BPI Multifamily study plan
BPI Multifamily · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Building Science and Multifamily Fundamentals
Define the core building science principles of heat, air, and moisture flow and explain how each interacts with multifamily enclosure assemblies
Diagram the stack effect, wind-driven pressure, and mechanical pressure across a mid-rise section and label where air leakage concentrates
Identify the major multifamily construction types and describe how framing, cavity insulation, and cladding choices affect thermal and moisture performance
Explain the difference between thermal bridging, air leakage, and conduction losses and where each dominates in multifamily buildings
Your checkpoint
A one-page annotated section drawing of a mid-rise building labeling pressure boundaries, insulation lines, and air-sealing locations, plus a 200-word explanation of the dominant loss mechanism at each labeled zone
Building Science and Multifamily Fundamentals
Describe how ventilation, makeup air, and exhaust interact in multifamily units and common areas, including the role of compartmentalization
Explain the causes and consequences of moisture problems, including vapor drive, condensation surfaces, and bulk water management
Summarize combustion safety and indoor air quality fundamentals relevant to multifamily retrofits
Connect building science fundamentals to typical retrofit opportunities in multifamily buildings
Your checkpoint
A written comparison table of at least six multifamily retrofit measures listing the building science principle each addresses, the risk it mitigates, and the risk it can introduce
Assessment, Testing and Data Collection
List the assessment and testing methods used in multifamily buildings and state the purpose and limits of each
Explain how to plan and execute a blower door test in a multifamily context, including unit-level versus whole-building testing and guard setups
Interpret pressure, flow, and leakage results and translate them into actionable findings
Describe how to conduct a walkthrough and unit sampling strategy that produces representative data
Your checkpoint
A testing protocol document for one multifamily property type covering test sequence, sampling plan, instrumentation, and acceptance criteria, with a worked example of interpreting a blower door result
Assessment, Testing and Data Collection
Explain the purpose and procedure for duct leakage testing, zonal pressure diagnostics, and combustion safety testing in multifamily units
Describe how to collect and record field data so it is consistent, traceable, and usable in modeling
Identify common data quality problems in multifamily assessments and how to detect them
Practice translating raw field measurements into a structured data set
Your checkpoint
A completed sample data collection workbook for five hypothetical units with recorded measurements, flagged anomalies, and a short memo explaining how each anomaly would be resolved
Energy Modeling and Savings Analysis
Explain how an energy model represents multifamily buildings, including zoning, envelope, systems, and occupancy assumptions
Distinguish calibration inputs from savings-estimate inputs and describe how baseline and proposed models are set up
Calculate simple savings metrics, including annual energy savings, percent savings, and simple payback
Identify sources of uncertainty in savings estimates and how they are communicated
Your checkpoint
A worked savings analysis for one retrofit package showing baseline versus proposed annual consumption, percent savings, and payback, with a short uncertainty discussion
Energy Modeling and Savings Analysis & Scope of Work, Standards and Reporting
Apply normalization and weather adjustment concepts to compare energy use across units and buildings fairly
Identify common modeling pitfalls that inflate or understate savings in multifamily projects
Describe the components of a scope of work that are tied to modeling assumptions and field data
Draft scope language that makes assumptions explicit and auditable
Your checkpoint
A scope of work section for a multifamily retrofit that lists each modeled measure with its assumed parameters, data source, and verification method
Scope of Work, Standards and Reporting
Identify the standards, codes, and program requirements that govern multifamily retrofit work and explain where each applies
Describe reporting requirements for assessment findings, modeling results, and recommended measures
Explain how to write findings that are defensible, traceable to data, and usable by contractors and owners
Review a sample report structure and identify gaps against expected content
Your checkpoint
A full draft assessment report for a hypothetical multifamily property including findings, modeled savings, recommended scope, and cited standards
Building Science and Multifamily Fundamentals & Assessment, Testing and Data Collection & Energy Modeling and Savings Analysis & Scope of Work, Standards and Reporting
Integrate building science, testing, modeling, and reporting into a single end-to-end project narrative
Identify personal weak areas across all four domains and target them with focused review
Practice applying concepts to unfamiliar multifamily scenarios under time pressure
Finalize a reference sheet of formulas, standards, and decision rules for exam-day use
Your checkpoint
A complete end-to-end case study from assessment through report plus a one-page personal reference sheet, scored against a self-built rubric covering all four domains
Milestones
Week 2: Can explain, without notes, how heat, air, and moisture interact in a multifamily enclosure and name three retrofit measures with their associated risks
Week 4: Can describe the full testing sequence for a multifamily building, interpret a blower door result, and produce a clean, traceable data set from field measurements
Week 6: Can build a baseline and proposed model comparison, compute percent savings and payback, and write scope language that ties each assumption to a data source
Week 8: Can deliver a complete assessment-to-report case study with defensible savings estimates and correctly cited standards, and score at least 80 percent on a self-built four-domain rubric