Individual Recertification:
Individuals will now be required to submit CECs and pay annual fees every year by December 31. New expiration dates for stamps and certificates will read December 31, XXXX. Failure to pay fees and/or submit CECs to NEBB by December 31 will result in late fees being assessed and compounded for Jan, Feb, and Mar. Failure to be in good standing by March 31 will result in automatic suspension, effective Apr 1. Failure to be in good standing by June 30 will result in automatic decertification on July 1.
What does this mean now?
Certified professionals employed with a NEBB Firm will be required to do the following by December 31, 2022, to maintain NEBB certification. | Certified professionals NOT employed with a NEBB firm will be required to do the following by December 31, 2022, to maintain NEBB certification. | Certified Technicians employed with a NEBB firm or not employed with a NEBB Firm will be required to do the following by December 31, 2022, to maintain NEBB certification. |
Submit 6 CECs | Submit 6 CECs | Submit 3 CECs |
Attest that the firm meets the 2023 NEBB instrument requirements | Pay individual annual fees | Pay individual annual fees |
Pay annual fees for the individual and firm. |
- Individual CECS and annual fees can be submitted and paid starting August 1
- Certified Professionals will be required to submit 6 CECs (only 3 can be non-NEBB)
- Certified Technicians will be required to submit 3 CECs (only 1.5 can be non-NEBB)
- Instead of submitting calibration sheets to the chapter for review, the Certified Professionals employed with a NEBB Firm will also have to attest that the firm meets the most current NEBB instrument requirements as a part of their annual recertification process, instead of submitting the instruments for review and approval.
Firm Recertification Process:
During the recertification process for the certified professionals employed with a NEBB firm, they will attest that their firm meets the most current NEBB instrument requirements. Firms will not be required to submit instruments via the certelligence portal anymore. Effective July 1, 2022, all NEBB firms must submit their current calibration sheets with every NEBB final report.
NEBB will conduct an annual instrument verification of the NEBB Firms. The NEBB Technical Director will work collaboratively with the Chapter Technical committee to complete the review. Non-compliance instrument verifications will be handled at the discretion of the NEBB Technical Director and NEBB Executive Vice President, who may contact the Chapter Affairs Committee for additional support to decide on corrective action.
Examples of corrective actions for firms who fail the instrument verification:
- Written corrective action, if applicable
- Administrative Actions
- Mentoring
- Suspension
Why these changes are being made:
Having a March 31 expiration date on stamps and certificates, allowing for a 3-month grace period after the December 31 deadline, has led to great confusion across the association. Paying annual fees but only collecting and reviewing instruments and CECs every other year added to the confusion. Moving to a yearly certification for firms and individuals clears up the confusion, provides precise requirements and deadlines, and will eliminate the potential for individuals and firms to be suspended because they are unsure of what they need to do and when. This straightforward approach will simplify the process, allowing the individual to pay, submit CECs, and attest (if applicable) all in one, making it much easier for all and eliminating unnecessary delays and frustration while keeping the high level of checks and balances with the instrument verification.
Instruments no longer must be submitted for review, moving the firm recertification into an instrument verification process. Why? Feedback from the chapters and individuals who submitted the instrumentation on behalf of the firms provided the same message – it was difficult and time-consuming for both parties. Constant delays in the review and issues with the online process led to frustration and delays. To create a streamlined process, the certified professionals employed by the firm will now attest that their firm meets the NEBB requirements annually. The NEBB Procedural Standard states that a NEBB firm must calibrate its instruments every 12 months. NEBB verified this was being done every 24 months, which also led to confusion during the instrument submission process. NEBB has over 750 firms. Instrument verifications will be selected at random each year.
OFFICIAL NOTICE:
NEBB Transitioning to an Annual Certification, effective July 1, 2022
Based on feedback from the last couple of recertification cycles from chapters and individuals, it was
determined that the NEBB recertification process needed to be modified to help streamline the efforts of the
individuals, firms, and chapters, making the process to maintain certification user-friendly, clear, and
straightforward.
Effective July 1, 2022, every firm and individual will now be required to recertify every year by December 31.
