HVAC Industry Valued Credentials

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Click a link below to view the corresponding certifications/accreditations/journey status.
 
In the Fall of 2015, the ACHR News published an eBook
titled Solving the HVACR Certification Puzzle in order
to "…introduce readers to the multiple certification
organizations within the industry as well as spell out the
advantages of getting technicians certified."

Overview

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The credentials developed by the organizations listed on this page are considered by many to be "prestigious" and "hard to earn." They are "respected," even by credentialing bodies who directly compete with one another for clients. Increasingly, certifications, accreditations, journey status, and specialty certificates of the types listed here are being referred to as "Industry Valued Credentials."

The purpose of this listing is not to identify which Industry Valued Credentials are good, better, or best, but to draw your attention to their availability and to encourage you to earn them, or if you are a customer, to encourage you to hire firms who are committed to best in class service. Which credentials are good, better, and best are decisions best made by the individuals and organizations who will capitalize on the prestige, value, and return on investment that best fits their own needs.

It is widely presumed that individuals and companies who earn these credentials are more likely to deliver high-quality products and services into the marketplace, including the energy efficiency aspects of those projects. While these credentials do not absolutely guarantee better work, those vendors and their employees who have earned them have demonstrated/documented knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that those who have not earned them have not demonstrated. Training and years of experience should count when customers are making buying decisions, but hiring certified, accredited, and/or journey-level service providers is a much better bet than awarding contracts based on a brochure and the lowest price. This is one of many reasons California's investor owned utilities (IOUs) increasingly are requiring that their HVAC program vendors have either already have earned and can document these credentials or tangibly demonstrate a commitment and progress toward earning them.

In this latest update of this directory, we thought it important to list not only the credentialing bodies, but also the many specialty credentials that can be earned. At this point, the links for each specialty will direct you to the same page at the credentialing bodies website. If this listing proves to be of use, over time, we will attempt linking to the specific page dealing with the specialty credential

Another feature of this update are links to certifiers' verification search tools. This addition was inspired by the 2013 "Certification Working Group Gap Report
" which recommended that HVAC personnel certification bodies provide links to their online search tools/forms to an "appropriate body"—which was to be identified at a later date—so that those who needed to could verify that technicians being represented as credentialed could do so. Those who might need to verify credentials could include customers, contractors, utility program administrators, and perhaps even government agencies such as the California Contractors State License Board. Because many of the certification bodies now have search forms at their websites, we have added them in left column of the table. Look for ">>SEARCH for…." At this point in history, the search criteria vary from credentialing body to credentialing body, some providing information on technicians themselves and others providing links to contractors who employ credentialed techs

While the WHPA strives to provide accurate and comprehensive information, we make no claims or warranty as to the accuracy of the information provided or applicability to your situation.  If you are aware of updated or additional information that should be considered for this table,  please send the information to WHPA Staff (wendy@performancealliance.org).

Technician

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OrganizationCredential
Building Performance Institute (BPI)

>> SEARCH for credentialed technicians
Air Conditioning and Heat Pump
Building Analyst
Envelope
Heating
Manufactured Housing
Multifamily
Residential Building Envelope Whole House Air Leakage Control Installer
HVAC Excellence

>> VERIFY credentialed technicians
Air Conditioning
Air Conditioning HVACR
Basic Refrigeration and Charging Procedures HVACR
Carbon Monoxide and Combustion Analysis HVACR
Carbon Monoxide HVACR
Certified Carbon Monoxide Inspector
Combustion Analysis
Core-Capstone + 6 CSMEs
Electric Heat HVACR
Electrical HVACR
Fuel Oil Combustion HVACR
Gas Heat
Gas Heat HVACR
Green Awareness
Heat Pump HVACR
Heat Pump Installer
Heat Pump Service
Heat Pumps
HVAC Professional Technician Core
Light Commercial Air Conditioning HVACR
Light Commercial Refrigeration HVACR
Low Pressure Hydronic Heat
Natural Gas Combustion Analysis HVACR
Oil Heat
Oil Heat HVACR
Residential Air Conditioning
Residential and Light Commercial Hydronic Heat HVACR
Residential Heat Load Calculation
System Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Procedures
Universal R-410A
Sheet Metal Industry International Certification Board (ICB)

>> SEARCH for contractors that employ credentialed technicians
Building Envelope Installer Technician
Fume Hood Performance Testing Tech.
Indoor Air Quality Supervisor
Indoor Air Quality Technician
Mechanical Acceptance Testing Technician
Total Building Energy Audit Technician
National Balancing Council (NBC)

