Cold-Climate Heat Pumps, Pellet Boilers and Other Renewable Thermal Heating Systems
DISCLAIMER
Before purchasing, review the rules of your licensing or certifying entity. It is your responsibility to confirm this course meets your CE requirements. See the credit tab on the course page for details.
What’s Included: Full webinar recording, written course materials, expert instruction, a mandatory quiz, and a certificate upon completion.
Deliverability Timeline: All courses are generally available within 1-2 weeks after the live presentation.
CE Credits: AIA and/or LA/CES accreditation is available by request for courses recorded prior to March 11, 2026. All courses after that date include those accreditations by default, if applicable. With these accreditations, our courses qualify for credit in nearly all states for engineers, surveyors, architects, and landscape architects.
Learn more about the on-demand format in our FAQ or contact us at (715) 835-5900 or customerservice@halfmoonseminars.org
Agenda
Registration: 8:00 – 8:30 am
Morning Session: 8:30 – 11:45 am
Lunch (On your own): 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
Afternoon Session: 1:00 – 4:15 pm
Overview of Systems to be Covered
Air-source heat pumps Ground-source heat pumps
Condensing boilers and furnaces Pellet-fired boilers
Solar-assisted space heating and domestic hot water
Heat Pumps Overview
How they work: heat pump process cycle, terminology,
measures of performanceCOP (coefficient of performance)
Performance in cold climates
Air-source and ground-source heat pumps
Water-to-air, water-to-water, and air-to-water systems
Air-Source Heat Pump Performance
Cold-climate air-source heat pumps
Variable refrigerant flow (VRF) heat pump technology
Split systems, mini-splits, and ducted systems
Capacity as a function of outside air temperature
Air-to-air and air-to-water heat pumps
Outdoor condenser and indoor terminal equipment
Examples and case studies
Proposed improvements to rating metrics for air-source heat pumps
Regional cold climate system specifications
Results from air-source heat pump performance studies
Air-source heat pumps in commercial and residential use
Lessons learned
Ground-Source Heat Pump Performance
Ground-source and ground water heat pump configurations for cold climates
Closed loop, open loop, and standing column heat pump systems
High-performance equipment options and recent developments
Water-to-air and water-to-water heat pumps
Commercial and residential examples and studies
The importance of controls and control strategies on
optimized energy performance
Lessons learned
Combustion-Based Heating Systems
Boiler technology fundamentals and operations
How to optimize heating performance
Different rules for different boiler technologies
The importance of resetting water temperatures based upon load
The importance of right-sizing boiler stages for optimal operation
Biomass Boilers Performance
Equipment examples
Modern, microprocessor-controlled wood-pellet boilers
Equipment and case studies
Vacuum and augur-fed pellet systems
Ash management and disposal systems
Microprocessor-based boiler controls
Inside the pellet boiler
Efficiency and the effects of ratings based on higher or
lower heating values of fuel
Case studies and examples for institutional facilities
Lessons learned
Solar-Assisted Domestic Hot Water and Space Heating Performance
Solar domestic hot water systems: steam-back, closed loop and
drain-back solar thermal system configurations
Rooftop solar thermal panels, hot water storage and radiant floor
heat delivery systems
New construction – residential solar thermal space heating systems
Lessons learned
Round-Up and Review
Credits
Architects
6.0 HSW Contact Hours
6.0 AIA HSW Learning Units
Professional Engineers
6.0 PDHs
Building Performance Institute
3.0 CEUs
Contractors
Voluntary CE Opportunity
Continuing Education Credit Information
This seminar is open to the public. It offers up to 6.0 HSW continuing education/contact hours to architects and 6.0 PDHs to professional engineers in all states. HalfMoon Education is an approved continuing education provider for Maryland engineers and this is a Category A event. Educators and courses are not subject to preapproval in Pennsylvania.
This seminar is approved by the American Institute of Architects for 6.0 HSW Learning Units (Provider No. J885). HalfMoon Education is an approved continuing education sponsor for architects in Florida and is deemed an approved sponsor in New York. HalfMoon Education is an approved continuing education sponsor for engineers in Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, New Jersey (Approval No. 24GP00000700), New York (NYSED Sponsor No. 35), North Carolina, and North Dakota.
The Building Performance Institute has approved this event for 3.0 CEUs.
This seminar offers a non-mandatory continuing education opportunity to construction contractors. It has not been reviewed by any state contractor licensing entity with a continuing education requirement.
Attendance will be monitored, and attendance certificates will be available after the seminar for most individuals who complete the entire event. Attendance certificates not available at the seminar will be mailed within 15 business days.
Speakers
Bart Bales, PE, MSME
Principal of Bales Energy AssociatesIn the residential sector, Bales Energy Associates (BEA) provides mini-consults for heat pumps, energy recovery ventilators and other green heating and cooling systems. Over the last 15 years, Mr. Bales has taught high-performance heating systems workshops for an eight state region in the Northeast. BEA provides investment-grade energy audits and renewable energy system studies for commercial and institutional buildings and facilities. BEA takes a whole-systems approach to each facility or home, informed by the most current building-science standards. Mr. Bales is a registered professional engineer in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, and Rhode Island. Services offered by BEA include HVAC, energy-related studies and design services, as well as training workshops for high-performance, energy-efficient mechanical, electrical, and enclosure systems for new and existing buildings.
