Sophie’s Story – How Curiosity & Real-World Building Experience Led to Creating Healthier, More Resilient Homes Join us in celebrating Sophie Ashley, whose inspiring journey from carpenter to high performance building specialist and HVAC designer has been chosen for HeatSpring’s Stay Curious campaign. This initiative highlights the transformative power of education in the clean energy and… Continue reading “Sophie’s Story – How Curiosity & Real-World Building Experience Led to Creating Healthier, More Resilient Homes”
Build your own ACCA Manual J load calculations and energy models Back in the 80’s ACCA created Manual J as a process to do load calcs. It was hundreds of pages of calculations, formulas, factors etc. Then in 1985 the first software was developed following Manual J to speed up the… Continue reading “Build your own ACCA Manual J load calculations and energy models”
What is the Architectural Solar Continuum? The Architectural Solar Continuum is a framework for understanding and implementing solar energy in architectural design. This approach categorizes projects across 6 levels of solar integration, each impacting coordination requirements, costs, and energy density. The continuum provides architects, designers, and… Continue reading “What is the Architectural Solar Continuum?”
BPI “Building Science Principles” (BSP) prep course now free for members If you’ve ever thought about expanding into weatherization projects, energy audits, heat pumps, or building efficiency upgrades – this one is for you. BPI’s Building Science Principles (BSP) certificate is the gateway to a career in building performance. Getting your… Continue reading “BPI “Building Science Principles” (BSP) prep course now free for members”
The Ultimate Guide to Getting Your BPI Building Science Principles Certificate The Building Science Principles (BSP) Certificate is your gateway to understanding energy-efficient home performance. It introduces key industry terminology and demonstrates how a home’s components interact to influence its overall efficiency. By exploring the relationships between the building envelope, HVAC… Continue reading “The Ultimate Guide to Getting Your BPI Building Science Principles Certificate”
How to get your BPI Building Science Principles (BSP) Certificate Our “Building Science Principles (BSP) Certificate Prep” course is launching August 5th. If you sign up before the launch, you get a 10% pre-launch discount. The Building Science Principles (BSP) Certificate is the first BPI credential you get on your… Continue reading “How to get your BPI Building Science Principles (BSP) Certificate”
An Incubator for Home Performance Contractors “Boosting Contractor Capacity to Meet Home Performance Demand” is a live webinar that will happen on Wednesday August 14th @ 1pm eastern (USA). The edited presentation will then be available here as a free course. We are going to present a… Continue reading “An Incubator for Home Performance Contractors”
The Energy Modeling in eQUEST Course Just Got a Total Update Originally launched back in 2016, HeatSpring just unveiled a brand new updated Energy Modeling in eQUEST course, completely revamped by the knowledgeable team at Harris Energy Solutions. About eQUEST The Quick Energy Simulation Tool, also known as eQUEST, has been… Continue reading “The Energy Modeling in eQUEST Course Just Got a Total Update”
1 NABCEP CEU – New Free Course Announcement: Introduction to Architectural Solar With the ever increasing focus on sustainable, net-zero, and grid-efficient buildings, architectural solar has been and continues to evolve as a key tool within renewable energy integration. But what exactly is architectural solar, and how does it influence the design… Continue reading “1 NABCEP CEU – New Free Course Announcement: Introduction to Architectural Solar “
Introducing Green Workforce Connect – A New Platform for Home Weatherization Careers from IREC The team at the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and a diverse network of partners recently released Green Workforce Connect, a home weatherization career platform that will connect job seekers, students, and contractors to local training providers and employers. With… Continue reading “Introducing Green Workforce Connect – A New Platform for Home Weatherization Careers from IREC”
The Basics of Heat Pump Water Heaters (HPWH) and Installation Considerations The heat pump water heater market is a huge area for growth in the coming years. It’s estimated to grow from $1.6 billion in 2023 to $3.4 billion in 2033, at a rate of 7.9%. In July 2023, the US… Continue reading “The Basics of Heat Pump Water Heaters (HPWH) and Installation Considerations”
The Basics of Home Electrification In 2020, 26% of U.S. households used electricity as the only source of energy (32.25 million out of 123.53 million homes), according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. With new incentives for electrification and renewable energy in the Inflation Reduction… Continue reading “The Basics of Home Electrification”
Heat Pumps 101: How Does a Heat Pump Pull Heat From Cold Outdoor Air? This is the fifth in a series of Heat Pump 101 videos from instructor and author, John Siegenthaler, P.E.. “Natural vs. Artificial Heat Transfer Processes” was the previous lesson in the series. You can enroll in John’s Heat Pump 101… Continue reading “Heat Pumps 101: How Does a Heat Pump Pull Heat From Cold Outdoor Air?”
New Free Webinar Announcement: Home Assessments for Decarbonization Electrification of existing homes is a hot trend, and rightfully so with all the latest incentives for residences and businesses to transition to electric. Anyone working in the retrofit field is likely – sooner or later – to be asked… Continue reading “New Free Webinar Announcement: Home Assessments for Decarbonization”
New Free Webinar: Unconventional Solar Applications While we know solar can be a great way to reduce energy costs for your residence or business, there are so many ways to apply solar technology to projects outside the standard use cases. If you’ve worked in the solar… Continue reading “New Free Webinar: Unconventional Solar Applications”
eQUEST vs. OpenStudio Is eQUEST or OpenStudio better for running energy models? That was the question from a student this week. Here’s how they framed it: “I’m interested in gaining a qualification in building energy modeling, to perform my firm’s energy rating building… Continue reading “eQUEST vs. OpenStudio”
What the Inflation Reduction Act Could Mean for the HeatSpring Community UPDATE: The Inflation Reduction Act has passed Congress and has signed by President Biden. For many of us working in clean energy and environmental stewardship, hearing that the Inflation Reduction Act passed through the Senate filled us with hope for… Continue reading “What the Inflation Reduction Act Could Mean for the HeatSpring Community”
Resources for the Building Science Generalist Looking for some new books or opportunities to build your knowledge base in zero energy buildings? Marc Rosenbaum, instructor of How to Think About Energy in Buildings course, shares his ideas for expanding your knowledge in the field of building… Continue reading “Resources for the Building Science Generalist”
Advice for Launching a Diverse Building Science Career It’s no accident that HeatSpring instructor Marc Rosenbaum knows quite a bit about virtually all facets of the building science industry. When he began his career nearly 40 years ago, the industry and collective knowledge surrounding it didn’t exist yet.… Continue reading “Advice for Launching a Diverse Building Science Career”
Why the World Needs Building Science Generalists When HeatSpring instructor Marc Rosenbaum began his work in building science over 40 years ago, there wasn’t a whole industry surrounding it. There wasn’t research to reference or frameworks to follow. Marc and his generation of peers essentially invented the… Continue reading “Why the World Needs Building Science Generalists”