PERC Propane Training Academy offers free online course
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) Propane Training Academy is offering a free online course for commercial construction professionals. The course outlines the motivations for using backup power, relevant code and standard requirements, and the fuel options available for commercial-grade backup power generators. Completion of the course, titled “Backup Power for Commercial Building — Market Drivers, Code Requirements, and Fuel Options for Backup Power,” will count toward continuing education credits from the American Institute of Architects, National Association of the Remodeling Industry, and the National Association of Home Builders.
According to a 2016 survey commissioned by PERC, businesses lacking a backup power system lost $9,500 on average from a single power outage. Costs associated with a power outage were wide ranging, but most often came in the form of lost revenue, building or equipment damage, and lost wages and productivity, the research found.
“We’re seeing a big increase in commercial properties incorporating backup power systems because of the long list of costs incurred by a business forced to endure a prolonged power outage,” said Bridget Kidd, PERC’s director of residential and commercial programs. “This course is designed to give professionals the education and training necessary as they take on more projects that will invariably include a backup power system.”
Completing the curriculum counts as:
- 1 AIA Learning Unit (LU) for Health, Safety and Welfare (HSW) training
- 1 NARI Continuing Education Unit (CEU)
- 1 NAHB Continuing Education (CE) hour
Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:
- Understand what it means for a commercial building to integrate backup power and common technology options used.
- Review the impacts of power outages, the frequency of outages, and the motivations of commercial businesses to use backup power.
- Describe relevant codes and standards that address the need for backup power systems in commercial buildings.
- Understand the benefits of propane as the fuel of choice for commercial generator systems.
The course, presented as an on-demand online webinar, is available for download for free from the PERC Propane Training Academy. To access the course, participants must register to become a member of the Propane Training Academy.
For a full list of on-demand online courses from the PERC Propane Training Academy, visit propanetrainingacademy.com.
