The Radiant Professionals Alliance and online education portal HeatSpring have announced the schedule for late winter/early spring hydronic heating courses. For a limited time, take $100 off the registration fee for these courses (except advanced radiant design):

• Feb. 22-April 3: Residential Hydronic Heating with Ray Wohlfarth

This is the foundational course on residential hydronic heating from the RPA, based on the classic I=B=R guide. It’s an opportunity to earn CEUs and learn what every designer, installer and technician needs to know about hydronic heating.

• Feb. 29-April 10: Condensing Boilers in Hydronic Systems with Roy Collver

The industry’s thinking about system design is skewed and a widespread reset in designing modern hydronic systems is crucial. This course is that reset. Spend six weeks optimizing system designs and control strategies to take full advantage of the energy savings and comfort benefits boilers have to offer.

Free tool: Savings Estimator for Condensing Boiler Systems

• March 21-May 29: Mastering Hydronic System Design with John Siegenthaler

The course provides a detailed discussion of the design elements underlying modern hydronic heating systems. It presents both design concepts and design tools for optimizing hydronic heating systems in a variety of contemporary applications. It is not meant as an introduction course. Rather, it is structured to combine a student’s existing knowledge with new approaches and analytical methods that are specifically focused on the cutting-edge of hydronic heating.

The goal is to equip students to design state-of-the-art systems for residential and light commercial buildings that deliver unsurpassed comfort, efficiency and reliability.  Approved by the American Institute of Architects for 26 LU/HSW.

Free tool: Hydronics Design Studio 2.0

• March 21-May 29: Integrated HVAC Engineering with Robert Bean

This integrated design course, based on 30+ years of data-driven experience, goes beyond ASHRAE and LEED standards to the heart of HVAC engineering. Participants will study the complex interaction of room air temperature, humidity, mean radiant temperature, ventilation rate, lighting, sound and even odors that determine the true quality of an interior environment. Numerous calculation and modeling exercises will allow participants to immediately apply what they’ve learned.

ASHRAE 55 addresses comfort. ASHRAE 62 addresses ventilation. ASHRAE 90 and 189 address efficiency. LEED and others attempt to address the entire universe. You cannot understand these dogmatic systems without truly understanding first how to integrate comfort, health, and efficiency to the maximum benefit of the building occupants. This course is crafted for the select few who desire a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles of designing great indoor environments, buildings and HVAC systems. Includes numerous field-ready calculators and design tools.

Free tool: Calculating Log Mean Temperature Differences and water/air coil outputs

• April 25-June 5: Solar Approaches to Radiant Heating with Vaughan Woodruff

This course is for serious professionals with relevant experience. Participants will learn the latest, most advanced concepts for integrating solar with radiant heating systems. This course is self-paced (so you don’t have to be logged in at a particular time), but students work directly with Vaughan Woodruff to complete the lessons. Expect homework, as you’ll be asked to complete quizzes and hands-on assignments to make sure you’re able to apply what you learn on the job.

Free tool: Solar Heating Basics Guide

• June 13: Advanced Radiant Design with Mark Eatherton

This course drills deep into the engineering aspects of tube length, tube center density, tube size, flow rate requirements, fluid densities, heat loss requirements and other factors affecting hydronic radiant heating systems and snow- and ice-melt removal systems. It has been developed with a designer and a contractor’s abilities in mind. It will be a prerequisite for new incoming members who are attempting to achieve the RPA’s ANSI-approved radiant designer certification.