CHP Energy Solutions Builders’ Boot Camp is an intensive, interactive, and collaborative learning workshop experience for building science and construction industry professionals. Builders’ Boot Camp takes place at the CHP Energy Solutions Training Center in Christiansburg, VA. Builders’ Boot Camp equips participants with the most current building science and construction industry information and skills needed to maintain an edge in the business and provide the highest quality services to their clients. CHP Energy Solutions Builders’ Boot Camp attendees will receive 14 BPI CEUs.
This years Builders’ Boot Camp provides the following sessions lead by industry recognized speakers!
Session: LiDAR Assisted Energy Auditing
Description: We will discuss the use of technology like drones and LiDAR in the auditing process. Drones can be effective ways to get to high, hard to reach areas and the depths of scary crawlspaces! Pair this with LiDAR mapping technology and you get a dynamic way to increase efficiency in auditing while staying safe!
Speaker: Michael Whitley is originally from Princeton, West Virginia, but now calls Christiansburg, Virginia, home. With a degree in Civil Engineering Technology from Bluefield State University, Michael has been a part of the construction industry since 2009. Currently serving as the “Assistant Manager of Weatherization Operations – Energy Auditing” at Community Housing Partners, Michael is deeply committed to enhancing energy efficiency and sustainability in housing, reflecting his passion for both innovation and community welfare.
Session: Tools to Estimate Moisture and Humidity
Description: Dive into moisture management for buildings with our hands-on app session. Learn how to tackle and predict moisture issues using an easy-to-use app built from a Google spreadsheet. Explore charts that make understanding moisture movement simple. Access a handy reference tab for more resources. Join us for a practical, fun session on solving building moisture challenges.
Speakers: Anthony Cox is the Building Science Manager and Lead Trainer at Community Housing Partners, Energy Solutions division, with over 30 years of experience in Weatherization. Since 1999, he has played a vital role in developing and delivering training programs internationally for the home performance industry. Anthony is the creator of widely recognized training tools like House of Pressure® and H.A.M. House®, designed to illustrate building science principles effectively. Holding a business management degree and licenses in Master HVAC and Residential Building Analysis in Virginia, Anthony is also certified by the Building Performance Institute. Anthony is actively involved in national committees, contributing to the development of industry standards.
Ben Knopp is a Building Systems and Energy Analyst at Community Housing Partners. He has experience in building science, energy efficiency, and mechanical system research, development, design, and commissioning. His current focus includes energy equity, resiliency, health, and integrating Weatherization with decarbonization of homes in under-served communities. He is an alum of the Clean Energy Leadership Institute Fellowship, a 2019 Innovator with the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab IMPEL+ Program, a 2016 Winner of the Oak Ridge National Lab JUMP Innovation Contest in Water Heating and holds a US patent for a novel water heating technology. Ben holds credentials such as: PHIUS+ Rater and CPHC from the Passive House Institute US, Certified Energy Manager from the Association of Energy Engineers, and Licensed Residential Building Energy Analyst from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Session: Heat Pump Fundamentals
Description: This session explores a basic understanding of thermodynamics, heat flow, and refrigerant systems. Participants will enjoy identifying components and their relationships using our state-of-the-art heat pump training equipment and diagnostic tools. Best practices for collecting data, verifying system performances, and troubleshooting of operational issues will be discussed and demonstrated.
Speaker: Morgan Currie, as a Building Science Trainer and Project Manager, provides classroom and field training to industry professionals, support for the weatherization network, quality assurance assessments for state programs, and proctors BPI Exams. Morgan has been with CHP Energy Solutions Training Center since 2018. Prior to that he spent two years instructing sustainable agriculture and English in Mozambique, Africa for the United States Peace Corps. Morgan received a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences. He holds multiple certifications from the Building Performance Institute and is a licensed Virginia Residential Building Analyst.
Session: Advanced Zonal Diagnostics
Description: Delve deep into the intricacies of blower door zonal diagnostics in this advanced session designed for auditors, inspectors, and technicians in the building performance field. Blower door testing, a cornerstone of building diagnostics, extends well beyond whole-building air leakage measurements. This advanced session explores the nuanced techniques and applications of zonal diagnostics to provide comprehensive methods and insights into pressure dynamics within buildings.
Speaker: Kevin Scott has been very fortunate to have a versatile and interesting career in the Weatherization and Building Science fields. His on-the-job training began in 2002 as an energy auditor for a local North Carolina agency. After learning the basics of energy efficiency and building science, he was asked to train new staff members and contractors at the agency level. This opportunity blossomed into peer training for other agencies in the state, and then utility companies and private contractors. The need for technical assistance in other programs outside North Carolina afforded him the honor of working alongside his former trainers in places and capacities he never thought possible. Since then, he has worked with 10 state programs throughout the Midwest and the East Coast as a classroom and field instructor, program monitor, and presenter at state and national conferences. He holds several Building Performance Institute certifications and actively works as a BPI Instructor and Proctor.