Programs & Courses

The Building Controls and Energy Management Advanced Certificate was developed in partnership with industry to meet the growing need for individuals with both energy management and building controls expertise. The aim of this program is to supply industry with graduates who can use controls and building automation systems to improve energy efficiency. This includes integration of this knowledge in all phases of a building’s life: sustainable design, construction, commissioning, and ongoing operation.

Learn more about the Building Controls and Energy Management Program.

Community energy management spans the traditional silos of current and long-range planning, policy, operations, engineering, transportation, finance, and others. This interdisciplinary sequence of six online courses provides a unique opportunity to refresh disciplines that you are already familiar with by viewing them through an energy lens while introducing new tools and concepts.

Learn more about the Community Energy Management Program.

The Sustainable Energy Management Advanced Certificate is designed to support employment opportunities in the emerging field of sustainable energy management, with focus on the energy demands of commercial, institutional, industrial and community facilities.

Learn more about the Sustainable Energy Management Program.

The Essentials Net-Zero and Passive House Construction microcredential is for individuals who want to gain the skills and knowledge to construct high-performance buildings to meet the BC Energy Step Code, Net-Zero Energy, and Passive House standards.

Every industry practitioner will benefit from an applied understanding of the unique requirements of Net-Zero and Passive House design and construction. The microcredential contains four courses with the essentials needed for understanding building enclosures, electrical and mechanical systems, and processes and considerations for these new codes and standards using practical examples of wood-framed construction from seasoned industry leaders.

Learn more about the Essentials Net-Zero and Passive House Construction microcredential.

The Supervising Net-Zero and Passive House Construction microcredential is for individuals in the construction industry or those who have recently completed a related construction program and seek to gain the skills, knowledge, and tools unique to supervising construction on Net-Zero, Net-Zero-Ready, or Passive House construction projects.

Whether you want to coordinate and supervise smaller teams and sub-trades on smaller projects (Part 9 buildings) or work with larger teams on complex projects (larger Part 9 or Part 3 wood-frame buildings), you will develop your ability to manage compliance with the performance requirements of BC Energy Step Code and Net-Zero Energy and Passive House standards, and prepare for the upcoming changes to the National Building Code. The microcredential consists of five courses using practical examples of wood-framed construction from seasoned industry leaders.

Learn more about the Supervising Net-Zero and Passive House Construction microcredential.

The Whole-Building Life Cycle Assessment Professional microcredential provides the knowledge and skills needed to effectively use LCA in design decisions for works of construction. Developed in partnership with the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute, this microcredential consists of four courses delivered online by experienced LCA professionals through a combination of self-paced work and virtual live lectures.

You will gain foundational knowledge of life cycle thinking, embodied carbon, and LCA standards and methods that you will apply as you conduct whole-building LCAs and calculate the carbon impact of building materials using Athena’s free LCA software. You will complete the microcredential with a final project where you will undertake a thorough whole-building LCA and produce a comprehensive report in compliance with the national guidelines on whole-building LCA.

Learn more about the Whole-Building Life Cycle Assessment Professional microcredential.

This course covers the fundamentals of for zero energy/emissions and Passive House buildings, with focus on wood-frame construction. The course will help learners develop their knowledge of international, national and provincial zero energy/emissions buildings codes and standards. Students will also develop an understanding of zero energy/emissions buildings principles, science, systems, materials and cost. The course presents multiple case studies and provides a strong foundation for subsequent zero energy/emissions building courses.

Learn more about or register for XZEB 1001.

This course focuses on an integrated approach to residential HVAC mechanical equipment to meet national and provincial zero energy (BC Energy Step Code) requirements and Passive House standards. The course will help learners understand the best practices from the design to verification of HVAC systems in residential projects. Through case studies and industry experts, learners will recognize the unintended consequences of poorly selected, designed, installed, and verified systems and practices for planning, coordinating, and verifying mechanical HVAC systems to ensure project performance and owner satisfaction.

Learn more about or register for XZEB 1140.

The course introduces practical skills and provides hands-on experiences required for single-family residential air source heat pump installation. The instructor will demonstrate techniques for quality installation and students will learn by working with live and simulated equipment. This course is offered in the BCIT High-Performance Building Lab which hosts two different central heat pumps, a dual fuel system, and a multi-zone heat pump with a wall-mounted mini split, a slim duct indoor unit, a ceiling cassette, and a vertical central air handling unit. Students will develop an understanding of how the quality of a heat pump installation affects its performance.

