The
United Association has launched a new Green Awareness Certification for its
members. HVAC Excellence and Ferris State University developed the course,
“Green Mechanical Systems, Awareness of Fundamental and Emerging Green
Technologies,” which covers topics such as energy efficiency, energy
management, alternative energy, HVAC systems, solar systems and plumbing.
“You
can’t get maximum efficiency from equipment if you don’t install it properly
and maintain it properly,” said Jerry Weiss, HVAC Excellence’s executive
director.
The
Green Awareness Certification has been a joint effort between the UA, HVAC
Excellence, the Green Mechanical Council and Ferris State’s College of
Technology. The certification
examinations will be delivered and administered for the UA by the National
Inspection Testing and Certification Corp. in coordination with HVAC
Excellence.
“This new
training course and certification has been in development for a while and it
reflects the progressive and aggressive stance the UA has taken to ensure the
vaunted UA training program stays current and even ahead of the curve in the
vital green building industry,” said Mike Arndt, UA’s director of training.
Gary
Hamilton, UA’s director of plumbing services, added, “With this new
training and certification program we are ready to train our members in the
terms and common knowledge required to become aware of what the
green/sustainable movement is about. It all comes down to training and
education. All our apprentices will become green.”
NITC will
make the certification available to UA members via the traditional
pencil-and-paper method and by computer-based testing, said Mike Massey, NITC
executive vice president. NITC will work with HVAC Excellence to ensure the
exam is accessible to UA members. The price per person is $75, which includes
the training materials and the test itself.
“The Green
Awareness Certification will be administered for the UA in essentially the same
way that NITC delivers testing and certification services for medical gas
piping systems and the UA STAR mastery series of examinations,” Massey said.
“UA training coordinators will be able to order this certification just like
they order any other tests NITC provides.”
He pointed
out that this effort is similar to one undertaken by UA in 2002 to utilize
NITC’s third-party certification services largely because of NITC’s ANSI
accreditation. By opting to partner with these groups, Massey said, UA is
demonstrating its ability to move quickly to address a need for its members and
signatory union contractors.
NITC is an
accredited certification body by ANSI to the ISO/IEC 17024 conformance
standard. Visit www.nationalitc.com for more information.
