The Energy Institute at Salem Community College offers various certifications and courses related to sustainable energy fields like solar photovoltaics, building energy auditing, and green building. It provides BPI and NABCEP certification exam preparation and administers the exams. The career ladder program allows students to take individual courses or work towards certificates and degrees. Course offerings cover topics like solar PV installation, building energy auditing, weatherization, and sustainable construction practices. The goal is to prepare students to enter sustainable energy careers.
6. The Energy Institute offers BPI (Building Performance Institute) certification and the NABCEP
(North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners)
Entry-Level Exam:
• BPI programs include Building Analyst Professional and Envelope Professional
certifications, and
• Solar Photovoltaic (PV) entry-level exam preparation and PV Entry-Level Exam.
BPI and Registered NABCEP Entry-Level Exam Provider
Classes are offered as followed: The SCC Energy Institute offers BPI written examinations in
• Independent study certifications and field examinations for Building Analysts and
• Online Envelope Professionals.
• Formal classroom • BPI Written Examination $200
• Hands-on lab • BPI Field Examination $400
In addition, the Energy Institute is a provider of the NABCEP
Entry-Level Exam.
• NABCEP Entry-Level Exam $150
For more information or to schedule a test, contact: Raymond Constantine, Director of the Energy Institute, P: 856.351.2604
E: constant@salemcc.edu
7. The Energy Institute's career-ladder model enables students to work toward entering the
sustainable energy field as quickly and easily as possible. All courses taken at the lower
levels may be
applied to
certificates and
or a degree
program at higher
levels of the ladder.
There is no
duplication of
effort or time.
Since the program
is designed to
meet students'
needs at all points
alongthe career ladder (from noncredit modules through associate degree and beyond),
students may "jump on" at any point. Likewise, they may "jump off" when they have
reached their desired career goal.
8. LIST OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY COURSES:
SET 101 │ SET 150 │ SET 151 │ SET 160 │ SET 161 │ SET 170 │ SET 180
│ SET 181 │ SET 190 │ SET 200 │ SET 210 │ SET 220 │ SET 225
► SET 101 - Energy, the Environment and Society:
Provides an overview of the ways modern society utilizes and converts
energy in its quest for technological and economic advancement.
► SET 150 Solar Photovoltaic Electric Systems:
This course provides students planning to enter the solar field with
the knowledge necessary to take the NABCEP Photovoltaic or PV Entry-
Level Exam.
► SET 151 Advanced Photovoltaic Installer:
Covers the NABCEP Photovoltaic Installer Job-Task Analysis, also meets
the education requirements of the NABCEP Installer certification.
(Prerequisites: SET 150 and a passing score on the NABCEP PV
entry-level exam.)
► SET 160 Building Energy Audit Technology (BPI Building Analyst):
Provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to take the
Building Performance Institute’s (BPI) Building Analyst written and
field exams.
► SET 161 Building Envelope Technology (BPI Certification):
An Envelope Professional conducts energy audits and implements the
energy conservation measures that result from the various whole-house
testing procedures with the blower door and CAZ tests.
(Prerequisite: SET 160)
9. LIST OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY COURSES:
SET 101 │ SET 150 │ SET 151 │ SET 160 │ SET 161 │ SET 170 │ SET 180
│ SET 181 │ SET 190 │ SET 200 │ SET 210 │ SET 220 │ SET 225
► SET 170 Weatherization Building Science:
Provides the basic weatherization building science skills to prepare
students to take the U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable
Energy Laboratory (USDOE, NREL) National Worker Certification tests
for weatherization systems workers.
► SET 180 Green Building Technology:
Is designed to enlighten students to the current green building
technologies and to help them realize the impact and applications of
green building as a practice.
► SET 181 Sustainable Building Design and Practices:
Familiarizes students with green construction methods and benefits in
applying the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
principles.
► SET 190 Construction Safety Management:
Provides an overview of fundamentals of Safety Management Principles,
including a detailed review of OSHA regulations and standards
pertinent to energy auditors, solar system installers, green builders
and weatherization technicians
10. LIST OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY COURSES:
SET 101 │ SET 150 │ SET 151 │ SET 160 │ SET 161 │ SET 170 │ SET 180
│ SET 181 │ SET 190 │ SET 200 │ SET 210 │ SET 220 │ SET 225
► SET 200 Sustainable Energy Internship:
Provides students the opportunity to experience the energy field.
Building on classroom knowledge, students further develop their
practical skills in a real-world context.
► SET 210 Wind Energy Technology:
The course introduces the students to the details of various types of
commercial wind technology available in the marketplace today as well
as acquaints them with the fundamental theory and physics behind wind
energy generation.
► SET 220 Photovoltaic Solar Technology:
The course provides a foundation in how to perform a site assessment,
how to select favorable locations, how to estimate a photovoltaic (PV)
system’s expected performance, how to perform economic analysis of PV
systems, how modules and inverters work and the major components
required for interconnecting a PV system to the grid.
► SET 225 Advanced Solar Thermal Installer:
Covers the NABCEP Solar Thermal Installer Job-Task Analysis, and meets
the education requirements of the NABCEP Installer certification.
Prerequisites: SET 150 and passing score on the NABCEP
Photovoltaic entry-level exam.
18. “We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence
around our house for fuel when we should be using
Nature’s inexhaustible sources of energy – sun, wind, and
tide. I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a
source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and
coal run out before we tackle that.” - Thomas Edison, 1931
