ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced a $290,000 contract with Community Power Network of Olmstedville, Essex County and Oil Heat Associates of Long Island to develop and deliver energy efficiency skills training to oil heat technicians across the state.

According to the organization, the training is designed to fill the gaps between HVAC and oil industry certifications and the Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification, which is a requirement for participation in NYSERDA’s Home Performance with Energy Star® program.

“Home Performance with Energy Star has been a way for residents to lower their energy use, reduce costs, and increase the comfort of their homes for more than a decade,” said Francis J. Murray Jr., president and CEO of NYSERDA. “This training program will give technicians the skills they need to provide more comprehensive home assessments and a higher level of service for oil heat customers.”

More than 2 million housing units in New York state are heated with fuel oil or kerosene, according to the latest edition of NYSERDA’s “Patterns and Trends” report. That is almost 30 percent of all occupied household units statewide, said the organization.

The training includes 24 sessions on whole building science, energy efficiency, combustion efficiency, advanced oil tank installation, and combustion and air venting. Training begins this summer and continues through the fall, resuming again in the spring at the end of the heating season.

“We are very excited about this statewide training initiative for oil heat technicians,” said Sue Montgomery Corey, president, Community Power Network of New York State Inc. “In many New York communities, oil heat is the predominant home heating source. Helping oil heat technicians boost their professional skill will help oil heat customers to achieve greater efficiency with their heating systems, which will help them reduce their carbon footprint and improve the affordability of their home energy.”

For more information, contact Community Power Network of New York State, P.O. Box 46, Olmstedville, NY 12857; phone 518-251-2525; fax 518-251-2524; email oilheattraining@gmail.com.

Publication date: 8/13/2012