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Pathway: Building Operations

Fundamentals of Energy Efficient Building Operations

Fundamentals of Energy Efficient Building Operations teaches building operators the basic principles of energy efficiency awareness and practices in commercial buildings. This course examines common HVAC and lighting systems, their impact on energy consumption, common opportunities for energy conservation, indoor environmental quality, and customer relations at a basic level. Through learning activities, participants learn the importance of measuring and benchmarking energy performance and their role in achieving organizational energy and financial goals.  

Fundamentals is intended for those looking to start a career in building operations and maintenance, existing facilities personnel who are looking for a solid foundational understanding of energy efficiency and building systems, and those whose work intersects with facilities and the built environment. It introduces concepts that serve as the foundations for the Building Operator Certification® Level I course series. 

Basic/Intermediate No prior experience needed

Thu, March 27th, 2025 -
Thu, April 10th, 2025

9:00am - 4:00pm EDT

Virtual

Learning Objectives

  • The concepts of green and high-performance buildings, and trends in building operations
  • How to identify the most common types of HVAC systems and understand how they work
  • How to identify the most common types of lighting systems and maintain those systems for optimal efficiency
  • The basic principles of energy conservation and facility management
  • How to identify opportunities within a commercial facility for low-cost or no-cost operational improvement
  • The impact of indoor environmental quality on customer satisfaction
  • The value of and how to measure and benchmark energy performance. 

Course Details

Provider:

Clean Energy Center (at Pennsylvania College of Technology) 

Course Type:

Virtual, Live Instruction

Course Dates:
  • Session 1 (Parts 1 & 2): Thursday, March 27, 2025 | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Session 2 (Parts 3 & 4):  Thursday, April 3, 2025 | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Session 3 (Parts 5 - 7):  Thursday, April 10, 2025 | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Registration Deadline:

March 25, 2025, at 5:00 PM

Time Commitment:

18 hours

Course Materials:

Downloadable materials for this course are available via the Clean Energy Center’s online learner portal. Printed materials are available upon request. 

  • Book 1: Parts 1-2 (Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Overview, and HVAC Fundamentals)  
  • Book 2: Parts 3-4 (Lighting Fundamentals, and Energy Conservation Opportunities)  
  • Book 3: Parts 5-7 (Indoor Environmental Quality, Measuring & Benchmarking Energy Performance, and Putting It All Together)
Record of Completion:
  • Certificate of Completion awarded upon meeting course requirements
  • Attendance policy: Participants may miss up to 3 hours of instruction; additional absences must be made up via class recordings
  • Final Quiz: Open-book exam; must score 70% or higher
  • Active participation in discussions and group exercises is highly encouraged
Exam Dates:

The end of course quiz is made available online following the last day of class and must be completed by 5:00pm by April 17.

Special Instructions:
  • Participants are encouraged to enable their microphones and webcams for interactive Zoom sessions
  • Sessions include discussions, breakout groups, polls, and interactive exercises to reinforce learning

All training and certification courses are offered at no cost to participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to the time commitment, registrants may not sign up for conflicting courses unless the conflicting course is self-paced.