HeatSpring Partners with Skillcat to Deliver Foundational HVAC Training We’re excited to announce a new partnership between HeatSpring and Skillcat to help HVAC contractors build stronger teams. Bringing together HeatSpring’s industry-leading specialized training with Skillcat’s platform for fundamental HVAC education creates a more complete learning ecosystem for the trades.… Continue reading “HeatSpring Partners with Skillcat to Deliver Foundational HVAC Training”
Building Leak Detection and Measurement: Zone Pressure Diagnostics (ZPD) Want complete building leak detection and measurement? Zone Pressure Diagnostics (ZPD) is one of the most powerful analysis tools available…. …and the calculation aid from Residential Energy Dynamics (RED) is the most accurate and easy to use ZPD tool available. This… Continue reading “Building Leak Detection and Measurement: Zone Pressure Diagnostics (ZPD)”
Home Energy Audits: The 411 What are home energy audits, and how much do they usually cost? A variety of approaches, price points and follow-up actions may be chosen. Here is an overview of what to expect when choosing the right audit for your needs. This… Continue reading “Home Energy Audits: The 411”
How to Build a 75% Net Zero Community What does it take to build a 75% net zero community and the “largest Emerald-rated community” in the world? Tabitha Crawford explains how her team combined solar, HVAC, and sustainable building practices to build 250 net zero homes while keeping construction… Continue reading “How to Build a 75% Net Zero Community”
Sizing a Pellet-Fueled Boiler Sizing a Pellet-Fueled Boiler Bigger is NOT better There are several types of boilers that can burn wood-based fuels. They include 2- stage wood-gasification boilers, wood chip boilers, and pellet-fueled boilers. Of these, pellet-fuel boilers come closest to mimicking the… Continue reading “Sizing a Pellet-Fueled Boiler”
Hydronic Heating with Renewable Energy Heat Sources Hydronic Heating with Renewable Energy Heat Sources Designing for low water temperatures is critical to good performance This article focuses on using water-based hydronic distribution systems to distribute heat produced by renewable energy heat sources. It’s based on the premise… Continue reading “Hydronic Heating with Renewable Energy Heat Sources”
GeoPro Product Training on HeatSpring Learning about geothermal? Interested in GeoPro product training? Join HeatSpring and GeoPro University in four new totally free lectures. 1. GP101: Introduction to GeoPro Products The first step to a successful grouting project is choosing the right grout. Take this short… Continue reading “GeoPro Product Training on HeatSpring”
Roy Collver on Materials & Manufacturers of Condensing Boilers On the Condensing Boilers in Hydronic Systems Discussion Board… Expert instructor Roy Collver discusses construction materials and manufacturers of condensing boiler machines. Student 1: Roy, great videos and a ton of great information! Thanks a million! I have a couple of comments… Continue reading “Roy Collver on Materials & Manufacturers of Condensing Boilers”
Air, Thermal, Vapor & Water Control Layers in Wall Assembly On the Mastering Building Science discussion board… Allison A. Bailes III, Ph.D. answers student questions about air, thermal, vapor and water control layers in wall assembly. Student 1: I’m going to repeat what’s been said about the control layers in my… Continue reading “Air, Thermal, Vapor & Water Control Layers in Wall Assembly”
Wood Gasification Boilers: Circulation, Power Interruption & Pump Acceleration On the Hydronic-Based Biomass Heating Systems Discussion Board… Why we don’t use the UPS to drive the main circulator to continue operations in case of power interruption? What determines when wood gasification boilers begin to circulate? Do variable speed pumps allow… Continue reading “Wood Gasification Boilers: Circulation, Power Interruption & Pump Acceleration”
Robert Bean on Fluid-Based System Concerns in HVAC Engineering On the Integrated HVAC Engineering Discussion Board… Robert Bean discusses losing boiler efficiency, vs. losing radiator efficiency, cycling a boiler to maintain average temperature in a system, using 3 way mixing valve (instead of a circulator) to control the temperature of the on the load… Continue reading “Robert Bean on Fluid-Based System Concerns in HVAC Engineering”
Floor Joist Heating Issues: Siegenthaler Suggests… On the Hydronic Based Biomass Heating Systems Discussion Board, John Siegenthaler answers student questions… How do you deal with cold floors over unheated or outdoor spaces? If radiant heat (typically used for walls/ceilings) for joisted floors is properly designed and installed,… Continue reading “Floor Joist Heating Issues: Siegenthaler Suggests…”
Two New FREE Building Automation Tools Download Two New FREE Building Automation Tools Multi-Tier Project Check List – Tier I & Sample HVAC Wall Units Points List Profile #85.40 The Multi-Tier Project Check List spreadsheet is an example of a simple project check list of ownership and responsibilities. The… Continue reading “Two New FREE Building Automation Tools”
Get Building Before NESEA’s BuildingEnergy NYC 2015 BuildingEnergy NYC 2015 “BuildingEnergy NYC is a rapidly growing, cross-disciplinary conference that offers practical, hands-on solutions to the financial, environmental, legal, and maintenance challenges facing NYC building owners and practitioners in every neighborhood and borough. Conceived in 2012 and nearly… Continue reading “Get Building Before NESEA’s BuildingEnergy NYC 2015”
FREE Tool: Series Parallel R-Value Calculator DOWNLOAD Dr. Allison Bailes’s FREE Series Parallel R-Value Calculator Calculate the average R-value of an assembly Wouldn’t it be nice if you could push a button and see how much of a hit the R-value of a building assembly takes… Continue reading “FREE Tool: Series Parallel R-Value Calculator”
Hydronic Air Handlers + Condensing Boilers = Greater System Efficiency The article below is a guest post from Roy Collver, President, OTBC Inc. Roy teaches Condensing Boilers in Hydronic Systems, a 6-week course where students optimize system designs and control strategies to take full advantage of the energy savings and comfort benefits boilers have to… Continue reading “Hydronic Air Handlers + Condensing Boilers = Greater System Efficiency”
Q+A with Solar Thermal Expert Bob Ramlow: Hard Water Issues, PV Powered Solar Thermal and Air Venting Bob Ramlow answers student questions about solar thermal. He tackles hard water, PV powered solar thermal systems, and best practices for air vent installations. Is hard water an issue with closed loop solar thermal systems? Are solar PV powered solar thermal… Continue reading “Q+A with Solar Thermal Expert Bob Ramlow: Hard Water Issues, PV Powered Solar Thermal and Air Venting”
HeatingHelp.com – A Vibrant Online Community for Heating Professionals Have you ever heard of HeatingHelp.com? Last year I had several people I really respect, longtime contractors in the HVAC business, tell me about it. I figured I better check it out… HeatingHelp.com is filled with technical information about… Continue reading “HeatingHelp.com – A Vibrant Online Community for Heating Professionals”