Certified Energy Manager (CEM) vs. Certified Energy Auditor (CEA) | What’s the Difference?

Registering for a certification program is a step in the right direction. Becoming a certified energy professional has a number of benefits, including being properly equipped with the knowledge and tools to bring energy management into financial and operational conversations in your organization.

But how do you know which course to register for?

The overall answer to that question is: Determining the course that is the best fit for you depends on your work requirements. Does your role require you to supervise and manage facility energy audits and energy management programs? Do you work in the industrial, building and public service sectors? Are you looking to expand your services to conduct audits for clients?

Review this comparative overview to determine which certification is the best fit for you.

Certified Energy Manager (CEM ®)

Course Duration: 5 days
Overview: This is in-depth, thorough course which is focused on the technical, economical and regulatory aspects of energy efficiency management. It’s a comprehensive program and will provide you with a wide range of benefits to help you thrive in your occupation. This course covers:

• Energy supply, uses and management in buildings (commercial and institutional sectors)
• Understanding how energy can be used more efficiently
• Relationships between energy and building environments
• Basic design concepts for constructing green buildings and facilities
• Systems and equipment for building and manufacturing plants
• Demonstrating and understanding the latest energy cost reduction techniques and strategies
• Problem solving activities
• Examination (takes place on the afternoon of day five)

See upcoming CEM course dates

Certified Energy Auditor (CEA ™)

Course Duration: 4 days
Overview: This course focuses on audits for commercial and industrial buildings only and does not qualify you to perform residential audits. This course will prepare you for the Association of Energy Engineers’ (AEE) CEA™ exam by expanding your knowledge of energy auditing. This course covers:

• Knowledge and understanding to assess how energy is used by facilities
• Fundamentals to identify consumption reduction potential
• Use of calculation methods
• Understanding via practical examples
• Examination (which takes place the morning of the fourth day)

See upcoming CEA course dates

CIET is the exclusively authorised Canadian trainer of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) for delivery of the CEA® and CEM™ programs. See our full calendar of upcoming courses.