Gwinnett Daily Post

LAWRENCEVILLE -- Gwinnett Technical College's Building Operator Certification program was recently named a 2012 ENERGY STAR Award for Excellence winner for its outstanding contributions in consumer education to promote enegy-efficient tools.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council for its building operator certification program. Gwinnett Tech is the BOC provider for Georgia.

The building operator certification program teaches facilities personnel how to bring HVAC, electric and lighting systems to their most efficient levels of operation to promote energy efficiency. The course series consists of classroom training, project assignments to be competed at the participant's facility and in-class exams administered at the end of each day of training.

Since 2005, the BOC program has integrated the ENERGY STAR portfolio manager benchmarking tool into its training curriculum to advance use of the tool among its 8,000 credentialed operators. In 2011, BOC-certified operators using Portfolio Manager in conjunction with operational best practices saved about $45 million in energy costs for their companies.

Gwinnett Tech offers Building Operator Certification Level I and II classes with the following upcoming start dates: Level I, April 19 to Aug. 23; and Level II, June 5 to Sept. 18.

For more information, visit www.gwinnetttech.edu/ce, or call 770-995-9697.