Remote Testing Now Available for CCP and ACP

BCCB is very excited to announce that you are now able to schedule and sit for your exam from the safety and convenience of your home.    Working with our exam administration partner, Prometric, we have implemented a remote proctoring solution that is available to all candidates immediately.  You will need a camera, microphone, quiet well-lit room, and clean area if you wish to utilize this testing solution.

To prepare for your exam session you will:

  • CLICK HERE to review the ProProctor User Guide in preparation for your exam.
  • Carefully read the Remote Proctoring Regulations listed below and adjust your testing environment accordingly.
  • PRIOR to your exam launch, CLICK HERE to install the ProProctor Application and perform a System Check

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Aimée Brown at abrown@bcxa.org.

The Commissioning Profession Through a Student’s Eyes – Letter from the BCCB President

Greetings fellow commissioning providers,

We take for granted what we already know and have experienced; the younger generations are eager to have those same experiences. The cool projects, the amazing buildings, the jaw-dropping stories—they want to be able to tell those stories from their own experience. I recently attended the New Construction (NCCx) and Existing Building (EBCx) commissioning courses taught by Craig Hawkins and Tracey Jumper in Vancouver, B.C. There was a total of 47 students, including myself, who furthered our commissioning skills and knowledge during these four days of training. What struck me most was the wide range of age and experience in the room. What made me really happy was the number of young, up-and-coming commissioning providers (CxPs) who saw the value of learning from the best and taking the BCxA’s Essential Attributes back into their careers. In the two 2-day courses, I was able to see commissioning through the eyes of students.

The younger generations are eager to learn and eager to bring the lessons learned from those with a bit of grey hair (Craig) to those who are their role models (Tracey) for shaping the future of commissioning. Commissioning is not taught in most universities which, for the most part, don’t provide classes on HVAC until graduate school. BCxA University and its peers/mentors are where newer entrants get their knowledge. We are their educators! This struck me—how important it is to have the fundamentals of what is taught in the BCxA’s courses, webinars and TechTalks, and how important it is to attain the credentials of a Certified Commissioning Professional (CCP) or Associate Commissioning Professional (ACP), and become a Certified Commissioning Firm (CCF). With leaders who are qualified and adhering to the Essential Attributes, our industry will remain strong, competent and respected.

I have had the pleasure of being involved on the BCCB board for 18 months now. My first year was as Vice President and now I am President. I have witnessed steady growth in the number of CCPs. Now that the ACP program is up and running, there is a significant increase in ACPs, and in Requests For Proposals (RFPs) or Request For Qualifications (RFQs) that mandate holding the CCP credential. That bodes well for the BCxA and BCCB, our companies and our futures. One student asked me how long it would be, after graduating, before she could qualify to write the ACP exam and then the CCP exam. Those types of questions mean we are getting the proper message out there and that the future leaders of our profession are recognizing the importance of certification.

On behalf of the BCCB, we thank all of the current CCPs, ACPs and Certified Commissioning Firms (CCFs) for their continued renewal and support. We encourage you to continue your Continuing Education by attending training courses (i.e., NCCx and EBCx) and the BCxA’s National Conference. Encourage the younger commissioning providers in your businesses to strive to become an ACP and CCP. With continued support and growth, we will all ensure that our building owners get the buildings that they envisioned at the beginning of their projects. We are quite often the last people the owner interacts with on site; let’s keep our image strong and respected. That begins and ends with the people we are training.

Kevin Thurston, P. Eng., CEM, CCP, BCCB President

Thurston Engineering Services, CCF

It’s about the people. Christopher W. Piché, BCCB President

Christopher W. Piché, BCCB President
Integral Group

Members of the Building Commissioning Community,

Generally speaking, efforts to create intelligent or “smart” buildings, neighborhoods and cities have focused on data and technological solutions. Philosophically, you could enter into an extended dialogue as to how we should define “intelligent” in this context – the fact remains that the amount of information available for providing feedback and optimizing our built environment has never been greater than it is today. And yet, with this plethora of data & analytics, our Facility Managers continue to struggle with achieving their end goal – continual optimization of their environment.

Although it is true that our buildings are getting smarter, our focus must continue to shift towards the indoor environment, and the creation of buildings that are capable of adapting to needs of the Occupant, rather than the Occupant adapting to the needs of the building.

We need a radical shift in how we commission and, more importantly, support our Facility Managers in the ongoing operation of their built environment. The data and technology should be treated as enablers to make this happen – not as the end goal.

The opportunity for the commissioning provider to drive and influence change has never been greater. With that comes a need to adapt how we, as an organization, support the continued education and development of the commissioning provider.

For those of you who are currently providers, I encourage you to continue to develop your skills and maintain your ANAB-accredited and Better Buildings-recognized Certified Commissioning Professional (CCP) designation; for those of you entering the industry, our Associate Commissioning Professional (ACP) program has undergone a complete refresh, and is the perfect starting point for launching your career in the commissioning practice. These certifications are not simply intended to provide you with a designation – they are created to support you on your path towards transforming the built environment and supporting your clients.

On behalf of the BCCB, I would like to thank you for your continued support and patronage. Our infrastructure is strong, and the active engagement of our certificants is what will continue to drive the organization forward. As such, I encourage you to reach out and share your insights as to how we are doing, and let us know what else we can be doing to support your career objectives.

Many hands make light work… and while there is always work to be done, together we can drive the change necessary to advance the commissioning practice to the next level.

After all – it’s about the people.