BPI Building Analyst study plan
BPI Building Analyst · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Building Science and Home Performance Fundamentals & Assessment, Testing and Diagnostic Measurement
Define the stack effect, wind effect, and mechanical pressure drivers, and explain how each produces infiltration or exfiltration in a two-story house
Distinguish conduction, convection, and radiation heat transfer and calculate a simple U-value-to-R-value conversion for three common assemblies
Identify the components of the pressure boundary, thermal boundary, and moisture boundary and explain why they rarely coincide
Describe how temperature, pressure, and relative humidity interact to create condensation risk on a given surface
Your checkpoint
One-page hand-drawn cross-section of a two-story house labeling all three boundaries, three pressure drivers, and two condensation-risk locations, with a 100-word written justification
Assessment, Testing and Diagnostic Measurement
Sequence a full home performance assessment walkthrough from intake to data collection to exit interview
Explain what a blower door measures, the difference between CFM50 and ACH50, and how to normalize leakage to conditioned volume and envelope area
Describe correct blower door setup steps including sealing, baseline pressure reading, gauge zeroing, and confirming no occupant interference
Interpret a zone pressure map to locate the largest leakage sites
Explain the purpose and limits of duct leakage testing and infrared thermography in a diagnostic sequence
Your checkpoint
Completed blower door field checklist plus a written interpretation of a hypothetical test result (3,200 CFM50 on a 2,000 sq ft, 16,000 cu ft home) including ACH50 and a qualitative leakage verdict
Assessment, Testing and Diagnostic Measurement & Building Shell, Insulation and Air Sealing
Convert measured blower door results into ACH50 and CFM50 per square foot of envelope and compare against common program thresholds
Select the correct insulation type and R-value target for attics, walls, rim joists, and crawl spaces based on climate and moisture conditions
Explain the difference between air sealing and insulation and why air sealing must precede insulation in most assemblies
Identify the top ten air leakage locations in a typical older home and the appropriate sealing method for each
Describe proper attic air sealing around penetrations, top plates, chases, and knee walls without creating moisture or combustion air problems
Your checkpoint
Prioritized air sealing work list for a sample 1,800 sq ft home with at least 10 line items, each with location, method, material, and estimated leakage reduction rationale
Building Shell, Insulation and Air Sealing & HVAC Systems, Combustion Safety and Ventilation
Evaluate attic ventilation, vapor retarder placement, and interior/exterior insulation strategies for moisture safety in a cold and a mixed-humid climate
Explain the combustion triangle and the difference between open combustion appliances and sealed combustion appliances
Describe how depressurization from exhaust fans and duct leakage can cause backdrafting of naturally drafting appliances
Identify the components of a safe combustion appliance zone and the conditions that trigger a worst-case depressurization test
Explain the purpose of a carbon monoxide monitor and the difference between ambient CO testing and flue gas analysis
Your checkpoint
Written combustion safety test procedure covering worst-case setup, allowable depressurization limits, spillage observation time, and explicit pass/fail criteria for a naturally drafting water heater
HVAC Systems, Combustion Safety and Ventilation
Interpret combustion analyzer readings including oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, stack temperature, and steady-state efficiency
Diagnose common combustion faults such as excess air, incomplete combustion, flame impingement, and blocked flue from analyzer patterns
Explain how to size and select whole-house ventilation to meet ASHRAE 62.2 requirements using the ventilation rate formula
Compare exhaust-only, supply-only, and balanced ventilation strategies by pressure impact and climate suitability
Describe how HVAC duct design, return air paths, and static pressure affect distribution efficiency and room-by-room comfort
Your checkpoint
Completed ventilation sizing calculation for a three-bedroom, 2,000 sq ft home using the ASHRAE 62.2 formula, plus a one-paragraph recommendation of ventilation strategy with justification
Energy Modeling, Work Scope and Client Reporting
Build a base-case energy model from assessment inputs including envelope areas, R-values, infiltration rate, and equipment efficiencies
Explain how to calibrate a model against utility bill data and what magnitude of discrepancy is acceptable
Translate proposed measures into modeled savings and rank them by savings-to-investment ratio
Explain the difference between predicted savings and realized savings and the factors that cause divergence
Your checkpoint
Base-case versus improved-case comparison table for at least five measures showing modeled annual energy savings, installed cost estimate, and savings-to-investment ratio, with a ranked recommendation
Energy Modeling, Work Scope and Client Reporting & Building Shell, Insulation and Air Sealing
Write a client-facing report that translates diagnostic findings into plain-language problems, causes, and recommended actions
Sequence a work scope so that health and safety items precede envelope work and envelope work precedes HVAC replacement
Identify which measures qualify for common incentive or weatherization program requirements and what documentation each needs
Anticipate client objections about cost, disruption, and payback and prepare a response for each
Explain how to document pre- and post-improvement test results to verify work quality
Your checkpoint
Full sample client report of at least 800 words including assessment summary, prioritized scope of work, cost and savings table, health and safety findings, and next steps
Building Science and Home Performance Fundamentals & Assessment, Testing and Diagnostic Measurement & Building Shell, Insulation and Air Sealing & HVAC Systems, Combustion Safety and Ventilation & Energy Modeling, Work Scope and Client Reporting
Review all five domains using a weighted checklist and identify the two weakest areas by self-assessment
Re-derive the key formulas from memory: ACH50, ASHRAE 62.2 ventilation rate, U-value to R-value, and savings-to-investment ratio
Walk through two timed practice scenarios end to end, from assessment through reporting
Explain out loud the safety rationale behind combustion safety and worst-case depressurization testing without notes
Your checkpoint
Two completed timed practice scenarios scored against a self-built rubric, plus a one-page weak-area remediation sheet listing the specific facts or procedures still needing review
Milestones
Week 2: Can explain blower door results in CFM50 and ACH50 and state what each does and does not tell you, without notes
Week 4: Can describe the complete combustion safety test sequence and pass/fail criteria for a naturally drafting appliance from memory
Week 6: Can build a base-case model and rank five measures by savings-to-investment ratio with defensible inputs
Week 8: Scores at least 80 percent on both timed practice scenarios and has a written remediation list for remaining gaps