Local Green Building Training and Certification Programs for Contractors

Due to the number of green buildings in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, in addition to local mandates and resolutions that encourage sustainable practices in construction, local contractors in Alexandria have a variety of green building certification and training opportunities available to them, including:

LEED® Green Associate and LEED Professional Accreditation exam prep classes:
The LEED Green Associate credential and the various LEED-Accredited Professional (LEED AP) designations are designed for professionals interested in green building , design, construction, operations and LEED principles. Classes are offered through a variety of education providers throughout the metro DC-area.

Green Advantage® 
training and certification is specifically oriented toward contractors and trades people, providing education in general green building knowledge, construction concepts and materials. Classes are offered through a limited number of providers in the metro DC-area, and classes in Spanish are currently only offered by Sustainable Design Consulting in partnership with magna Group.

EarthCraft Virginia offers a variety of trainings for builders, including EarthCraft Single-Family, EarthCraft Mulit-Family, Energy Efficient HVAC and WaterSense trainings.

“Alternative Energy Systems” training is offered by the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC), Local Union 26 and the DC Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). This 14-week class focuses on Solar Photovoltaics, Wind, Geothermal, Biomass, Hydro and Cogeneration.

The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) offers online, downloadable and in-person instruction including Construction Document Education and Construction Specification Education Programs that incorporate Green Building-Green Format™ and Sustainability Resources.

Associated Builders and Contractors of Virginia (ABC-VA) offers Sustainability Awareness Training and Green Training for the Craft Worker 4-hour certification classes.

The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) offers several classes on green building, including “Your Role in the Green Environment”, “Green Topics in HVAC”, “Introduction to Weatherization”, “Introduction to Solar Photovoltaics” and “Supervising Green Construction Projects” in five Metro DC locations.

The Green Builders Council of DC (GBCDC) and Goodwill of Greater Washington offer a “Pathways out of Poverty Program” that provides green building job training.

The Green Building Institute offers certification preparation classes for contractors interested in becoming “Solar Thermal Installers” that can design, install and troubleshoot solar thermal systems, including solar water heating.

The Green Business Institute offers Energy Audit Training, Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Certification courses, BPI Building Analyst Training and Certification, as well as training in Solar, Energy Efficiency Retrofits, Green Building Schools and Mold Certification.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) offers a multitude of classes on sustainable building practices, among them “Advanced Green Building: Building Science”, “Advanced Green Building: Project Management” and “Green Building for Professionals”.

Opportunities for Green Building Training:
US Green Building Council Courses
Green Advantage
Sustainable Design Consulting
EarthCraft Virginia
Washington DC JATC
Construction Specifications Institute
ABC-VA | Green Training
National Center for Construction Education and Research
Green Builders Council of DC
Green Building Institute
Green Business Institute
National Association of Home Builders