California Association of Building Energy Consultants

What California Association of Building Energy Consultants does

California Association of Building Energy Consultants (CABEC) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 1985 and headquartered in Carlsbad, California, that serves approximately 2,828 individual energy consultants and analysts working on California Title 24 Part 6 building energy code compliance. Its core function is certification and professional development: it administers three credentialing programs — the Certified Energy Analyst (CEA), Associate Energy Analyst (AEA), and Energy Code Specialist (ECS) — each requiring annual continuing education (9 CEU hours per certification category), maintenance fees, and re-certification to remain active. Members pay $300 in annual professional dues, with additional seats available at $200, and gain access to conference discounts, webinars, the CEU Dashboard, the mentorship program, and the public "Find An Energy Consultant" directory.

CABEC's product surface centers on training, credentialing, and community rather than proprietary technology. The CABEC Learning Center delivers on-demand content including Brown Bag Webinars, CABEC Connect live discussions, and conference recordings on Title 24, energy modeling, building science, and renewables. The organization represents members to the California Energy Commission and other political entities, providing regulatory advocacy that reinforces the relevance of its credentials. An affiliated 501(c)(3) entity, CABEC Advantage, extends the mission into educational and charitable programming under a separate tax structure.

The business model is funded primarily through recurring professional membership dues, certification exam and re-certification fees, conference registration, and sponsorship. The organization operates with a lean staff (1-10 employees) supported by a volunteer board of directors and committee structure, consistent with a member-governed nonprofit trade association. Its geographic reach is California-only, anchored by the requirement for Title 24 Part 6 compliance expertise in residential and nonresidential building projects across the state.

Name

California Association of Building Energy Consultants

Legal name

California Association of Building Energy Consultants

Website

https://cabec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The California Association of Building Energy Consultants is a California nonprofit trade association founded in 1985 that certifies and trains approximately 2,828 energy consultants on Title 24 Part 6 compliance through its CEA, AEA, and ECS credentialing programs and annual continuing education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Carlsbad

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Membership Dues: Annual professional membership dues at $300 per year, with $200 per extra seat for organizations adding team members. Membership provides access to certification programs, conference discounts, webinar pricing, and professional development resources.
2. Certification Program Fees: Revenue generated from CEA (Certified Energy Analyst) and AEA (Associate Energy Analyst) certification exams, maintenance fees, and re-certification costs. Members receive $100-300 in yearly discounts on Residential and/or Nonresidential CEA Program costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CABEC is a nonprofit professional trade association that administers certification programs (Certified Energy Analyst/CEA, Associate Energy Analyst/AEA, and Energy Code Specialist/ECS) for energy consultants working with California Title 24 Part 6 energy code. It supports these credentials through continuing education units, an online Learning Center, mentorship, an annual conference, and representation to the California Energy Commission.

Product overview

CABEC is a professional membership organization (501(c)(6)) for energy consultants in California, offering three certification programs: the Certified Energy Analyst (CEA) Program for experienced professionals, the Associate Energy Analyst (AEA) Program for entry-level practitioners, and the Energy Code Specialist (ECS) Program for code specialization. These certifications are supported by the CABEC Learning Center, which provides online training through CABEC Connect video discussions, Brown Bag Webinars, and a CEU Dashboard for tracking continuing education requirements. Additional member services include a Mentorship Program connecting experienced CEAs with newcomers, and a Find An Energy Consultant directory for locating certified professionals. The organization also hosts an annual CABEC Conference and publishes quarterly newsletters for members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CABEC Advantage: 501(c)(3) affiliated nonprofit focused on educational and charitable programs

