Events & Training

The three day comprehensive Installation Workshops are designed for GSHP installers, contractors, dealers, home builders, manufacturers, distributors, architects, heating cooling mechanical engineers, trenching/water well drilling contractors, and anyone who desires a working knowledge of this innovative technology. Representatives from public utilities, private utilities, and rural electric cooperatives can also benefit from training. Information gathered from the workshops can help utility representatives serve as a source of information regarding money-saving concepts. Upon successful completion of the workshop and passing the IGSHPA installer’s exam, you will be issued IGSHPA accreditation as an installer of GSHP systems. You will receive an installer’s card and a certificate for 3 years.

Factors such as space limitations are forcing engineers to utilize deep boreholes to meet design requirements for ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems. In such cases, hydrostatic pressures must be considered to ensure successful installation can take place. This course focuses on the necessary calculations along with the recommended installation practices for deep geothermal borehole design and installation.

Who should enroll? Geothermal system designers, but particularly architects and engineers involved in commercial system design. You'll get access to the lecture video, an Excel calculator, and additional resources.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the advantages and disadvantages of deep bore design
• Review current industry trends
• Learn how to calculate and evaluate internal versus external hydrostatic pressures exerted on a system.
• Determine the critical design factor, pipe burst or pipe collapse, and learn steps to avoid issues altogether.

This course was developed by the team at GeoPro, GeoConnections, and Dandelion.

What is a Lead Carpenter? What are the challenges a Lead Carpenter regularly faces? What tools and techniques are available to make a Lead Carpenter successful? HELM’s Lead Carpenter Training is for current and aspiring Leads who are looking to build their management and leadership skills. Four 1.5 hour sessions:

1. Session #1 (10/4) - Project Set-Up
2. Session #2 (10/11) - Project Execution
3. Session #3 (10/18) - Project Closeout 
4. Session #4 (10/25) - Open Discussion

This 2-Day course takes place on Thursday, May 12 and Thursday, May 19 from 3:30-8pm. A classroom and hands-on course that covers the theory of the 3 continuous control layers as well as the materials and installation practices involved for vertical walls. It will also cover the installation drainage plane, air barrier, and continuous exterior insulations as they are integrated into both the plane of the exterior wall and the major penetration at windows.

Join Mel Baiser & Tia Garcia of the HELM team as they lead you through an interactive deep dive into the fundamentals of good pre-construction and project management practice. This 6 session virtual series will include hands-on exercises, tools, and templates to support emerging project managers and estimators. Sessions will be offered via Zoom on six consecutive Tuesdays from 3:00-4:30pm. We are limiting registration to 20 participants to keep the group small and allow for lots of discussion and small group breakouts. Attending all sessions in real-time is strongly encouraged, however, we will be recording the sessions.

This course is a comprehensive course that focuses on designing residential duct systems. This two-part course will cover Duct Calculations Velocity Friction Rates TEL Pressure Losses Reducing Plenums & Trunks Plus Much More! Sign up for this course to help your field staff become more in-tune with utilizing ACCA's duct wheel. This course will teach your team the best methods for conducting accurate duct diagnosis and sizing. Take the next step to adopt proven best practices by attending this online class.

Stay warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer and save money. The Jewish Community of Greater Stowe Green Team invites you to learn better ways to save money on fuel bills while making a contribution to address climate change. At this evening event, Efficiency Vermont and the Stowe Electric Department will provide you with all the information you need and more on how to improve your home’s energy efficiency. They’ll touch on everything from simple weather-stripping and insulation, to adding a heat pump or advanced wood heater to your home, to rebate programs that will make your projects financially viable.

This course is being offered to prepare instructors to teach SEON’s signature course, The Basics of High Performance Building. Now that several sessions have been delivered successfully, SEON is looking to add additional instructors to teach the course in Brattleboro and other parts of Vermont. Instructors of The Basics of High Performance Building will be instrumental in helping to develop the workforce in the building trades and in encouraging the implementation of high performance building practices.

This is all about the moisture in the air. What’s too much, what’s too little, how to add it and how to remove it. All terminology will be defined and explained, such as dry-bulb temperature, wet-bulb temperature, relative humidity, specific humidity, dew point, enthalpy and more. A complete explanation of the psychrometic chart will be offered and examples will be plotted thereon. This is a soup-to-nuts program on humidity.

These pandemic years have brought significant challenges across all areas of life. These years have also brought a wave of federal funding into Vermont in the form of the Covid Relief Fund (CRF) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The State of Vermont opted to designate a significant portion of these funds to housing. This webinar aims to examine and discuss how some of these funds were used to help address another crisis that Vermont is facing: the availability of affordable housing.

During this educational event and panel discussion, attendees will hear from an array of speakers, and will learn about the successes, challenges and lessons learned from affordable housing projects that received some of this funding.

This course will help technicians take prescriptive measurements to perform a complete system evaluation. Technicians need to perform a comprehensive system evaluation the same way as their fellow technicians. Attend this course to learn Setting the Technician Up for Success Obtaining authorization to execute a system evaluation When to fill out a system performance evaluation Learn How to Build Options Utilizing System Performance How a System Performance Evaluation can reduce client objections Plus Much More! Sign your staff up for this class to help them learn a fundamental approach to using system performance evaluations to increase your average ticket, reduce callbacks and reduce your technician and business liability.

