The Principles of Green Buildings Online Training Program will give you the science behind the concept of house-as-a-system by going through all of the major sub-systems that affect the way the entire structure system performs. A building is the sum of many parts, and for best performance for the occupants, it must be set up correctly with those sub systems synced together. A building that performs correctly will offer the best energy efficiency, provide a healthy environment for its occupants, and maintain its structural integrity.

The nine modules of Principles of Green Buildings will take you through all of that material. If you have any in-depth questions or if you need further explanation of content, you'll have an SME (Subject Matter Expert) mentor for support and information.

This program will help you prepare for BPI, NATE, NARI, RESNET, and other industry credentials for green buildings. If you successfully complete this program with an overall grade of 75% or higher, you'll qualify for 28 hours of continuing education units (CEUS) from BPI or NATE, and those CEUs are applicable to several certifications.

Upon registering, you're given an initial three months to complete this program.  Should you need more time beyond the three months, an extension of one month is available with a fee of $45 or an extension of two months is available with a fee of $75.

Upon successful completion of this program, you'll:

• Appreciate the interaction of individual building systems in the whole-house operation
• Have completed the initial portion of the BPI certification and other home performance certification processes
• Understand issues of building science and how they can relate to occupant health
• Discover the relationships of building systems and building sustainability

The Principles of Green Buildings is composed of nine modules that cover:

1. The House as a System
2. Air Flow Basics
3. Heat Flow, Insulation, Windows
4. Framing and Air Sealing
5. Moisture Management
6. Conditioning Strategies
7. Ventilation
8. Combustion Safety
9. Indoor Air Quality Basics

To enroll in this program, you must have a computer with Internet access and be comfortable with e-mail and Internet navigation.

This program is for you if you're beginning your career in the home performance workforce or exploring that realm of work. Home performance covers a broad range of trades and occupations, including HVAC technicians and building envelope workers, such as air sealing, insulation, and vapor barrier workers, and siding and window specialists.

While high-speed Internet is recommended, you can still take the program using dial-up, but you'll have a limited experience. This program is compatible with the Windows XP and later operating systems and IE 7 and later browsers.

Please note: AOL, MSN, Opera, Safari and Camino browsers are not supported.

Roger DesRosiers has an extensive career in HVACR with 30 years as an apprentice instructor and seven years as a college professor. He's also spent many years as a Journeyman Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, and Steam fitter; an Estimator/Application Engineer; Supervisor of Air Conditioning; Refrigeration and Steam fitting; and Craft Head of Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, and Steam fitting.  

Over the years, he has earned an Associate's and a Bachelor's degree in Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, and an Associate's in Electronics. Among his professional certificates are: Teaching Certificate in Vocational Education for Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Certified Energy Manager from the Association of Energy Engineers, Certified Member of Refrigeration Service Engineers Society, and Certified Member of Plumbing Industry Progress in Education. He is 608 EPA Certified. Recently, Roger authored and edited a number of online courses and an article on Tech Tips. He also completed a course in online faculty training to bring our students the very best in both teaching and technical industry knowledge.