Open Systems.Trained Teams. Proven Performance.
A manufacturer-neutral nonprofit that helps public owners plan, procure, install, commission, operate, and sustain building controls systems — without proprietary lock-in, hidden incentives, or contractor markup.
Public dollars should buy better buildings.
CE Academy exists to develop people, protect public owners, and prove that controls systems actually work. For energy and tax-funded programs, CE becomes the owner's honest technical partner — utility incentives, grants, bond funds, and state/federal energy dollars are shown in an owner ledger. The owner receives the economic benefit; CE charges only separately stated, fully loaded cost for legitimate administration and technical work.
Not anti-manufacturer. Every major controls manufacturer can support the academy with equipment, technical content, lab access, and instructor participation. But CE sets the owner-first standards, training, test methods, naming conventions, and acceptance requirements.
Built for Public Owners and Their Teams
CE Academy Serves
CE Academy Delivers
Five Pillars of Owner-First Controls
Educate
Original, hands-on controls training for technicians, operators, project managers, and owners. Manufacturer-neutral curriculum built around real systems.
Standardize
Owner BMS standards, point naming, graphics, alarming, trending, cybersecurity coordination, sequences, and acceptance test requirements.
Deliver Transparently
CE manages or supports controls work at verified fully loaded cost. Materials, software, and low-voltage subcontractors are pass-through with no percentage markup.
Prove Performance
Startup, point-to-point, functional testing, integrated testing, energy verification, deficiency management, and owner acceptance documentation.
Sustain
Operator training, asset records, service history, seasonal testing, reinvestment planning, and a local workforce pipeline that keeps your team capable.
Three Equal Programs
Owner Academy
Facilities leadership, operators, procurement teams, and capital-project staff
Equips public owners with the knowledge to plan, procure, and oversee building controls projects — without depending on vendor-supplied information.
Workforce Academy
Field installation, programming, networks, graphics, startup, troubleshooting, and commissioning
Hands-on technical training that produces field-ready technicians and commissioning professionals across all major platforms.
Public Controls Resource Center
Standards, project recovery, energy-program support, Cx/QA, and lifecycle advisory
A shared resource for public owners — standards libraries, project recovery support, energy program guidance, and independent commissioning oversight.
CE Building Automation Technician
Integration & Commissioning Certificate
12 weeks · 192 hours
A manufacturer-neutral program built around one digital thread — from project intake through owner acceptance. Graduates leave with the skills to install, program, commission, and verify any major BAS platform.
The Digital Thread
Learning Outcomes
Division Coverage
Industrial Controls Track
PLC Programming and Industrial Automation.
The same owner-first, manufacturer-neutral discipline applied to industrial controls — from your first PLC to full process automation.
CE Academy's industrial controls track covers the full lifecycle of PLC-based automation: hardware selection, panel design, ladder logic and structured text programming, HMI/SCADA integration, network configuration, and commissioning to verified performance. Every course is hands-on, platform-agnostic, and built around real industrial documentation standards.
Course Sequence
Introduction to Industrial Controls and PLC Fundamentals
What a PLC is, how it scans, and why it matters. Covers relay logic, ladder diagram basics, I/O modules, power supplies, and the physical anatomy of a control panel. Students wire and power their first PLC before the first week ends.
Ladder Logic Programming — Core Instructions
Examine, coil, timer, counter, comparison, math, and move instructions. Students write, download, and test original programs on live hardware. Emphasis on structured, documented, maintainable code from day one.
Industrial Electricity, Sensors, and Field Devices
AC/DC power, discrete and analog I/O, 4–20 mA loops, proximity sensors, limit switches, photoelectrics, encoders, and VFD basics. Students calibrate sensors, trace wiring faults, and verify I/O against a points list.
Control Panel Design and UL 508A Standards
Panel layout, wire sizing, component selection, terminal blocks, labeling, and UL 508A industrial control panel requirements. Students read and mark up AutoCAD Electrical schematics and build a panel from a drawing set.
Advanced PLC Programming — Structured Text and Function Blocks
Structured Text (ST), Function Block Diagram (FBD), Sequential Function Chart (SFC), and Add-on Instructions (AOI). Students implement a multi-step batch sequence with recipe management and fault handling.
HMI Design and SCADA Integration
HMI screen design principles, tag databases, alarm management, trending, and historian configuration. Platforms include FactoryTalk View ME/SE and Ignition. Students build a complete operator interface for a simulated process.
Industrial Networks — EtherNet/IP, Modbus, and OPC-UA
EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP/RTU, DeviceNet, PROFINET, and OPC-UA. Students configure live network connections between PLCs, drives, and SCADA systems. Includes OT network segmentation and cybersecurity fundamentals.
Process Control — PID, Loops, and Analog Strategies
PID fundamentals, loop tuning, cascade control, ratio control, feedforward, and split-range strategies. Students tune live control loops on a process training rig with real flow, level, temperature, and pressure instruments.
Safety PLCs and Functional Safety Fundamentals
Safety lifecycle, SIL determination, safety instrumented functions (SIF), GuardLogix and Siemens Safety Integrated programming, safety I/O, and SIL 2 verification documentation. Aligned with IEC 61511 and NFPA 79.
Industrial Commissioning, Startup, and Acceptance
Point-to-point checkout, loop verification, functional performance testing, FAT/SAT procedures, deficiency tracking, and owner turnover documentation. Students execute a full commissioning sequence on a training system and produce a complete turnover package.
Platforms Covered
- Allen-Bradley / Rockwell Automation — Studio 5000, RSLogix 5000, ControlLogix, CompactLogix
- Siemens — TIA Portal, S7-1200, S7-1500, Step 7
- Mitsubishi — GX Works, MELSEC iQ-R and iQ-F series
- Omron — Sysmac Studio, NX/NJ series
- Beckhoff — TwinCAT 3, EtherCAT I/O
- Safety PLCs — GuardLogix, Siemens Safety Integrated, SIL 2/3 applications
Flagship Certificate
CE Industrial Controls Technician Certificate
10 weeks · 160 hours
A hands-on, competency-verified program covering the full industrial controls lifecycle — from your first PLC through process automation, safety systems, and commissioning to owner acceptance. Manufacturer-neutral core with multi-platform lab exposure.
Let's Work Together
Ready to build owner capability?
CE Academy works with public owners, facility teams, and workforce programs. Let's talk about your needs.