Products and services

• Professional Membership Annual professional membership at $300/year (with additional seats at $200 each) providing access to certification program discounts, conference and webinar pricing, member profile listing, quarterly newsletter, and professional development resources for energy consultants in California.
• Certified Energy Analyst (CEA) Program Professional certification program for experienced energy consultants specializing in California Title 24 Part 6 energy code compliance, available in Residential and Nonresidential categories. Requires annual CEU completion (9 hours per year per category), exam registration, and maintenance fees.
• Associate Energy Analyst (AEA) Program Entry-level accreditation program providing foundational energy code training and a certification pathway for individuals working toward becoming Certified Energy Analysts in California.
• Energy Code Specialist (ECS) Program Specialized certification focusing on California Title 24 Part 6 energy code requirements for building energy consultants seeking code specialization credentials.
• CABEC Learning Center Online educational platform providing training courses, on-demand content, CEU logging, and exam preparation resources covering Building Science, Energy Modeling, Renewables, and Title 24 compliance for energy consultants.
• CABEC Mentorship Program Peer networking initiative connecting experienced Certified Energy Analysts with newcomers to the energy consulting industry through formal mentor-mentee relationships, supporting career development and Title 24 knowledge transfer.
• Annual CABEC Conference Annual in-person conference providing professional development, networking, and educational sessions for energy consultants focused on decarbonizing the built environment in California.

Quantifiable outcome

• Each CEA must complete 9 hours of CEUs per year per certification category to maintain credentials

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• California Energy CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCABEC represents and enhances the stature of its members to the California Energy Commission and other political entities. The organization's mission includes regulatory compliance advocacy and representing energy consultants in regulatory matters.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Association of Energy Engineers (AEE): AEE is a membership association that certifies energy professionals (CEM, CMVP, CEA among others) and provides training, conferences, and continuing education. It is a direct peer in professional energy certification, with overlapping credential structure (note: AEE's CEA designation shares an acronym with CABEC's Certified Energy Analyst) and similar conference/training/CEU monetization.
• Building Performance Institute (BPI): BPI is a credentialing organization for building performance professionals, certifying building analysts, auditors, and energy retrofit contractors. It is a direct peer because it operates the same professional certification + training + membership model that CABEC uses for energy code consultants.
• RESNET: RESNET is a national residential energy efficiency rating and certification organization that certifies Home Energy Raters and maintains building energy standards. It is directly comparable to CABEC as a professional credentialing body for energy consultants, with a similar membership-and-certification revenue model, though operating at a national scope rather than California-only.
• Green Building Initiative (GBI): GBI administers the Green Globes certification system for sustainable buildings and trains/certifies green building professionals. It is comparable to CABEC as a credentialing body serving energy and sustainability consultants, with overlapping training and membership offerings.
• National Association of Energy Service Companies (NAESCO): NAESCO is a trade association for energy service companies and efficiency professionals, providing advocacy, training, and certification support. It is comparable to CABEC as an energy-efficiency professional association, though focused on ESCO contracting rather than code compliance.

Broad incumbents

• ASHRAE: ASHRAE is a large global professional society for HVAC&R and building systems engineers, offering certifications (e.g., Certified HVAC Designer), training, standards development, and conferences. It is a broad incumbent operating in the same building-energy professional space as CABEC, with a much wider scope and significantly larger member base.
• U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC): USGBC administers the LEED green building rating system and credentials LEED Green Associates and APs. It is a broad incumbent comparable to CABEC because both credential building-energy/ sustainability professionals and monetize training and accreditation, but USGBC operates at a national/international scale and a different (green building) framework.
• International Code Council (ICC): ICC develops model building codes (I-Codes), including the IgCC and energy provisions adopted by California, and certifies code officials and inspectors. It is comparable to CABEC as a credentialing body tied to building energy code compliance, but operates nationally and across many code categories rather than a single state.

Others

• American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE): ACEEE is a nonprofit research organization that publishes energy efficiency policy analysis. It is adjacent to CABEC as an influential voice in California energy policy but does not certify practitioners, so it functions as an enabler/thought-leader peer rather than a competitor.
• Energy Programs Consortium: Energy Programs Consortium coordinates state and regional energy efficiency program administrators. It is thematically adjacent to CABEC as an ecosystem participant supporting building energy efficiency policy, but it does not certify individual practitioners and so does not directly compete.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cabecdotorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Association of Building Energy Consultants