List of Questions

1. Who can join the HPCN for Energy Advisors?
2. I am already a Canadian Association of Consulting Energy Advisors (CACEA) member. Why should I also join the HPCN?
3. Is the training mandatory and how was it selected/developed? I/my employees have completed other industry training and/or have been working in the industry for years, do I/my employee still need to take this training?
   
4. Can I/we challenge the required training for a sector? I/my employees have a trade designation or other qualifications that surpass these requirements.

Questions and Answers

1. Who can join the HPCN for Energy Advisors?

• Only companies, or independent Energy Advisors operating as owner/operators, can join the HPCN - individual Energy Advisors are not eligible to apply on their own.
• Your employees must be directly responsible for the relevant work and complete the required training. Membership in the HPCN does not cover sub-contractors.
• Participants must be able to provide proof of their NRCan license agreement/renewal.
• The HPCN is currently open for Energy Advisors who work with existing homes (retrofits) and can provide evidence of 15 pre-retrofit house files (D) submitted and accepted by NRCAN.

The HPCN is an upskilling initiative and is not designed to serve as the first point of contact for new-comers to the residential retrofit industry. If you are looking to start work in this sector, and have never completed this type of work before, we recommend you contact an industry association, such as the CACEA - Canadian Association of Consulting Energy Advisors, for further support.

2. I am already a Canadian Association of Consulting Energy Advisors (CACEA) member. Why should I also join the HPCN?

There are multiple benefits for professionals who join the HPCN, including:

• Subsidized training up to $1,200 per eligible employee (available until May 2026 while funding lasts).
• Public recognition for quality work and the use of the Home Performance Contractor Network logo.
• Business information displayed in a public directory/search tool, which is promoted across BC, to reduce advertising costs, level the playing field, and increase ease of customer access.
• Invitations to exclusive networking, engagement, and training opportunities for home performance professionals and stakeholders.

Plus, your CACAE membership allows you to fast track the HPCN registration process. You will not be required to provide customer references, and certain business documents.

3. Is the training mandatory and how was it selected/developed? I/my employees have completed other industry training and/or have been working in the industry for years, do I/my employee still need to take this training?

Completion of the specified training is mandatory for all contractors, and their and installer(s), who wish to join the HPCN. If you have previously completed a required training course before applying to the HPCN, and have a certificate of completion for it, you are not required to retake the training. When industry members proposed priority actions to support the growth of the home performance industry during the development of the Working Roadmap, they identified prescriptive training as an important factor to improve quality whole-home retrofits. The HPSC worked with industry representatives from each sector to identify training needs, complete a gap analysis of existing resources, and select existing training and/or develop new training. You can read more about the development process of the required training here. Mandatory training for home performance sectors can benefit all companies and individuals, across all levels and years of experience. It helps ensure that you and your company have access to the latest information and resources for renovating with a whole-home approach in BC. It provides greater consistency in retrofit approaches, which leads to greater customer satisfaction and a more level playing field for your business. It also helps enhance the overall reputation of the retrofit industry by increasing the quantity of well-trained retrofit contractors in BC; a strong reputation can increase support for the industry and open up new opportunities for your business.

4. Can I/we challenge the required training for a sector? I/my employees have a trade designation or other qualifications that surpass these requirements.

Currently, all contractors registering in the HPCN must complete the mandatory qualifications and are unable to challenge them. There are a few reasons for this:

• The mandatory requirements are chosen for their specificity to retrofits (rather than new construction), British Columbia (rather than being non-region specific), and current best practices. Not all industry qualifications are deemed equal on these variables by the HPSC Sector Councils.
• In terms of the option to challenge the requirements with an exam: it is the desire of the Sector Councils to have contractors in the HPCN trained in the standard approach outlined above, rather than only passing a knowledge check.

For standardization and logistics purposes, the current HPCN requirements will remain in place for now. The HPSC continues to be committed to working with industry leaders to identify future enhancements to the HPCN. To share your feedback on the HPCN and its requirements, we encourage you to

1. Consider joining a Sector Council to help shape the HPCN and other industry initiatives
2. Send your feedback to info@homeperformance.ca