BPI Multifamily case studies
BPI Multifamily · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Multifamily Building Analyst (MFBA) is a Building Performance Institute (BPI) individual certification listed among BPI's certifications, alongside credentials such as Building Analyst Technician, Energy Auditor, Quality Control Inspector, and Multifamily Building Operator. It is intended for professionals who assess whole multifamily buildings rather than single-family homes, working across common areas, building envelopes, mechanical systems, and distributed apartment-level conditions. The BPI Multifamily case studies are 5 cases and about 2,839 words.
1The Boiler That Only Fails in January
You are scoping a 96-unit, 1970s garden apartment complex with a single central gas-fired boiler and a two-pipe steam distribution system. Tenant complaints cluster in the coldest weeks: units on the top floor of the three-story buildings overheat badly, while first-floor end units stay cold.
652 words, about 3 min2The Pressure Pan That Told Two Stories
You are performing an energy assessment on a 24-unit, two-story masonry building with a central hallway and individual unit entry doors. A blower-door test yields 4,100 CFM50 for the whole building, which is roughly 0.9 ACH50 at the tested volume.
611 words, about 3 min3Calibrating Savings on a Steam-to-Hot-Water Retrofit
A 60-unit affordable property has 12 months of utility data: 78,000 therms/year total gas, of which the owner believes 55% is space heating and 30% is domestic hot water, with the remainder miscellaneous. The building has a central atmospheric boiler at 78% steady-state efficiency, uninsulated distribution in unconditioned crawl spaces, and a two-pipe distribution system.
586 words, about 3 min4The Scope That Missed the Makeup Air
You are writing a scope for a 40-unit mid-rise with individually vented gas furnaces in closets, a continuously running 80 CFM bathroom exhaust fan in each unit, and a central corridor served by a single rooftop makeup-air unit that has been disconnected for years. The building was tightened two years ago with new windows and door sweeps.
496 words, about 2 min5Reporting a Savings Claim That Survives Review
You have completed an assessment of a 30-unit building and modeled 24% source-energy savings from a package of measures: attic insulation, air sealing, LED lighting, and a boiler reset control. Post-installation billing for the first year shows 11% savings against the pre-installation year.
494 words, about 2 min