Important Updates on Phius Certification Courses and Trainings

In this week’s blog, Phius Professional Training and Education Programs Manager Josh Ruedin provides important updates related to Phius trainings and professional certification courses. 

We have made important updates to Phius training programs that I’d like to dive right in and break down for you.  

Professional Certifications and Renewals

One of the most significant updates affects professional certification renewals. First, all professional certifications will be valid for 3 years in order to align certifications and make them consistent. 

Recognizing that there are many ways for professionals to keep their knowledge and credentials up to date, we are happy to share that all professionals will have the same 3 paths to renewing their certification. One of these must be completed before your credentials expire.

1. Obtain CEUs from Phius and Phius partner CEU-approved events and self-report them in the new Phius portal. This is similar to what CPHC®s have been doing (though greatly simplified on our new portal) but offers a new option for Builders, Verifiers and Raters.
2. Work on a Phius Certified project. Being listed as the CPHC, CPHB, Rater, or Verifier on a Phius design certified or certified project will meet the requirements to renew your certification.
3. Take and pass a recertification exam. All professionals will have the option to pay to take a recertification exam in lieu of tracking CEUs or working on a project.

For more specific information, please visit the Maintain Your Professional Credentials page.

Registration Changes for Existing Certification Training

Our goal with training and certification is to make them available to as many professionals as possible while keeping the registration process simple and straightforward. Here are some of the changes that are coming:

• Phius Certified Consultant (CPHC®)
  • Phase I Registration will now include 12 months of access to content on the Phius Training Site, and will automatically enroll you in the Phase I Exam (previously called the Online Exam). 
    • The Phase I Exam can be completed at any time within your 12-month access, and becomes available immediately upon enrollment. The exam still has a 3-hour time limit, and must be completed in one sitting.
  • Phase II Registration
    • Phase II registration now includes registration to the Phase II Design Exam. Design exams will continue to be available on a regular basis at the conclusion of Phase II training. Registrants will be enrolled in the Phase II Design Exam that starts at the conclusion of their Phase II training, and may request to reschedule the exam one time at no additional cost.
  • Evening Sessions
    • Because not everyone can join during our typical CPHC Phase II class hours, we have 2 Phase II classes that will be offered in the evening (6-9 PM CST) in May and September.
• Phius Certified Rater and Phius Certified Verifier
  • Training and Application process
    • Both trainings will now be open to any and all who are interested; there is no application or approval required.
    • To become a Phius Certified Rater or Verifier, you must apply and be approved to take the exam.
    • Training and the certification exam will now be 2 separate registrations. 
      • We want the training and knowledge to be more widely available, and there are many who are interested in the QA process who will not serve as the QA professional on any projects.
  • Phius Certified Verifier – Baseline and Multifamily
    • To align with prerequisite programs, such as EPA Energy Star and RESNET/HERS, Verifiers who will be certifying multifamily projects will need the multifamily designation. 
    • All existing Verifiers will have the baseline Verifier certification until they complete the multifamily requirements.
    • More information about these changes is available on the Verifier page, and in a recent webinar which is available for free at the link below (and worth 1 CEU)
      • Phius Certified Rater and Verifier program updates - March 2022 
  • Additional exam availability
    • With the changes to training and certification requirements, we will be offering standalone exam opportunities more frequently, particularly to meet the needs of Verifiers seeking the multifamily designation.
• Phius Certified Builder (CPHB)
  • No changes to the training content/requirements here, but we are excited to share that Dan Whitmore is getting some backup (and a few days off!) as we onboard 9 new CPHB instructors. Look for more information about our new instructors in the future.

More Training

To meet the continuing education needs of our community, we have recently launched new training offerings, including the new Intro to THERM workshop, WUFI Passive Advanced - Multifamily, and the Phius Prescriptive Path training. Even more offerings are in the works and we’ll provide more information when those become available.