>> SEARCH for contractors that employ credentialed technicians

NBC Certification
National Comfort Institute

>> SEARCH for contractors that employ credentialed technicians
Carbon Monoxide & Combustion Analyst
Light Commercial Air Balancing
Light Commercial Air Diagnostics and Balancing
Light Commercial HVAC System Performance
NBC Commercial Air & Water Balancing Supervisor
Residential Air Balancing
Residential Air Diagnostics and Balancing
Residential HVAC System Performance
Residential HVAC System Redesign
National Inspection Testing Certification (NITC)

Piping Industry Progress & Education (PIPE)

>> SEARCH for contractors that employ credentialed technicians

NITC Journey Level Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
STAR HVACR Mastery
STAR HVACR Mastery Re-certification
STAR Residential-Light Commercial HVAC Mastery
North American Technician Excellence (NATE)

>> SEARCH for contractors that employ credentialed technicians
Air Conditioning
Air Distribution
Commercial Refrigeration
Gas Heating
Ground Source Heat Pump Loop Installer
Heat Pumps (Air-to-Air)
HVAC Efficiency Analyst (Senior Level)
HVAC Performance Verifier
Hydronics Gas
Hydronics Oil
Light Commercial Refrigeration
Oil Heating
Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES)Certificate Member Commercial Air Conditioning
Certificate Member Commercial Refrigeration
Certificate Member Controls
Certificate Member Domestic Service
Certificate Member Dynamic Compression
Certificate Member Heat Pump
Certificate Member Heating
Certificate Member HVACR Electrical
R-410A Certification
RSES CM Certificate Member Exam
Specialized Member Commercial Air Conditioning
Specialized Member Commercial Refrigeration
Specialized Member Controls
Specialized Member Domestic Service
Specialized Member Dynamic Compression
Specialized Member Heat Pump
Specialized Member Heating
Specialized Member HVACR Electrical
Sheet Metal / Air / Rail / Transportation (SMART)Journeymen
Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing Bureau (TABB)

>> SEARCH for contractors that employ credentialed technicians

Commissioning Supervisor
Fume Hood Performance Testing
Supervisor
Technician
United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA)

>> SEARCH for contractors that employ credentialed technicians

Journeyman
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Contractor

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OrganizationCredential
Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA)

>> SEARCH for contractors that employ credentialed technicians

Residential Design for Quality Installation
MSCA STAR

>> SEARCH for contractors that employ credentialed technicians

MSCA STAR
Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing Bureau (TABB)

>> SEARCH for contractors that employ credentialed technicians

Commissioning Supervisor
Supervisor
Technician
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Building Commissioning

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OrganizationCredential
Associated Air Balancing Council (AABC)AABC Commissioning Agent
Building Commissioning AssociationCertified Commissioning Professional
National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB)Building Systems Commissioning (BSC)
Retro-Commissioning (RCX)
Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing Bureau (TABB)Building Commissioning
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Energy

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OrganizationCredential
ASHRAEBuilding Energy Assessment Professional Certification
Building Energy Modeling Professional Certification
Commissioning Process management Professional Certification
Healthcare Facility Design Professional Certification
High Performance Building Design Professional Certification
Association of Energy EngineersCEM Certified Energy Manager
Green Mechnical CouncilDuct and Envelope Analyst
Residential Energy Analyist
Residential Energy Auditor
Residential Load Analyst
System Performance
North American Board of Certified Energy PractitionersNABCEP PV and Solar Heating Installation Certification
Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing Bureau (TABB)Energy Audit
U.S. Green Building CouncilLEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
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Facility

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OrganizationCredential
ASHRAEOperations and Performance Management Professional Certification
IFMAIFMA Certified Facility Manager
IFMA Facility Management Professional
IFMA Sustainability Facility Professional
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Specialized

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OrganizationCredential
HVAC ExcellenceEmployment Ready Certification (for techs entering the workforce)
Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI)Industry Competency Exam (for techs entering the workforce)
Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA)EPIC (Educational Program in Instructor Certification) Design Process
Quality Assured Verifier in support of Energy Star Verified Installation
American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES)Board Certified Environmental Engineer (Licensed)
Board Certified Environmental Engineering Member (non-licensed)
Associated Air Balancing Council (AABC)AABC Cleanroom Testing Engineer
AABC Test and Balance Engineer
AABC Test and Balance Technician
National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB)Building Envelope Testing (BET)
Cleanroom Performance Testing (CPT)
Fume Hood Testing (FHT)
Sound
Testing, Adjusting and Balancing (TABB)
Vibration
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