A foreseeable bottleneck in the anticipated launch of the Ohio Home Energy Savers Program was ensuring there was a qualified, skilled workforce for this first-come, first-served energy efficiency rebate program. Recognizing this need—and lack of local training sites—City Council prioritized funding in 2025 to support the upskilling of local contractors. 

A landscape analysis revealed that the nearest energy assessor training sites were at least an hour from Cincinnati, with several local organizations sending staff to Athens, Ohio or Louisville, Kentucky for training and certification. To remove this barrier, efforts were made to establish local training opportunities in the residential energy auditor career pathway. 

Funded by the City of Cincinnati and in collaboration with Green Umbrella, Home Energy Services Group was selected as the Building Performance Institute (BPI) training provider to address this workforce need. The first contractor upskilling training pilot cohort launched in October, followed by two additional cohorts. Training included Building Science Principles (BSP), Building Analyst Technician (BA-T), and Building Analyst Professional (BA-P) certifications equipping participants for emerging energy efficiency business opportunities.  

 

Due to significant interest and demand, all of the initially funded training spots have been filled. Home Energy Services Group continues to progressively conduct field training and testing toward the goal of 25 individuals trained at the Building Analyst Professional certificate level with the city funds invested.  

A graduation celebration is planned for January to recognize trainees and foster additional opportunities for support, networking, job seeking, and business development.  

To learn more and sign up for future training opportunities, visit the Home Energy Services website.