Building Operator Certification
General Program Information

BOC Graduates
Some of the BOC graduates of the first training series, which ended in April 2006.
What is Building Operator Certification (BOC)?
Building Operator Certification (BOC) is professional development training for operations and maintenance staff working in public, commercial and institutional buildings. The program offers a series of training courses on the energy and resource- efficient operation of buildings. Successfully completing these courses and their assigned projects qualifies individuals for certification awarded by the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA).

What are the goals of BOC?
BOC achieves measurable energy savings in the operation of public facilities and commercial buildings by training individuals directly responsible for day-to-day operations. The program establishes a standard of professional competence in energy and resource-efficient building operations and maintenance, identifying and recognizing the building operators who meet this standard.

What is covered in the training?
BOC training consists of a series of seven courses--eight full days of training-on building systems, energy-conservation techniques, HVAC systems and controls, lighting, environmental health and safety regulations, indoor air quality, and facility electrical systems. Descriptions of the seven courses are listed below.

BOC 101 - Building Systems Overview (1 Day)
Provides an overview of preventive maintenance; energy-efficiency principles; and fundamentals of building systems, equipment and operations. Reviews heating, cooling, ventilation and control systems, water, lighting, and indoor air quality. Covers system interaction and relationship to overall building performance. Provides a foundation for later courses.

Project: Facility and Equipment Floor Plan

BOC 102 - Energy Conservation Techniques (1 Day)
Helps operators gain a better understanding of how energy is used in commercial buildings and how to identify and prioritize conservation opportunities. Includes basic principles of energy accounting, evaluation of fuel options, operation and maintenance strategies to improve efficiency, and energy-management planning technique.

Project: Energy Use Profile for Facility

BOC 103 - HVAC Systems and Controls (2 Days)
Focuses on operation and maintenance of equipment and components typically found in commercial buildings, including central heating, cooling, air and ventilating systems in buildings. Provides an introduction to automatic control systems and equipment, particularly for central air systems. Emphasis is placed on group problem solving and exercises with respect to preventive maintenance.

Project: Heating System Operational Review

BOC 104 - Efficient Lighting Fundamentals (1 Day)
Covers lighting fundamentals and types of lighting for economical and energy- efficient lighting systems. Participants learn the principles of efficient lighting including evaluation of lighting levels, quality and maintenance. Other topics include lighting fixture and control technologies, common upgrades, retrofit and redesign options, and lighting management strategies as they apply to space use and function.

Project: Lighting Survey for Facility

BOC 105 - Environmental Health and Safety Regulations (1 Day)
Provides an overview of health, safety, energy and environmental regulations that impact facility operation. Stresses how to comply with the requirements of the most important health and safety regulations and how to use energy and maintenance-related codes to improve energy efficiency.

BOC 106 - Indoor Air Quality (1 Day)
Introduces the basic causes of indoor air quality problems and begins to develop a method of diagnosis and solution. Students will gain an understanding of the dynamic components of indoor air quality in relation to source control, occupant sensitivity and ventilation. Emphasis will be placed on communications with building occupants for reliable investigations without aggravating existing issues.

BOC 107 - Facility Electrical Systems (1 Day)
Develops an understanding of how electricity is distributed in a facility and common electrical distribution problems. This course will emphasize the fundamentals of electricity and its application to the workplace.

Project: Electrical Distribution Sketch for Facility

How is the training conducted and how long does it take?
BOC training includes classroom study, small group exercises, open-book exams and project assignments based on the participants' own facilities. Participants receive 56 hours of classroom training and complete five in-facility projects, each requiring approximately two hours of work outside the classroom. The projects are designed to demonstrate participants' competence in locating building heating and cooling equipment, distribution paths and control points; facility energy accounting; HVAC energy inspection reporting; and facility lighting surveys. Except for the course on HVAC systems, each course in the BOC training series is completed in a one-day training session. HVAC Systems and Controls is a two-day course. Typically, courses are scheduled one per month over a seven-month period.

How do I register for BOC?
To register for BOC courses in Missouri, see the schedule of courses on the BOC Web site. Complete the online registration form for your course or contact the Energy Center for more information.

What are the Costs of the Program?
The Energy Center of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, in cooperation with the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, is providing BOC training in Missouri with the generous support of AmerenUE, Columbia Water and Light, Springfield City Utilities and Kansas City Power and Light. Individuals working at organizations in these utilities' service areas are eligible to enroll in BOC training at a cost of $1,150. If you are employed by an organization that is not a customer of one of these utilities, please contact the Energy Center for more information about eligibility and costs to participate in the BOC training program.