Certified Energy Manager (CEM), Certified Power Quality Professional (CPQ)..worth it?

[lielec11]

I've seen a few colleagues with CEM and CPQ in their email signatures and did some looking into on them. Both are given out by the Association of Energy Engineers. Do these really mean anything? Obviously the individual had the credentials to sit for an exam and scored well enough to achieve the certification. But has anyone heard of a client specifically requesting an individual with one of these certs work on their project? Or an employer specifically looking to hire someone with these certs? I haven't come across any of these in job interviews as an individual or part of my company.

 

[Jraef]

I've seen a few colleagues with CEM and CPQ in their email signatures and did some looking into on them. Both are given out by the Association of Energy Engineers. Do these really mean anything? Obviously the individual had the credentials to sit for an exam and scored well enough to achieve the certification. But has anyone heard of a client specifically requesting an individual with one of these certs work on their project? Or an employer specifically looking to hire someone with these certs? I haven't come across any of these in job interviews as an individual or part of my company.

For an electrician, probably not. For an EE or ME, maybe a little extra "cachet" to spice up an otherwise run-of-the-mill resume. The workplaces where I see people throw that title around tend to be large companies with very large and/or multiple campus facilities where their is a lot of WAGES to keep track of (WAGES = Water, Air, Gas, Electricity and Steam); it's not just about electricity.

But I suppose that if you were an electrician with a CEM or CPQ title, you might be able to drum up a little extra business selling and installing electrical energy management programs or if you specialized in a particular TYPE of electrical equipment used for that. Someone selling energy efficient lighting or lighting controls for example. I looked into it a few years ago with an eye to the work I do with VFDs, but the cost was too high to get it and there was no definable ROI for me.

But then a CEM is also sometimes used as a position created because the corporate overlords want to have someone to blame for energy waste when it starts to show up on the bottom line and the stockholders demand a sacrificial lamb... I've see two guys take the fall for that in the last 5 years. The overlords wouldn't give them any budget money to implement ideas, but when the energy costs caused a dip in the stock price, they were the fall guys. No thanks...

 

[lielec11]

Yes I was specifically talking about engineers, sorry for not being more direct up front.

It does seem like another alphabet soup type of certification to get. Personally I don't see the benefit of the time/money spent to obtain them but thought others here might have had different experiences.

 

[mgookin]

I don't know about those credentials in particular but on any credentials in general I suggest you look into periodic renewal fees and continuing education requirements so you can make an informed decision and know what you're getting into.

 

[Jraef]

Yes I was specifically talking about engineers, sorry for not being more direct up front.

It does seem like another alphabet soup type of certification to get. Personally I don't see the benefit of the time/money spent to obtain them but thought others here might have had different experiences.

As I see it, there is always someone out there with their hand out looking for a revenue stream. In a lot of big organizations, there are requirements for continuing "improvement" of oneself so that has created a secondary industry of people offering classes and certificates that help employees satisfy that need.

I am in one of those organizations, so every year I have a Personal Development Review in which I must declare what I will do to improve my skills and move toward my next position (even though I am happy where I am...). That's why I looked into that CEM program, I needed something to say that I was working toward, otherwise they think I am not "striving" enough. If they were to offer to pay for it, I would do it. But on my own dime I want an ROI, and I didn't see it. I took a "Time management" class for a week, that satisfied them last year and cost me a lot lot less. This year, in fact this MONTH, I have to find something new to say I am going to accomplish.

I'm thinking Underwater Basketweaving...

 

[lielec11]

As I see it, there is always someone out there with their hand out looking for a revenue stream. In a lot of big organizations, there are requirements for continuing "improvement" of oneself so that has created a secondary industry of people offering classes and certificates that help employees satisfy that need.

I am in one of those organizations, so every year I have a Personal Development Review in which I must declare what I will do to improve my skills and move toward my next position (even though I am happy where I am...). That's why I looked into that CEM program, I needed something to say that I was working toward, otherwise they think I am not "striving" enough. If they were to offer to pay for it, I would do it. But on my own dime I want an ROI, and I didn't see it. I took a "Time management" class for a week, that satisfied them last year and cost me a lot lot less. This year, in fact this MONTH, I have to find something new to say I am going to accomplish.

I'm thinking Underwater Basketweaving...

UW Basketweaving?! Psshh, you're way behind with that one. Try Coloring in the Lines while Skydiving. Think outside the box man, cmon!

 

[ron]

Those type of programs are good for engineers that don't have a PE. Once you have a PE, the need for the other letters severely decrease.

 

[lielec11]

Those type of programs are good for engineers that don't have a PE. Once you have a PE, the need for the other letters severely decrease.

So since I have PE there is basically no need? That is what I figured, again I was just curious as to someone who had "PE, CEM, CPQ, LEED AP, etc etc" after their name in an email and I had never seen the CEM and CPQ before. Thanks.

 

[ron]

So since I have PE there is basically no need? That is what I figured, again I was just curious as to someone who had "PE, CEM, CPQ, LEED AP, etc etc" after their name in an email and I had never seen the CEM and CPQ before. Thanks.

That is my opinion. If you like to learn (which I hope all of us do), you can do that without the headache of achieving these certifications which have a significant cost.

Some people just like letters, so it is not wrong either way.

 

[tish53]

I have a CEM certification. It is valuable for someone who deals mostly in energy management, utility tariff issues, energy conservation, etc. The 5 day course is very informative and test was challenging.