July 27, 2022
Athena Institute partners with BCIT to develop a credentialing program
The Athena Sustainable Materials Institute and the Zero Energy/Zero Emissions Buildings Learning Centre at the BC Institute of Technology (BCIT) have again collaborated to create new educational opportunities for whole-building LCA practitioners.
Earlier this year, two remote-learning courses were developed and offered to a sold-out inaugural cohort. Those courses will be offered again this fall.
Those will be followed in early 2023 with two additional courses currently in development. Upon completion of all four courses, participants will earn North America’s first “Whole-building LCA Professional” microcredential.
Learn more about this Whole-Building Life Cycle Assessment Professional microcredential through BCIT.
The first two courses are now open for registration. This is self-directed remote learning (with some live components), making it easy for working professionals across N. America. These courses are specific to whole-building LCA and intended for practitioners who want a solid technical foundation when using simplified whole-building LCA tools. While the second course uses the Athena Impact Estimator for a hands-on component, the course covers fundamentals about data sources, interpretation, reporting and uncertainty that are relevant to all tools.
Non-Canadians: please note BCIT will charge an international student fee three times the posted fee.
Sept 12 – Oct 10, 2022 XZEB 1160 – Introduction to Embodied Carbon & Whole-Building Life Cycle Assessment
This course provides the LCA technical fundamentals needed for effective practice of WBLCA or use of WBLCA results and EPDs. This is an introduction to LCA standards, methods and data. This technical foundation is important to establishing WBLCA and EPD expertise. 100% online with live tutorials on three Wednesday afternoons.
Oct 17 – Nov 21, 2022 XZEB 1165 – Whole-Building Life Cycle Assessment Using Impact Estimator for Buildings
This course builds on the technical foundation developed in course 1160 and moves into the practice of WBLCA. While still supported by the fundamental LCA standards we learned in 1160, we turn here to the new National Guidelines for Whole-building LCA, published by the National Research Council Canada, as our primary “standard.” Two exercises with the Impact Estimator software are conducted. 100% online with live tutorials three Wednesday afternoons.
Instructor: Jennifer O’Connor, Athena Sustainable Materials Institute
Stay tuned for registration in late October for the final two courses in early 2023.
Early 2023 XZEB 1166 – Advanced Topics in Whole-Building Life Cycle Assessment
This course leans on the fundamentals of LCA and practical experience in whole-building LCA to dive deeper into advanced topics. We will learn about complexities in data, including a closer look at EPDs, data quality, and scenarios, as well as compiling the material quantity data for a building model. We’ll also look at advanced method issues such as Module D and biogenic carbon, advanced interpretation tasks like sensitivity analysis, benchmarks and baselines, and comparisons. We then learn the advanced WBLCA web tool, “Athena Building LCA.” 100% online with live tutorials Wednesday afternoons.
Early 2023 XZEB 1169 – Whole-Building Life Cycle Assessment Final Project
This course is entirely focused on applying the knowledge from the prerequisite courses in a final project, where learners will conduct a thorough whole-building LCA and produce a comprehensive report in alignment with the national guidelines for whole-building LCA. Upon completion of this project-based course, receive a microcredential certifying your skills in whole-building LCA. 100% online with live tutorials Wednesday afternoons.
Questions?
Contact Melissa Hamer at melissa_hamer@bcit.ca.