This Introduction to Passive House Trades is a live online course accompanied by mini video tutorials for specific Passive House product installations. It will broadly cover the following topics: Passive House basics, typical construction types, windows and installation, air barriers and insulation, and new, innovative Passive House products. Four AIA/HSW Continuing Education Units are available for this training. The Passive House Network is an AIA Continuing Education Provider.

This online workshop will help you make the leap from standard market-driven construction to a quality "green" home. We will discuss site design, building envelope design, climatic design, durable construction detailing, energy-efficiency, passive and active solar strategies, resource efficient material choices, indoor air quality, high performance building systems, heating and cooling equipment, sustainable forestry, and the ineffability of day-light and beauty. This course covers a range of topics that inform the design of a healthy, delightful, green home. 

Introduction to features and benefits of ductless mini-splits including sales and product training; layout and design; service training and certification; certification for handling R410A refrigerant; fundamentals of sizing; installation, service and repair; and refrigerant handling. EPA certification available following lunch. Upon completion of the course, attendees will gain: Product knowledge and EPA 608B refrigerant handling license.

Start a new career in the high-demand, good-wage, construction trades of carpentry, electrical, HVAC, pipe-fitting, plumbing, maintenance, weatherization or site preparation by enrolling in Construction 101. Construction 101 prepares trainees for entry-level work in the construction trades. Construction Laborers perform a range of construction activities on residential, commercial, new and/or existing construction sites. Duties range from framing buildings, foundation and site preparation, running wiring, building and apartment maintenance, to creating or installing metal framing and ductwork. ReSOURCE’s Construction 101 training program is provided with the support of Vermont Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and the Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO). Construction 101 trainees learn about the different trades and receive the foundation knowledge and experience to enter the one that most interests them.

In this session we discuss issues that cause personal burnout and examine factors that cause burnout in our organizations, costing us time and money. Join us in creating engagement that increases the bottom line. 1. Learn why burnout is dominantly an organizational problem 2. Learn the 6 factors that cause burnout 3. Learn how burnout caused by disengagement effects our bottom line and how to reverse it. Earn Up To 1.5 BPI CEUs

Yestermorrow’s Certificate in Residential Design & Construction brings together the core aspects of the school’s design/build curriculum into one cohesive and comprehensive package. For people interested in embarking on a career in the design or building trades, or those seeking deep involvement in the creation of their own dream home, the Certificate in Residential Design & Construction provides the appropriate skills and knowledge through a mix of design challenges, site visits, studio sessions, and hands-on, experiential project work.

This program is offered as a hybrid learning opportunity with 5 weeks of online design courses followed by 3 weeks of intensive hands-on learning. The schedule is as follows: Architectural Design (Online): Wednesday evenings from 6:00pm-9:00pm July 20- August 17. There will be weekly homework assignments to further your learning. The in-person component will begin on August 22 and end on September 9. There will be some evening and weekend sessions throughout the in-person portion. Beginner Level American Institute of Architects (AIA): 140 Learning Units

The cutting edge of design and construction involves enhancing the performance of our buildings to ensure that they last longer, use less energy, and are healthier and more comfortable to inhabit. As we push this edge further, we learn more about the physical phenomena that affect our buildings and how to design in accordance with the laws of physics and the forces of nature. In this class we will explore the field of building science to inform best practices for design and construction of the built environment. With a primary focus on moisture and thermal dynamics, we will identify typical weaknesses and develop strategies for improvements of various building envelopes. Through lecture, case study, hands-on testing, demonstration, design exercises, and design review, students will not only learn the science behind building performance, but have the opportunity to apply their knowledge. Some basic building literacy is strongly suggested. The Anatomy of the House course will give you a strong foundation in building literacy prior to this course.

Healthy Building Materials will take a dive into the broken promise of the statement “better living through chemistry.” Through assigned reading, case studies, videos and discussion,we will explore the effects of modern building products and household goods on our health.

Learn the basics of design and construction for Zero-Energy Building (ZEB) and Near ZEB for new construction & existing homes and buildings. These "green" buildings not only reduce our carbon footprint by saving energy, but are also extremely comfortable, quiet, healthy, and affordable when planned correctly. Participants will gain an understanding of what it means to set ZEB Energy Use Goals for projects, how to plan for achieving ZEB goals without reducing function, and how to achieve ZEB construction at the lowest cost.

This course will cover the fundamental subjects for achieving ZEB, including principles of life safety, fundamentals for healthy homes, principles of heat loss/gain, principles of insulation performance, principles of pressure plane integrity (air-leakage control), and the use of modeling tools and methods for determining paths to success. Discussions will include: functionality and durability; construction assembly choices that impact efficiency and cost; how design layout impacts HVAC systems' cost and plumbing costs; solar gain impact on buildings' inside living spaces; bulk water management; moisture management; fresh air management; and how capital investment will eliminate annual expenses to achieve a "return on investment" that is a net or positive cash flow from day one.