# CEM - Certified Energy Manager



## Techie_Junkie_PE_LEED_AP (Nov 3, 2008)

Seeking info on the CEM test. All I know about it is on the AEE website: http://www.aeecenter.org/certification/CEMpage.htm

If you have the Certification or know any details, please respond.

Thanks.


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## squishles10 (Nov 4, 2008)

What do you want to know? There are a few people at my office that have it. We have our own energy department. No one else has it that I know of. I can ask them if you give me specifics.


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## Techie_Junkie_PE_LEED_AP (Nov 4, 2008)

I was just wondering how much studying the exam requires and how useful they consider the certification.

Thanks.


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## mepe_tn (Mar 19, 2009)

I plan to take the CEM exam next month. I found through my studying process, many of the topics are on the MEPE also (which I plan to take in October). So, I'm not really losing study time for the MEPE.

Can someone who has passed the CEM tell me what is the level of difficulty of the questions and what did you do to prepare for the exam?

Thanks


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## jmbeck (May 29, 2009)

mepe_tn said:


> I plan to take the CEM exam next month. I found through my studying process, many of the topics are on the MEPE also (which I plan to take in October). So, I'm not really losing study time for the MEPE.
> Can someone who has passed the CEM tell me what is the level of difficulty of the questions and what did you do to prepare for the exam?
> 
> Thanks


Did you take this? How did it go? I'm looking into taking it, so anything you can tell me would be good.


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## WWalker (Jun 2, 2009)

The test is structured to follow a 2 day or 5 day class. If you attend the class I would say the test is a 5 out of 10 in terms of difficulty. It's open book - at least the book given during the class.

If you go into it without the review class I would bump it up to 7 out of 10.


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## Ljunki (Oct 22, 2009)

Rich Man

Grandfather was a philosopher, and like a lot of philosophers, I guess, he was a mild-mannered man who was always ready to admit that there are two sides to every question. So when people got to arguing with him, or around him, about things that they got heated up and illogical about, like politics and religion,1 he would tell this story that Doc Eaton told him one day up on the Hill. (Wow Power Leveling)

　　It happened a long time ago, when the town wasn't all steel and concrete and automobiles; when you could still hear the whir of a lawn mower without taking a streetcar out to the suburbs, and still see a horse lazily switching at the flies on his flanks under almost any sycamore tree.2 The Forest City had a lot of trees in those days.

　　And it had a lot of people that didn't always see eye to eye,3 like a lot of other cities. And it had a rich man, like almost every other town. And this rich man was a pillar in the Baptist Church;4 and people didn't see eye to eye about him, either.

　　There were those—and Grandfather's eyes twinkled when he said it—that claimed the rich man was an old hypocrite5, that he was ruthless in his business dealings, that he was so tightfisted he wouldn't spend a nickel to see an earthquake,6 that when he went to church on Sunday morning he was almost as important as God to a lot of people. world of warcraft gold

　　Then there was the other school of thought7. It asserted that just because a man had made money under conditions as they existed was no reason to call him a lot of hard names.8 In fact, they asserted stoutly, the people that called him names were merely envious of his success9. They maintained he went to church not because he was a sanctimonious old fraud10 but because he was at heart, and for all his money, a simple, deeply religious man.

　　It was while these two groups were hot at it that the rich man gave a party. Well, it wasn't exactly a party, Grandfather would explain. It was more like a shower for the pastor of the church.11 One group of parishioners saw in their invitation nothing but a kindly, neighborly gesture. The other just said it showed how miserly the old buzzard was12—getting other people to do what he could have done a thousand times over without feeling it a mite.13

　　Grandfather said even then he had the sneaking feeling that the rich man wasn't so insulated and isolated by his money14 that he didn't know what people were saying about him, and that was the real reason he gave the party.

　　But both sides of the question went to the party. A lot of them were pretty curious about the inside of a rich man's home. world of warcraft gold

　　They brought offerings for the pastor, as they were requested. Some people brought apples, and others brought sides of bacon and onions and other homey old-fashioned things like that15. But nobody was really much interested in what the other guests brought. They were all waiting for one thing. What would the rich man bring out? Even Doc Eaton, the preacher, according to Grandfather, couldn't help wondering about what was coming. You could feel the undercurrent of suspense.

　　And then the rich man16 brought out his offering.

　　It was a bushel of potatoes.17 They were nice potatoes, extra large and scrubbed white and clean. But still and all, they were only a bushel of potatoes that anybody could buy in the Old Market for a lot less than a dollar.

