Working in Weatherization: An Interview with Karen Benner of PGH Gateways

By   |     |  Clean Power Guide

Knowing New York’s ambitious goals and timeline for reducing energy use from the built environment, I am considering a career in weatherization. Where should I start?

Start with the Building Performance Institute, which offers industry standard professional certifications like Building Science Principles (BSP), Site Supervisor Certificate (SSC), Healthy Housing Principles (HHP), and Total Building Performance (TBP). They also certify many professions within the field, including AC and heat pump, building analyst professional (BA-P), energy auditor, and envelope professional.

You can also look into the Building Performance Association, an industry association and a major hub for businesses, nonprofits, and government in the weatherization field, and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, a great source for information on industry workforce development, regulations, and clean energy market trends. They also have an initiative called Green Workforce Connect for posting or searching for jobs in the field.

What does working in the weatherization field look like?

There are many roles and positions in the field, encompassing professionals that work with energy audits, building envelope and air sealing, insulation, and more. Most of this work is basically contracting and building, but as in any industry, businesses small and large also have a need for employees working in management, administration, and sales and marketing. Many people also enter a career in weatherization through initially working in the electrical or HVAC field.

Because there has been great federal funding for weatherization since the `90s through the Weatherization Assistance Program, there is always federal funding flowing into the industry. Due to the need for regulation of all these federal funds there is a need for the above mentioned certifications to work in this field. These certifications may be necessary for individuals and companies to access most of these opportunities. It is technically possible to work in the industry without these certifications, perhaps for a utility provider or a private company working primarily with wealthier private clients who don’t care about the federal incentives.

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