Premier Partner Spotlight: ComEd®-Sponsored Building Operator Certification®

No matter where a large building is located or what it is used for, there’s one powerful tool that will make it run more efficiently: operator education.

Building Operator Certification® (BOC) is a nationally recognized, award winning, eight-day training program for commercial facility personnel focused on the energy-efficient operation of building equipment and energy systems. BOC training provides these personnel with the background and perspective needed to implement cost-saving operational improvements, from no- or low-cost maintenance upgrades to large-scale energy efficiency retrofits. These improvements not only reduce facility energy costs, but also improve indoor air quality, improve the tenant experience and increase equipment durability.

Core Audience

BOC training is intended for building operators with two or more years of experience in operation and maintenance who wish to broaden their knowledge of the total building system. Past participants have included building engineers, stationary engineers, maintenance supervisors, maintenance workers, facility coordinators, HVAC technicians, electricians, operation supervisors, operation technicians, energy managers and others in the facility operations and maintenance field. The BOC curriculum focuses on energy-using equipment and systems such as those typically found in a building 50,000 square feet or larger in size.

Curriculum

BOC has two tracks of education: Level I and Level II.

Level I, called Building Systems Maintenance, provides an overview of the building shell and reviews the design and maintenance of energy-using systems and equipment.  Level I is comprised of six core classes and one supplemental class, totaling eight days of training with 74 hours of class and project time.

Level II, called Improving Building Operational Performance, provides a more detailed overview of preventative maintenance, equipment troubleshooting and diagnostic strategies for energy-using systems and equipment. Level II is comprised of five core classes and one supplemental class, totaling seven days of training with 61 hours of class and project time.

After successfully completing a BOC training series, students earn a Training Certificate of Completion, the official recognition of their achievement.

Benefits for Building Owners

On average, the BOC program saves roughly 100,500 kWhs of electricity per BOC-credentialed operator, per year. In addition to electricity savings, BOC-credentialed operators save on average 14.5 kW in electric demand and 1,400 therms annually. This represents a savings of $10,500 annually for a five-year period.* For the building owner, these savings cover the tuition and labor cost of sending a building operator to BOC more than three times over.

Benefits for Building Operators
A survey of BOC graduates across the country conducted by NEEC** indicated that:

• 19% received a bonus,
• 22% received a promotion,
• 4% found a new job, and
• 55% received a salary increase that they would not have otherwise earned.

These responses show how BOC can serve as an effective driver of career advancement in the building operator industry.

Student Testimonials

“I was assigned to a position as building supervisor of [an] Elementary School where I’ve been employed since 1996. I took this position just two months after completing the Building Operator Certification course. This move would not have been possible without the training I received through the BOC program.”

-- Randy A., BOC Graduate, Ohio

“BOC gave me an opportunity to learn with other people with varied backgrounds on all aspects of building efficiency.”

-- Ted B., BOC Graduate, Minnesota

“The information I have obtained from these classes has given me the insight and knowledge necessary for me to help keep our energy costs down. It’s also taught me to look at the way things operate in my facility to determine whether or not we can do things differently so we can continue to cut our energy costs.”

-- Bob W., BOC Graduate, Michigan

Enroll Today, Save Money and Energy Tomorrow

Click here for information on Illinois tuition and training schedules. As a sponsor of BOC, ComEd® (along with other local energy companies) provides a $500 tuition rebate to customers who successfully complete the training.

*Source: theboc.info

**Source: “BOC Graduate Study”, NEEC 2015

Terms and conditions apply. Offers are subject to change.
Actual savings will vary by customers’ energy usage and rate.
©Commonwealth Edison Company, 2021
The ComEd Energy Efficiency Program is funded in compliance with state law.

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Tuition rebates for Building Operator Certification® are funded by local energy companies, including the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program. The Program provides instant discounts, rebates, home and facility assessments, technical services and whole-building solutions to help customers reduce energy use. Residential, commercial, industrial and public sector customers have saved more than $4.5 billion since the program’s inception in 2008. To learn how the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program can help you save money and energy, visit ComEd.com/WaysToSave.