　　Well, sir, Grandfather chuckled, you could practically see what people were thinking. They were the people who were saying to themselves and to everybody else, "Well, what did I tell you??And then there were those who made it perfectly plain that they thought it was mighty tactful of their host not to make an ostentatious parade of his money18 before a lot of neighbors and friends. cd keys

　　But the host went around as if he didn't notice anything, though Grandfather always insisted that he detected a little twinkle in the rich man's eyes as he shook hands with all his fellow parishioners and wished them good night.

　　The preacher toted19 his gifts into his house, and just because they had been the center of interest, so to speak, he picked one of the big white potatoes out of the basket. Then he noticed that one end of the potato had been opened. He investigated, and discovered that a silver dollar had been neatly inserted through the opening. He examined every potato in that bushel basket, and there was a silver dollar in every single one of them.

　　At this point Grandfather usually sat back and plucked benignly at his white beard20 and smiled. Then he'd turn philosopher and say:

　　"It takes an almighty pile of gall21 for a man to sit up and say what is going on in another man's mind, don't22 it? I mean one way or another. When Doc Eaton told me that story he didn't bother to point out any moral. By the way, he don't do any preaching any more. He's been a congressman from New Jersey for years and years. But I guess the story has a moral, all right. Always sort of tickled23 me, like it must have tickled Doc's rich parishioner." Aion gold

　　"The New Testament says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.24 Well, I ain't saying it isn't true. But I am saying this: It took John D. Rockefeller to put a silver dollar through the eye of a potato in order that a lot of people could have some food for thought."


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## MechGuy (Oct 31, 2009)

I'm looking at getting this certification soon... had the same questions, how hard is the exam, what are the eligibility requirements etc...

I think I have the requirements down so I'm kinda stoked to study for this exam and get the CEM designation for a new project with my company...


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## MechGuy (Nov 6, 2009)

MechGuy said:


> I'm looking at getting this certification soon... had the same questions, how hard is the exam, what are the eligibility requirements etc... I think I have the requirements down so I'm kinda stoked to study for this exam and get the CEM designation for a new project with my company...


OK I'm all signed up for the class/exam, have my "AEE recommended" books to study with and have at the exam.... thinking of taking the online practice exam AEE offers before I go to the class....

Anyone have any other tips on passing this exam? Recommendations? anything?


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## House (Dec 16, 2009)

MechGuy said:


> MechGuy said:
> 
> 
> > I'm looking at getting this certification soon... had the same questions, how hard is the exam, what are the eligibility requirements etc... I think I have the requirements down so I'm kinda stoked to study for this exam and get the CEM designation for a new project with my company...
> ...


I don't have any experience in energy engineering or energy management but I want to switch to energy field/do something by my own. Is there a way, I can be eligible? Also, we it be beneficial to someone like me who is wanting to switch?

Thanks!


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## MechGuy (Dec 17, 2009)

House said:


> MechGuy said:
> 
> 
> > MechGuy said:
> ...


According to the AEE website, you have to have a certain amount of experience in energy engineering in addition to a degree or license to be eligible for the CEM certification. I've been told that the definition of "energy engineer" can vary quite a bit, and the AEE is pretty lenient as to what it considers meets that definition.

Go to the AEE website and maybe there is some training you can get.


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## House (Dec 18, 2009)

Thank you MechGuy! I guess my next destination after PE exam would be AEE website!


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## MechGuy (Jan 13, 2010)

OK So I took the 5-day CEM training course offered by AEE and took the exam there. After that experience, I think I can say without a doubt that if you want this certification, take this course and not the 2 day course or online thing. I thought the course was well taught and I was well prepared to take the exam. I think a shorter course would have too much info crammed into a short time, and you wouldn't be as prepared. As for the online thing (with self study), I don't think you would be very well prepared for the exam at all.

That's my 2 cents for CEM! Good stuff overall.


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## craftj2 (Dec 14, 2010)

Based on the feedback from others in my office that have done both the CEM is easier that the FE never mind the PE


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## gr8gatzby (Jun 30, 2014)

Mechguy - been years now, but did you pass? What did you think of the CEM? I'm thinking about taking it this fall and I've heard it's pretty manageable if you take the course also.


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## Lumber Jim (Jul 1, 2014)

Mechguy hasn't been active since July 2011.

I wouldn't expect a swift response...


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## kalvinjk (Jul 1, 2014)

@gatzby

I took the five day training course and the test immediately after the first two hours on the 5th day. I would say the test is pretty easy if you just pay attention to the class (I may have studied for 1 hour the entire week outside of class).

