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Green Building
Building Science

Become a Building Enclosure Control Freak and Do Residential Ventilation Right - Self Study

Allison Bailes III • Last updated 02/2021

4.4/5 (view ratings)
3084 students
1 module
1:58 hours
5 assignments

Course description

Learn from industry expert Allison Bailes PhD in this free course on building enclosures and controls, as well as residential ventilation considerations. This lecture is designed for engineers, architects, builders, trade contractors, and energy raters.

Allison will review:
-The basics: buildings as systems, enclosures, controlling air, thermodynamics, wall assembly materials, etc.
-Controlling moisture flow: liquid and vapor, laws of water gravity, rain, drainage, diffusion vs. infiltration, permeance and vapor retarders, etc.
-Doing Residential Ventilation Right: why we need ventilation, how to choose a ventilation method, how to choose a ventilation rate, commissioning and maintaining the system.
...and more!

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Full course outline

Module 1 - Building Science with Dr. Allison Bailes

In this section, you will learn 1) how to distinguish between air barriers, vapor retarders, and drainage plans 2) explain the role of vapor permeance in labels such as vapor barrier and vapor retarders 3) describe several different materials that can be used as drainage planes. Second part, you'll learn. After this section, you will be able to: 1) Calculate the necessary amount of ventilation air, 2) Explain the pros and cons of balanced, exhaust-only, and supply ventilation, and 3) Describe various types of ventilation equipment.

  • Presentation Slides: How to Become a Building Control Freak (.pdf)
  • "How To Become a Building Enclosure Control Freak" (57:20 minutes)
  • "3 Steps to Doing Residential Ventilation Right" (01:01:03 hours)

Author

Allison Bailes III

President, Energy Vanguard

Allison A. Bailes III, PhD, is founder and owner of Energy Vanguard in Decatur, Georgia. Like many in the field of building science and green building, he is multi-faceted: His academic credentials in physics (BS, MS, MST, and PhD all in that field) give him a solid foundation in the science that underlies buildings. Having taught physics at the high school and college... Learn more

Ratings

4.4
244 reviews

3,084 students have taken this course

by John Adams 01/24/2021

This course was a good overview of basic ventilation, moisture mitigation

by pat treadwell 01/14/2021

the illustrations were very detailed and note worthy

by Kerstin Armamento, VA 08/20/2020

I learned so much from this course it gives you more information about solar panels

by Dr.Siva Ramkumar Mathiyalagan, Assistant Professor, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education 06/10/2020

All Must Register this course

by Megan OConnor 05/22/2020

I already knew most of this stuff so it's hard for me to judge how this material would be picked up by other students who are new to the topics.

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Frequently asked questions

How does this course work?

This is a free course. Enroll today and get access to all of the materials instantly. The lecture video and other materials are available any time.

How long do I have access to the materials?

For free courses there is no guarantee for how long the course materials will be available.

Is there a certificate of completion?

Certificates of completion are only provided to HeatSpring Membership subscribers. This course has not been approved by any credentialing organizations (NABCEP, AIA, USGBC etc) for Continuing Education Credits (CEUs). This course is for self education purposes only and completion does not indicate a level of professional expertise or credential.

Can I register multiple people?

Yes, this is a free course so you can share this page with other people from your group.

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