The Big Efficiency Opportunities

Moving from fossil-fuel boilers to other forms of domestic hot water heating can be challenging, but it’s doable. This training, featuring Redwood Energy’s Sean Armstrong and Small Planet Supply’s Albert Rooks, offers field experience and strategies for providing DHW in multifamily projects both with and without Passive House envelope measures.

As a result of this training, learners will be able to:

• Explain the energy efficiency importance of designing for recirculation heating

• Understand factors impacting HVAC loads in multi-family and commercial buildings

• Identify the unique sizing requirements to implement an electric heat pump design.

• Demonstrate understanding of the differences in system design between a boiler-based and heat pump DHW system

• Understand how heat pump systems are controlled, started up, and maintained for performance.

Sean Armstrong is the Managing Principal of Redwood Energy and has worked for 25 years in building electrification, designed the retrofit and new construction of more than 10,000 all-electric residences for disadvantaged populations, co-authored five practical guides to building electrification, provided legal and technical support to dozens of gas bans nationwide, helped develop the 2016/2019/2022 and 2025 Title 24 California Energy Codes, and has received sustainable design awards from the United Nations, the U.S. Department of Energy and the SoCal Building Industry Association.

Albert Rooks has been passionate about energy efficient construction since 2009. He worked to establish and strengthen the Passive House Standard in North America. In 2010 he founded Small Planet Supply Inc., in Washington state. Featuring both a physical warehouse location and an online store, the company initially imported and distributed passive house components, including building tapes, membranes and mechanical systems. In 2016, Small Planet Supply opened a Vancouver, Canada location to provide products and training in response to Vancouver’s Greenest City Initiative. Albert’s current focus includes procurement, development, and production of high-efficiency mechanical systems for the North American market, including WaterDrop systems.

AIA and ICC credits pending approval