I am an Energy Engineer at an ESCO and they paid for the training.


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## gr8gatzby (Apr 8, 2016)

I finally took the CEM and thought I'd report back.  So I am resurrecting this in case anyone is interested.

5 day course was useful.  There will be hours in the day you want to stab yourself in the eye, but there are more that are useful.  You make what you want out of it.  There were only 3 that passed out of 21, but the study group I was with were majority business majors.  If you have a mechanical PE, I think you would dominate this.  I brought in the course provided book tabbed extra beyond their dividers, Guide to Energy Management 8th Ed, an equation sheet I compiled during the class, and my FE equation book.  Passed it first try 895/1152.


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## EM. (Oct 7, 2016)

gr8gatzby said:


> I finally took the CEM and thought I'd report back.  So I am resurrecting this in case anyone is interested.
> 
> 5 day course was useful.  There will be hours in the day you want to stab yourself in the eye, but there are more that are useful.  You make what you want out of it.  There were only 3 that passed out of 21, but the study group I was with were majority business majors.  If you have a mechanical PE, I think you would dominate this.  I brought in the course provided book tabbed extra beyond their dividers, Guide to Energy Management 8th Ed, an equation sheet I compiled during the class, and my FE equation book.  Passed it first try 895/1152.


gr8gatzby - You mentioned that the study group you were with were primarily business majors.  My background, education, and experience are more in line with the business minded people.  I studied economics and music in college.  I now work as an account manager doing commercial building automation.  That said, did you get a sense of how the business students picked up the material?  I'm thinking about a move toward developing technical skills and thought CEM (in my case it would be EMIT) could be a good direction.


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## Habib (Oct 30, 2016)

Anyone taking CEM Exam? I just took PE exam and PMP is my next goal. I also manage energy incentives for our clients and is curious to know if CEM certification will add any value to my resume?


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## KatyLied P.E. (Feb 7, 2017)

Habib said:


> Anyone taking CEM Exam? I just took PE exam and PMP is my next goal. I also manage energy incentives for our clients and is curious to know if CEM certification will add any value to my resume?


I know it's been awhile since you asked this but I passed the CEM about 3 years ago.  As a electric utility marketing employee I work a lot with our industrial customers.  Some of them have it, and along with my PE I find that it gives me more credibility with them.  The CEM basically certifies that you are competent in energy management on the customer side of the meter.  After I passed the CEM AEE sent me a letter saying that if I sent them $25.00 they would certify me as a CDSM (Certified Demand Side Manager).  It's basically the same thing except it means competency on the utility side of the meter.  These days you have to take a separate test but they'd just started the CDSM and if you had recently passed the CEM and worked for a utility they would grandfather you in.  I will say that AEE does seem to have a certification for everything   and, with all due respect, the association itself  could come across as a money grab.  But I think the CEM is a good thing.  It can be helpful if you work in plant maintenance, do energy consulting or work for a utility.  Just my two cents.


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## apford (Mar 7, 2017)

I passed the CEM a few years ago just when the place I was working at decided that I would implement an ISO 50001 Energy Management System for the site. I had a background in MEP and utilities, and about 6 years of experience out of school at the time. I was LEED certified, so my managers figured I was the best person for the job. I took the two day review class and the test immediately after. I slept through most of the class, and did no studying. The test was a breeze. I know that there were a handful of PEs and architects in the class who seemed to have a little more trouble, but as a facilities engineer putting together an ISO program everything in the course was something I had already been doing in my day to day work. 

I personally don't put a whole lot of faith in the certification, since it wasn't that difficult to get (in my mind). LEED was harder, but that's because it was stuff I wasn't working with on the reg. CEM is something I have on my resume, but not my business card if that makes sense. So far it hasn't opened any doors for me, though I did just apply for a facilities engineering position that specifically called out CEM and/or LEED as part of the desired requirements.


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## da_souljah (Feb 26, 2019)

Hello,

I am an electrical engineer planning to take the CEM exam.  I plan on doing the AEE provided online modules for the required training (see link below).  Does anyone have any exam tips or can tell me which books they would recommended that I study. I have already purchased "The Energy Management Handbook, 8th by Mehta and Albert Thumann"

http://aee.peachnewmedia.com/store/seminar/seminar.php?seminar=59679

Thanks all!


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## kt.murphy (Dec 26, 2020)

Did you find a need for all of the books in the CEM text list or were there one or two that were necessary?


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