Green Building


Zero net energy, geothermal heat pumps, hydronics, building science, HVAC engineering, high efficiency boiler systems, passive house. We write regularly on technical issues related to green buildings and offer some amazing free tools to help you stay in the loop.

Building Science, Zero Net Energy, Passive House

Mike Duclos’s Passive VS Conventional Floor Planing + Sample Passive House Design (PDF)

Hydronics, Boilers, and Environmental Quality & HVAC Engineering

Free Course: How to Design & Sell Mod-Con Boilers with Roy Collver
Free Course: Achieving Hydraulic Separation in Hydronic Systems with John Siegenthaler
Free Course: Integrating ASHRAE HVAC Standards with Robert Bean
Free Course: Mastering the Outdoor Reset Curve with Dave Yates

Renewable Thermal: Geothermal Heat Pumps & Biomass

Free Course: Temperature Stacking in Thermal Storage for Biomass Heating Systems with John Siegenthaler

VIEW OUR HIGH PERFORMANCE BUILDING TRAINING COURSES

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 Department of Energy (DOE) proposed new energy efficiency standards for water heaters which they estimate will […]

July 27th, 2023|Categories: Free Courses, Green Building, Heat Pumps, Sustainable Building||
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Meeting the Demands of the Solar Plus Era: Why Shaw Solar is Launching their Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Electrical Apprenticeship Program

Based in Durango, Colorado, Shaw Solar can be described as a big fish in a small pond. Opening their doors back in 2006, they initially worked on residential and small commercial solar thermal and PV and some lead-acid battery storage. They are a member of the Amicus Solar Cooperative and a certified B Corp. Today, […]

July 17th, 2023|Categories: Alumni Stories, Learning & Development, Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Solar, Solar Business Growth, Solar Design & Installation, Solar miscellaneous, Solar Plus Storage, Zero Net Energy Buildings||
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What are “the BIG four” in electrification?

Oftentimes adding solar PV to a home is just the tip of the spear into whole-home electrification. Once homeowners begin generating their own electricity, they’ll want to maximize their system production by using or storing as much energy onsite as possible, especially if they’re located in an area that doesn’t offer true net metering. 

With so […]

July 12th, 2023|Categories: Electric Vehicles, Free Courses, Green Building, Heat Pumps, Solar, Solar Business Growth, Solar miscellaneous||
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Is it time to offer Virtual Service Contracts for your HVAC customers?

Dan Dempsey spent years at Carrier developing analytical tools to diagnose HVAC systems, and today he consults with his family’s Ohio-based HVAC business.

Dan is sharing the biggest opportunities and threats he sees for HVAC businesses in a two-part series. In part one, Dan talked about how to prepare for the new refrigerants that are coming […]

June 28th, 2023|Categories: Building Automation, Heat Pumps, HVAC Design||
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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 Act to help households save thousands of dollars in upfront costs, the trend of home and […]

June 9th, 2023|Categories: Electric Vehicles, Free Courses, Green Building, Heat Pumps, Solar, Solar Business Growth, Solar miscellaneous, Sustainable Building, Zero Net Energy Buildings||
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