That's right: free. Since the classes are covered by fees your building pays annually, there is no cost for union members. The only downside is that your employee will be absent during the once-a-week class, held Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for five consecutive weeks. But after completing the course and passing written and field exams, the participants will receive professional accreditation as a Multi-family Energy Efficient Building Operator. Additional information can be found at 1000supers.com.

I am pleased to announce that I am the first management-company representative to be taking the course. My weekly report will offer you firsthand insight into the program.

Day 1 - Thursday, October 22, 2009

I arrived at Local 32BJ's headquarters at 101 Avenue of the Americas at 8:35 a.m. to attend my 9 o'clock class. Security was tight, but my name was on a list at the desk, and I was permitted to proceed to the eighth floor. Greeted by program coordinator Bob Muldoon, I was directed to the classroom. Since I was early and the first to arrive, Bob gave me a mini tour of the facility, which includes classrooms set up to teach appliance repair, plumbing, electrical work, etc.

Our course outline for today would include: building science, building envelope and lighting, and appliance and plug load. It may not sound very interesting, but it was.

We began with a 10-question quiz including: What is a BTU, what is convection, and what is the balance point to calculate degree days. Then we spent the day learning:

• How to try to maintain relative humidity levels of 30%-60% to reduce the chance of mold.

• Tell-tale signs of a poorly insulated building.

• What are vapor barriers and how they make a building more energy-efficient.

• How to inspect a building and discover poorly insulated or sealed areas.

• How to seal and insulate the top of a building to reduce the stack effect, reducing energy loss.

• The use of caulks, sealants and other air-sealing products.

• The pros and cons of different types of insulation.

• About types of windows.

• About controlling moisture.

• Green options for light fixtures and bulbs. For example, the T12 fluorescent bulb has been an industry standard and is in most of your building's basements, stairwells and back halls. But T8 bulbs use less electricity and provide more light. As an exercise, we broke into groups and learned how to change a fixtures ballast to retrofit it for a T8 bulb. And then on my own, I went to Home Depot and got the materials to change a T12 fixture to a T8 in my own home!

The other participants and I enjoyed our first day, and although eight hours in a classroom can be a little draining, we all came away with options to save money for our buildings, reduce energy consumption and reduce our carbon footprint. And that's just day one. Come back next Monday for my report on day two.