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

Unvented Roofs Without Spray Foam: A New Free Course

Here’s the backstory on “Unvented Roofs Without Spray Foam”, a new free course taught by Kohta Ueno and offered in partnership with the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association and Building Science Corporation:

Back in 2016, the Building Science Corporation team started a multiyear experiment, sponsored by Building America, on unvented roofs without spray foam or exterior rigid […]

Are Heat Pumps a Form of Renewable Energy?

It’s common for policymakers to argue that heat pumps are not a form of renewable energy, says John Siegenthaler, instructor of HeatSpring’s Application of Air-to-Water Heat Pumps for Hydronic Heating & Cooling course.

In response to such claims, he argues that heat pumps are indeed renewable sources of energy because they draw from an untapped and […]

October 28th, 2020|Categories: Building Science, Heat Pumps, Hydronic Heating, Mechanical Engineering, Sustainable Building||

Comfortable, Resilient Net-Zero Buildings Aren’t Just Residential

Hampshire College’s R.W. Kern Center achieved zero net energy building status due to its passive solar orientation, high levels of insulation, airtight envelope and triple glazed windows. The building also includes air source heat pumps, and a 118-kW rooftop solar array capable of generating more than enough energy to meet the center’s needs on an […]

Zero Net Energy Buildings with Marc Rosenbaum is Back!

I am so excited to announce that renowned Zero Net Energy (ZNE) expert Marc Rosenbaum is back with a newly updated version of his best selling Zero Net Energy Buildings course.

It has been a long hiatus since our last session with Marc Rosenbaum back in 2016 but during its run this was one of our […]

Help Choose the Solar District Cup 2020 Industry Choice Winner

We are excited to invite all HeatSpring students, instructors, and members of our community to participate in the selection of the Industry Choice winner of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar District Cup 2020 Competition Event on Monday April 27th from 2-3pm ET. Please RSVP here to see the presentations and vote on your favorite team.

HeatSpring […]