Weatherization Training and Consulting – Elliott Management Consultants (406) 522-7388
Quality weatherization training relies on excellent resources, a sound training approach, and skilled people. A training program must address the unique needs of state and local agencies. All aspects must be well planned, well designed, and well run. Trainers must know how to convey knowledge and help students build understanding and competencies, all in a straightforward, practical way.
EMC can supply your program with top quality, talented trainers that fit your budget and timeline. EMC addresses the most critical training need first, and after the proper standards and field guides are firmly in place, refines the training schedule.
Contracted services include: short and long-term planning of trainings, event facilitation, management of the training calendar, assignment and orientation of the best training staff for the course, contractual agreements, and regularly scheduled trainer and program assessments to make sure your training program is meeting its goals.
EMC can conduct training that targets the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for DOE/NREL determined job types. EMC’s job type training prepares workers and gives them confidence and competence to perform their roles as Installer, Auditor, Crew Leader, Inspector, Client Educator, or Program Manager. EMC also provides training to meet job types defined by the Building Performance Institute, including Building Analyst, Manufactured Home Professional, Air Conditioning/Heat Pump Professional, Building Envelope Professional, and Multifamily Building Analyst. Whatever your situation is, our curriculum modules and training are designed to the needs of the client and their staff.
See our Curriculum section for details on subject matter.
ASHRAE 62.2
DOE is requiring the use of the ventilation standard, ASHRAE 62.2-2010, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings. This training will address the details of this national standard, including local ventilation, whole-building ventilation, and practical installation methods. We will cover design examples as a class and in smaller groups. Other details of the ASHRAE 62.2010 standard will be discussed, including fan control, noise level, measuring fan flow, ducting, and more.
The presenter, Rick Karg, has been a member of the national ASHRAE 62.2 committee for the last four years. He has been training low-income weatherization staff for the last 30 years and writing technical weatherization standards for the last 15 years.
EMC recognizes that self-sufficiency is critical for a weatherization training program if it is to be sustainable. To achieve this, EMC engages veteran trainers and guides clients through a Train the Trainer process to develop knowledgeable, competent trainers locally.
EMC leads clients through the process of managing a training program independently. The final result will be a well functioning, autonomous, locally controlled training program with the finest staff available.
EMC’s Train the Trainer program is based on sound trainer training methodologies. Professional, seasoned trainers offer mentorship and ensure that new trainers possess the knowledge, skills, and confidence to manage training on their own. Trainers will not be authorized to provide training until they demonstrate their readiness and proficiency.
EMC has found that one of the most underestimated elements of training program operations is the need for skilled technical support. EMC will provide clients with direct on-site and indirect phone/video/email assistance to clients on setting up training centers and the proper use of its components. Support includes center organization and maintenance, peer resources, technical assistance, and program optimization.
A major problem agencies face is spending time in training and away from their daily duties. EMC solves that problem by meeting personnel in their service territory to work directly on their production units.
EMC performs training in the field on local housing stock so that workers train on units and in situations they will actually encounter on the job. As with other training, EMC performs a preliminary needs assessment and meets workers onsite so no time is lost in traveling back and forth to training. Our professional trainers and directors will design field training, which lasts one week up to a year.
EMC has experience developing and implementing Weatherization/Energy Efficiency Retrofit Technical Standards that have both the input and buy-in of stakeholders, including subgrantee service providers. These standards must align with the U.S. Department of Energy core competencies, with local and state building codes, with current energy efficiency retrofit building science issues related to both the climate and housing stock typically encountered in a particular program, including site-built and mobile homes, and with the measures available in the NEAT/MHEA energy audit.
The deployment of technical standards gives the service providers a consistent, objective tool with which to deliver and monitor effective weatherization services, including “how to” deliver the complete scope of weatherization services in their state and region, for instance; how to seal mobile home ductwork, how to insulate a water heater, how to perform a blower door test, and how to detect and seal air leaks.
In addition, staff will have the critical consistency in the weatherization processes performed by all crew members (installers), energy auditors, final inspectors, and unit monitors in order to control, enforce and improve the quality of the state’s weatherization program assuring each low income client served by the weatherization program receives the optimal weatherization assistance and ensuring the overall success of the weatherization program. EMC possesses extensive experience developing both standards and field guides and can help create guiding documents that will help steer a successful weatherization program.
