applicable beyond the federal sector. The latest edition was released in August 2010.
The National Institute for Building Sciences provides excellent resources through the O&M component of the WBDG (Whole Building Design Guide) program. This website provides guidance and tools for developing strong and sustainable O&M programs. There are multiple tools for developing and evaluating O&M plans available on this site as well. Of particular interest for developing resources for ongoing use is the guide to developing a comprehensive facility operation & maintenance manual.
Additional online trainings and resources include:
• 15 O&M Best Practices for Energy Efficient Buildings
• Facilities Net Free Technology Specific Webcasts
• Facilities Net Maintenance & Operations page
• FEMP Operations, Maintenance, and Commissioning training course