Course Title: A Tactical Guide to Heating Technology for Improved Climate Impacts
This course is for climate advocates who need to be certain that their advocacy is grounded in impartial peer-reviewed principles and data points. Participants gain the confidence to speak authoritatively on the current state of heating technologies and their comparative impacts on climate. The course material is technologically impartial and without commercial interest; the only criteria is to elucidate the most favorable climate outcomes.
Part 1, Understand what qualifies as green energy heating and why it matters.
Learning objective: At the conclusion of this module, participants will be able to explain how heating is directly connected to climate, and the challenges we face in cleaning up our current heating pollution problem.
- Why heating is the most-overlooked opportunity in green energy
- How we value green heating
- The 4 Cs: Cost, Comfort, Convenience, and Climate impact
- History and inventory of available heating fuels
- Fuel cost: historic trends and future projections
- Environmental and economic implications
Part 2, New building design for low energy heating.
Learning objective: At the conclusion of this module, participants will be able to identify and give examples of construction options, and connect each option directly to the science of heat loss.
- How heating systems are designed
- The science of heat loss
- Building envelope performance
- Net zero buildings
- Solar heating
- Passive solar deep dive
- Passive house and green certifications
- Geothermal heating
- Heat Recovery Ventilation/Energy Recover Ventilation
- Weatherization (professional and DIY)
Part 3, Identify the most common heating appliances and become conversant in their financial and energy cost.
Learning objective: At the conclusion of this module, participants will be able to recognize conventional heating technologies around the home and their comparative efficacy.
- Single room heat emitters: description and examples
- Overview of whole house heat emitters, central heating system components
- Pros and cons of hot air versus hot water
- Converting old radiators from steam to hot water
- Furnace versus hydro air
- Oil tank red tag programs
- Chimneys and direct vent considerations for central heating systems
- Make-up air
- High-tech thermostats
Part 4, Heating fuels deep dive
Learning objective: At the conclusion of this module, participants will have a science-based understanding of the comparative climate costs for the currently-available range of heating fuels.
- Past, present, and future trends in the path-to-purchase for heating fuels
- True cost lifecycle accounting for heating fuels
- Evaluation worksheet: oil/gas
- The role of commodities speculation in the heating fuels marketplace
- Federal energy subsidies
- State energy subsidies
- Geologic versus biogenic carbon
- High-tech wood heat procurement standards and forest conservation
Part 5, Green heat upgrades for old buildings
Learning objective: At the conclusion of this module, participants will be conversant about why heating is the most undervalued opportunity to fight climate change, and how we can solve the problem.
- Deep Energy Retrofits
- The future of central heating
- High temperature versus low temperature heat emitters
- Air to water heat pumps
- Single room versus centrally-ducted heat pumps
- Adding solar heat
- Ground-source heat pumps
- Automated wood pellet central heating and bulk fuel delivery
- Wood stoves, pellet stoves, and pellet boilers and furnaces
- Green energy loans and other financing options
- The mortgage process and green heating
- Green jobs in heating and the new carbon economy