Moving forward, all stamps and certificates issued will now have an expiration date of December 31, NOT
March 31.
Firms will no longer be required to provide instrument submissions through Certelligence. To attest to meeting
the most current instrument requirements for the Firm, the Designated Certified Professional(s) will complete
the Firm attestation page during his/her annual recertification through Certelligence. If picked for a random
instrument verification, the Designated Certified Professional(s) will be required to follow the instrument
verification process, for each discipline in which the firm holds.
What does this mean for you? See the chart below!
Designated Certified Professionals will be required to do the following by December 31, 2022, to maintain NEBB certification. | Certified Professionals will be required to do the following by December 31, 2022, to maintain NEBB certification. | Certified Technicians will be required to do the following by December 31, 2022, to maintain NEBB certification. |
Submit 6 CECs, sign the Individual Code of Ethics and Arbitration Agreement | Submit 6 CECs, sign the Individual Code of Ethics and Arbitration Agreement | Submit 3 CECs, sign the Individual Code of Ethics and Arbitration Agreement |
Attest that the firm meets the 2023 NEBB instrument requirements, sign the Firm Code of Ethics and Arbitration Agreement | Pay individual annual fees | Pay individual annual fees |
Pay annual fees for the individual and firm. |
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: When do I have to have my individual CECs, sign the individual Code of Ethics and Arbitration Agreement, and pay annual fees to NEBB to maintain my annual certification?
A: December 31
Q: What happens if I don’t pay and/or submit my CECs by December 31?
A: Late fees are assessed starting Jan 1 and are compounded through March 31. Suspension goes into effect on April 1, and decertification is on July 1.
Q: How does my firm submit its recertification annually?
A: The Designated Certified Professional, for each discipline the firm is certified in, will fill out the attestation during the individual recertification submission.
Q. What happens if I am a Designated Certified Professional and don’t see the attestation page on my recertification submission? Or I am not the Designated Certified Professional, and I do see it?
A. please get in touch with certification@nebb.org to make sure your status is updated accordingly immediately.
Q: What happens if my firm is picked for instrument verification?
A: The Technical Director will notify the Designated Certified Professional via email and the local chapter. The following steps are defined in the Instrument Verification Process document.
Q: Who participates in the instrument verification?
A: Firms will randomly be chosen for instrument verification by the Technical Director. Once received, the TD will engage the local chapter Technical Committee Chair to collaborate in the review.
Q: What happens if my firm fails the instrument verification?
A: Non-compliance calibration sheets will be handled per the NEBB Operational Procedures and may require the Chapter Affairs Committee for additional support to decide on corrective action.
Examples of corrective actions for firms who fail the instrument verification:
- Written corrective action, if applicable
- Informal mediation
- Administrative Action
- Mentoring
- Suspension
Q: If my current expiration date reads 03/31/2023, do I need to submit CECs by December 31, 2022?
A: Yes, CPs need to submit 6 CECs, and CTs need to submit 3 CECs.
Q: If my current expiration date reads 03/31/2024, do I need to submit CECs by December 31, 2022?
A: Yes, CPs need to submit 6 CECs, and CTs need to submit 3 CECs.
Q: Do all my CECs have to be NEBB?
A: CPs have to submit 6 CECs annually. 3 CECs have to be NEBB approved, and 3 CECs can be non-NEBB. CTs have to submit 3 CECs annually. 1.5 CECs have to be NEBB approved, 1.5 can be non-NEBB.
Examples of acceptable NEBB CECs:
- NEBB Annual Conference
- NEBB Learning Center (NLC)
- Chapter Recertification Seminar
- NEBB Discipline Seminars
- ASHRAE e-Learning Courses
- NEBB Webinars
- New NEBB Certifications
Examples of non-NEBB CECs that require prior approval:
- Events from other industry-related professional organizations
- Leadership and Governance (NEBB committee and Leadership participation)
- Speaking/Articles/Technical Writings
- Trade Organization Sponsored Training
Please refer to the NEBB website calendar for options.
Q: Is there a defined Instrument Verification Process?
A: Yes, it can be downloaded , HERE