The course builds on the experience and theoretical knowledge of residential HVAC contractors, who are predominantly plumbers, gas fitters, and sheet metal workers.

Learn more about or register for XZEB 1143.

This introductory course focuses on integrated solar photovoltaic (PV) and electrical systems in Zero Energy or Passive House homes. The course will outline the decision-making for planning, designing, and constructing/renovating a Zero Energy home with integrated solar PV and electrical systems. It applies “lessons learned” from case studies of Zero Energy homes equipped with solar PV technology. Key topics include critical elements of a design-build process, pre-design considerations and requirements, future-proofing for new technologies and electrical circuit load capacity, equipment and monitoring options, and hand-off best practices.

Learn more about or register for XZEB 1150.

This introductory course is for architects, home designers and builders, energy advisors and energy modellers, engineers, policymakers, and other professionals who will influence or perform whole-building Life Cycle Assessments (LCA’s). Minimal prior knowledge is required other than a basic understanding of buildings, material quantities in buildings, and construction materials. The course equips participants with the knowledge and skills to properly and effectively use LCA in designing buildings. Proper modelling and reporting of a building are critical in making important design or policy decisions to achieve the desired environmental performance.

Learn more about or register for XZEB 1160.

This course introduces the fundamentals of Deep Energy/Emissions Deep Retrofits, with a focus on single-family and small multi-family buildings. The course will clarify the context for, and help learners develop their knowledge of various types of Deep Retrofits. International retrofit standards such as the Passive House EnerPHit and Living Future Institute Zero Carbon will also be introduced. Students will develop an understanding of various options available to assess an existing building for its Deep Retrofit potential. Students will also be introduced to elements of behavioural economics that may influence homeowners’ decisions during a Deep Retrofit journey. The course provides a strong foundation for other Deep Retrofit courses, including a future course on planning and executing Deep Retrofit plans.

Learn more or register for XZEB 1180.

This course introduces the principles, procedures and benefits of energy modelling to enable building professionals to usefully and efficiently incorporate energy modelling into the design process.

Learn more about or register for CESA 7100.

To register, each student must have a nine (9) digit student ID (A########).

• BCIT Alumni? Recover your student ID number
• New to BCIT? Create a student ID number

Registration Options

A) Regular Registration

Student registers and tuition is paid by student (see Payment Options below).

PROS – easiest and fastest registration option.
CONS –tuition refunds are issued to the student not the individual/business who paid tuition.

More details at: Register for Part-time Courses

B) Sponsorship Registration (e.g.: your employer pays)

Sponsorship is when a company or agency has agreed to be invoiced for a student’s tuition and wants to handle all payments directly with BCIT.  Two steps are required:

Student registers for the course on-line.

Business submits an Authorization Letter agreeing to sponsorship (Sample). BCIT will invoice the business.

Send the Authorization Letter to BCIT Student Information and Enrollment Services by e-mail to sponsorship@bcit.ca

PROS – business is invoiced for tuition and in the event of course cancellation, refund is issued to business not the student.

More details at: BCIT Sponsorship

Payment Options

BCIT does not accept credit cards.  The most common payment options are summarized below.  Full details are at BCIT Payment Options.

A) Online Banking

BCIT accepts payment from Canadian banks and credit unions in Canadian funds and it is the recommended method for paying fees.

• Use “BCIT – Tuition Payments” as a PAYEE to pay for your courses.
• Your nine (9) digit student ID (A########) is your account number. If the student ID is not present, the funds will be returned to your financial institution.

B) Cheque

Students will be dropped from courses for non-payment if payment is not received within a few business days of registration. If you are sending a cheque in the mail please do the following:

• List the nine (9) digit student ID (A########) is number on the cheque.
• Notify BCIT Payments by email to make clear that payment is in the mail to avoid being dropped for non-payment.  Send your email to BCIT_Payments@bcit.ca  and include student ID number.
• Mail Cheque to :

Student Information and Enrolment Services
Building SW1 – First Floor  3700 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby BC   V5G 3H2