Delivering safe, clean and reliable natural gas to Minnesota

Building Operator Certification

We sponsor a Building Operating Certification (BOC) training program run by the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA). The training is for commercial building facility managers and their staff. Training covers building operation and maintenance, and offers an in-depth look at the best ways to manage a facility, and the latest tips and technologies.

BOC is a competency-based training and certification for building operators offering improved job skills and more comfortable and energy efficient facilities. Certification also provides a credential for professional development while offering employers a way to develop skilled operators. Graduates of BOC training typically achieve both natural gas and electric utility bill savings through improved operations and maintenance.

With more than 5,000 BOC graduates nationwide, this rapidly growing training program provides an expansive network of peers and a highly regarded credential. BOC training includes nearly 80 hours of classroom and project work in building systems operation and maintenance. Each course in the series is completed in a one-day training session, except BOC 1001 — Energy Efficient Operation of Building HVAC Systems, a two-day course. To become certified, participants must pass an exam after each day of training and complete assigned projects. The certificate is registered with the Building Owners and Managers Institute (BOMI), Association for Facilities Engineering (AFE) and International Facilities Management Association (IFMA) for continuing education maintenance points.

Upon completion of a course series and attaining certification, we provide a scholarship of $650 toward the training fee. Complete the scholarship application and send it back to us with a certification of completion and confirmation of registration/payment.

Funding is limited and can change or end at any time. Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

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BOC training course details

Two course series are offered: level 1 and level 2. Level 1 training emphasizes energy-efficient building maintenance practices while level 2 focuses on advanced equipment troubleshooting and preventive maintenance. Level 2 training is designed for those individuals who have received level 1 certification or who have three or more years of experience working in operations and maintenance of a commercial or institutional facility.

The level 1 course series offers eight one-day classes. Level 2 offers seven one-day classes. Course series consist of classroom training, project assignments completed at the facility, and in-class exams administered after each day of training. Completion of level 1 requires a time commitment of 74 hours; level 2 requires 61 hours.

Classes consist of lecture, discussion, small group exercises and facility tours. Facility projects require participants to demonstrate competence in locating building equipment, distribution pathways, and control points; calculating facility energy consumption; critiquing HVAC systems operation; and sketching the facility’s electrical distribution system.

Level 1 course series

Core

BOC 1001 – Energy Efficient Operation of Building HVAC Systems
BOC 1002 – Measuring and Benchmarking Energy Performance
BOC 1003 – Efficient Lighting Fundamentals
BOC 1004 – HVAC Controls Fundamentals
BOC 1005 – Indoor Environmental Quality
BOC 1006 – Common Opportunities for Low-Cost Operational Improvement

Supplements

1 offered per course series

BOC 1007 – Facility Electrical Systems
BOC 1008 – Operation and Maintenance Practices for Sustainable Buildings
BOC 1009 – Building Scoping for Operational Improvement
BOC 1010 – Energy Efficient Ventilation Strategies and High Performance Heating and Cooling Equipment
BOC 1011 – Energy Efficient Ventilation Strategies and Energy Savings through Energy Recovery
BOC 1012 – High Performance Heating and Cooling Equipment and Energy Savings through Energy Recovery