HVAC Engineering: Chilled Floors + Humidity On the Integrated HVAC Engineering discussion board, expert Robert Bean answers questions about chilled floors and humidity considerations and air mixing… Student 1: Chilled floors seems like a great idea, and if you’re going to do a radiant system,… Continue reading “HVAC Engineering: Chilled Floors + Humidity”
Free Lecture: Renewable Energy for the Developing World What is renewable energy? What is the developing world? How do these concepts relate? Expert instructor Ian Woofenden explains… Renewable energy (RE) technologies have broad application in the “developing world”, or rural countries and areas that have less technology and infrastructure. In… Continue reading “Free Lecture: Renewable Energy for the Developing World”
8 Factors in Building Safe Double Stud Wall Cavities With Cellulose On the Passive House in the Real World discussion board… Expert instructor Mike Duclos discusses key factors to building double stud wall cavities (packed with Cellulose) safely Student 1: Hi Everyone, I’m excited to get started! I’m interested in looking into wall… Continue reading “8 Factors in Building Safe Double Stud Wall Cavities With Cellulose”
#NationWISE 2016 Takeaways: Mentors, Allies & Revolutions in Solar #NationWise 2016 may be behind us, but there’s still plenty to learn about the burgeoning solar industry and opportunities for women within it. After an absolutely fantastic night at Greentown Labs with our esteemed panelists, guests and fellow women-in-solar supporters,… Continue reading “#NationWISE 2016 Takeaways: Mentors, Allies & Revolutions in Solar”
To Defect or not to Defect? Going Off the Grid with Solar + Storage Why consider defecting from the grid? Is there room for utility and solar + storage compromise? The combination of solar plus storage is on everyone’s mind these days. There is a huge buzz in the solar industry about the prospect of… Continue reading “To Defect or not to Defect? Going Off the Grid with Solar + Storage”
Megawatt String Sizing Tool 2.0 Download Ryan Mayfield’s Megawatt String Sizing Tool 2.0 for free! This is an updated version of the original Megawatt String Sizing Tool This updated String Sizing tool includes a large re-work of the modules and inverters used in the existing… Continue reading “Megawatt String Sizing Tool 2.0”
A Free Strategic Leadership Course for the Sustainable Building Community Join Kathleen O’Brien and amplify your leadership effectiveness today In a series of 20 presentations and interviews recorded in 2014, Kathleen O’Brien shares the strategic leadership model that is at the core of EMERGE programs, along with case studies, and… Continue reading “A Free Strategic Leadership Course for the Sustainable Building Community”
What’s the Difference Between Energy and Heat Recovery Ventilators? On the Mastering Building Science discussion board, Allison A. Bailes III, PhD asks students: What is the difference between an ERV and an HRV? Allison A. Bailes III, PhD: In the homework, I asked, “What is the difference between an… Continue reading “What’s the Difference Between Energy and Heat Recovery Ventilators?”
Blending Battery-Free and Battery Back-Up PV Systems: Free Lecture Curious about designing dual PV systems? Watch Christopher LaForge‘s new case study, in which the Kroska Residential PV installation, (a project blending two PV system designs– Battery Free and Battery Back-up) is discussed. The Kroska installation accommodates two roof planes and types, with a… Continue reading “Blending Battery-Free and Battery Back-Up PV Systems: Free Lecture”
The Impact of Air Tightness on Ventilation in Passive House Design When many first hear of the Passive House blower door test requirement of 0.6 ACH at 50 Pascals of test pressure, the first thing that comes to mind is the difficulty of designing and executing air barrier details that deliver… Continue reading “The Impact of Air Tightness on Ventilation in Passive House Design”
Bring Your Sol to Work: Finding Career Opportunities in the Solar Industry In a recent conversation with a young woman, I had an epiphany about why working in solar is good for the soul. She had just returned from volunteering in Greece to help Syrian refugees receive care and assistance upon entry… Continue reading “Bring Your Sol to Work: Finding Career Opportunities in the Solar Industry”
How Can We Convert Malls, Homes and Offices into Microgrids? Whenever I am driving in a city, I look at the shopping malls, office buildings and residential streets and say to myself: Each of these I can convert into microgrids. Each of these I can take “off-grid,” either in one… Continue reading “How Can We Convert Malls, Homes and Offices into Microgrids?”
Wes Kennedy Weighs in on Stand Alone Solar Storage Systems On the Advanced Solar + Storage discussion board, Wes Kennedy answers student questions about distribution circuit capacity and AC coupling for retrofits… Student 1: Hey Wes, I have a quick comment on defining penetration levels. I think the definition you… Continue reading “Wes Kennedy Weighs in on Stand Alone Solar Storage Systems”
This Sustainable Scholar Has Lived Off-Grid for 30+ Years, Writes and Teaches About Renewable Energy Ian Woofenden is the epitome of a HeatSpring Sustainable Scholar. He built his first solar greenhouse at the age of ten, has pedaled his bike more than 20,000 miles since selling his car five years ago, shares his knowledge and… Continue reading “This Sustainable Scholar Has Lived Off-Grid for 30+ Years, Writes and Teaches About Renewable Energy”
Reassessing DC Voltage Drop Conventions This article originally appeared in SolarPro Magazine in Issue 8.3. | by Ryan Mayfield, Paul Gibbs and Paul Grana “Ask almost anyone who works for a system integrator how to size PV system conductors with respect to voltage drop, and… Continue reading “Reassessing DC Voltage Drop Conventions”
Learn a NEW Approach to Roof Life Cycle Analysis First published at the RCI 21st International Convention Phoenix, Arizona on March 27, 2006 Equivalent Uniform Annual Cost: A new Approach to Roof Life Cycle Analysis INTRODUCTION: Life Cycle Cost Analysis and It’s Problems Interest in life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) appears… Continue reading “Learn a NEW Approach to Roof Life Cycle Analysis”
Why Will Net Metering Dissolve? What Should Residential Solar Pros Do? Hawaii has officially abolished net metering (NEM) and switched to a different metric for compensating consumers for their non-firm energy… so what is the industry to do? If you are in the residential solar field today, changes are coming to your neighborhood… Continue reading “Why Will Net Metering Dissolve? What Should Residential Solar Pros Do?”
HeatSpring Named Co-Host & Partner for Women in Solar Energy Roundtable In the summer of 2015, HeatSpring set out to profile a few of the absolutely amazing women making waves in the solar industry… After discovering a shocking dearth of women students enrolled in our courses, and researching the far larger industry trend boasting… Continue reading “HeatSpring Named Co-Host & Partner for Women in Solar Energy Roundtable”
Jonathan Koomey’s Free Predictive Modeling Lecture “Why is predictive modeling essential for managing a modern computing facility?” Expert Instructor Jon Koomey answers. In his new free lecture, ‘Why is Predictive Modeling Essential for Managing a Modern Computing Facility‘, Koomey addresses exactly what a model is, why… Continue reading “Jonathan Koomey’s Free Predictive Modeling Lecture”
PV Electrical Codes, Time of Use and Inverter Clipping Considerations Dr. Sean White takes on student questions about National Electrical Code compliance, solar panel Time of Use (TOU) optimization and inverter lifespan. Student 1: Why do some AHJ’s (Authority Having Jurisdiction’s) still allow installations under a previous edition of the National Electrical… Continue reading “PV Electrical Codes, Time of Use and Inverter Clipping Considerations”