BPI EXAM LATEST VERSION QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS (A GRADED)
What are the different types of heating systems? - Answer ✔ Forced Air, Radiant Heat,
Hydronic (Hot Water), Steam Radiant, Geothermal.
What is visible transmittance? - Answer ✔ A measure of how much visible light is
admitted by the window glass.
What is the shading coefficient? - Answer ✔ A value between 0 and 1 that compares the
transmittance of a window glass with clear glass.
What is 1 ton equal to? - Answer ✔ 12,000 BTUs/hour
What is one thing auditors must remember? - Answer ✔ Do no harm.
What is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)? - Answer ✔ Is a
government and regulatory authority which regulates safety in the workplace. Mandates
the personal protective equipment, regulates the use of tools and Material Safety Data
Sheets (MSDS). Keep in mind that the client's home is your workplace and this
organization regulations apply.
What is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)? - Answer ✔ Is a government
regulatory authority which regulates substances and practices that effect the
environment. Regulates refrigerants, emissions, pollution, lead, asbestos and other
substances. Also has oversight and administration of the Department of Energy's
ENERGY STAR Program.
What is the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)? - Answer ✔ Is not a regulatory
authority, but a national standards organization association. They are a primary source
for fire codes, chimney and venting regulation and combustion appliance codes.
What is the Building Performance Institute (BPI)? - Answer ✔ Is a professional society
that certifies individuals and accredits companies. They have developed a set of
standards that companies voluntarily subscribe to regarding the health and safety of
homes. Endorsed by EPA and required in many cases, for work performed for the
Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. BPI's primary concern is health and
safety "first do harm, to yourself or to the occupants".
What is carbon monoxide? - Answer ✔ Is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas which
is slightly lighter than air and comes from incomplete combustion.
, What is the combustion triangle? - Answer ✔ Oxygen, heat, fuel.
How should energy auditors approach assessing a home? - Answer ✔ Use the house
as a system to approach to assessing a home.
Core concepts of home performance - Answer ✔ Don't insulate unless you air seal.
Don't air seal unless you insulate.
Don't air seal unless you have air for the fire.
Don't know if you have air for the fire until after you air seal.
Don't put good air in bad places.
What does the national fire protection association's national fuel gas code (NFPA 54)
state that combustion air must be provided for any combustion zone? - Answer ✔
Where the collective fuel input exceeds 1,000 BTU per 50 cubic feet.
What are the three goals all building scientists should strive to achieve? - Answer ✔
Increased IAQ = healthy indoor conditioned spaces.
Use low flow shower/faucet heads
Decrease heating/cooling system use
What is the square footage of the living room, kitchen, bedroom, dining room, garage,
sunroom, total area, and the value of y in a home (in ft2)? When the base and height
are 35/30, 20/30, 35/35, 20/35, 12/35/30/9/12/56, 12/9/2, 1050/600/1225/700/672/54 -
Answer ✔ Living room (1,050), kitchen (600), bedroom (1,225), dining room (700),
garage (672), sunroom(54), total area (4,301)
What are the categories of potential for energy conservation and how do you define
them? - Answer ✔ Heating and cooling - seasonal efficiency for fossil-fuel heating
systems range from 30 - 90%. Most older systems operate at the mid-to-lower end of
this scale.
Air leakages - infiltrating air must by heated or cooled to a comfortable temperature, and
heated and cooled air is lost when air leaks out of the building.
Water heating - energy losses in heating and storage of hot water can amount to 40%
or more of that system's energy consumption.
Appliances and Lighting - refrigerators, lights, entertainment systems, computers and
other appliances use considerable electrical energy because of obsolete design,
careless operations, or just the sheer number of electrical devices in a home.
Residential Behavior - The awareness and care of a buildings residents and managers
has a significant influence on how much energy the building uses.
What are the cost effectiveness formulas? - Answer ✔ Simple payback: PB (measured
in years) = C (the initial cost in dollars)/S(the annual savings in dollars).
Life-cycle savings: Sic= S (the annual savings in dollars) * L (the life expectancy of
retrofit (measured in years).
