Certified Energy Analyst (CEA), Who They Are and Where to Find Them

Our Energy Code Coach hotline assists private and public sectors in answering tricky code questions, provide guidance to finding forms, and alleviate confusion between design team members. However, the Energy Code Coach service does not include the actual Title 24 documentation, so we commonly have inquiries that lead to ‘who can I hire to do this for me?’. Many owners, builders and design professionals alike run into the Energy Standards and are met with lengthy code language, mandatory, prescriptive, and/or performance requirements, and the complexity of completing the forms for permitting. After attempting to complete the work themselves, they often realize it would be more cost effective to find a consultant, which is a good time to reach out to a Certified Energy Analyst (CEA).

The California Building Standards Title 24 includes 12 Parts, but only Part 6, the Energy Code, has been coined ‘Title 24’ by the industry. Since the Energy Code is significantly updated every three years through the regular code cycle, the confusion of requirements across the construction industry is constant. The effort to assist the building sector started in 1987, when the California Energy Commission (CEC) contracted to create a Certified Energy Plans Examiner (CEPE) certification. Around the same time, a new organization emerged, the California Association of Building Energy Consultants, or CABEC.  CABEC is a non-profit organization “dedicated to providing up-to-date, reliable information about the California Title 24, Part 6 Energy Standards and related building energy efficiency topics.” In 1990 CABEC created its own Certified Energy Analyst (CEA) program and eventually took on the administration and support of the CEPE program as well.

The CEA certification through CABEC is the sole program for credentialling, training and overseeing the quality of professionals providing Title 24 Part 6 work to the industry. The CEA exam, offered individually for Residential or Non-residential, requires knowledge and competency of analyzing, modeling, and documenting a building for compliance with the Standards. New exams are developed and introduced for each code cycle.

When starting a new project and organizing design team members, it’s important to find a qualified individual or firm to assure a project’s compliance as smoothly as possible. Notably, California does not require a CEA credential to prepare Title 24 documentation; however, many teams opt to include a CEA, depending on the scope and complexity of the project.

The best resource for finding those companies or individuals is through CABEC itself, utilizing their directory in the ‘Find an Energy Consultant’ webpage. Searchable by name, certificate type, location, etc. these will be the most qualified individuals to help navigate the energy code. For more information, please use the link to CABEC below, visit the Find an Energy Consultant page or browse their various online resources.

• cabec.org