How Your House Works: Building Systems

Building systems including heating/cooling, electrical, lighting design and plumbing and water heating and distribution.

Each of these systems has a significant impact on your life. It's important to understand how these impactful systems work so we'll walk you through how to maximize your health, comfort and efficiency by making informed decisions and planning ahead.

How Your House Works: Building Systems

We're presenting our How Your House Works series focused on building systems: heating/cooling, electrical, lighting and plumbing systems.

Each of these systems has a significant impact on your life. Don't think so? Try living without just one of them.

It's important to understand how these impactful systems work so we'll walk you through how to maximize your health, comfort and efficiency by making informed decisions and planning ahead.

To make it easier to join us, we've created a bundle of the four courses. You'll get more courses for less cost through a single registration.

Click on any of the courses below for more information about the course, including a list of important topics we plan to address. There's an Enroll Now button below the course list - click that button to purchase the entire bundle.

Courses in This Bundle:

There are five courses in this bundle. Each of the first four courses should take approximately three hours to complete. The fifth course is shorter (more focused) and should take you approximately one and a half hours to complete.

Course One: Heating + Cooling Systems

There are five systems upon which we rely for indoor environmental health + comfort… though most people are only aware of two or three. Learning how these systems work and should work together can be transformative for a homeowner.

Course Two: Electrical Systems

This course will help you make the most of your budget by balancing construction costs with home performance. We’ll also show you how to verify what was designed is what was built. We’ll conclude with methods for communicating the value of home performance achieved through optimization and verification.

Course Three: Lighting Design

The lighting in our homes should be functional, help keep us safe, operate efficiently and make our spaces beautiful. Good lighting design is one of the least expensive ways to transform and unlock its potential. We'll review layouts to help you.

Course Four: Plumbing Systems

Join us for a detailed course that will help you understand how to plan, operate, and maintain this critical home system. We’ll help you make better decisions about and enjoy your plumbing system.

Course Five: Water Heating + Distribution

Water heating is a complex topic that combines in-home energy use with fuel choices, maintenance and water conservation. Join us so you can make informed decisions about water heating and distribution in your home.

These courses include:

  • Join our live-virtual presentation for a walk through the course content during which we welcome your questions and comments.
  • Anytime access to the recording of our live presentation plus supporting materials for 180 days - learn or reference the material when it's convenient for you.
  • Access to office hours: live Zoom meetings in which you can ask questions about the recording or supporting materials.


Set up your free account:

You need an account to view a course. Setting up an account is free and easy to do - just click the "Enroll Now" button below.

If you're not currently signed in yet have an account, click the "Enroll Now" button and enter the email address you used for your account. The LMS will recognize your email address, prompt you for a password. Enter your password, click "Continue". The LMS will add the course to your account and open your dashboard to display all of your available courses.

If you're signed into the LMS, clicking the "Enroll Now" button will launch the course.

Course Instructor

Advocate + Collaborator Ryan Taylor

Ryan Taylor is a registered architect. He’s also earned certifications in energy rating/performance verification, site design, disaster response, distance learning, etc. Ryan is active in community, legislative and building code issues. He’s been speaking/teaching since 2008 and is frequently invited to speak at community and industry events. His comments have been widely published.

FAQs

  • Access to the Presentation + Recording

    Each person who views the presentation and has access to the recording must purchase (or have purchased for them) their own access to this course. Learners are not permitted to share access to courses.

  • What Happens After the Live Presentation?

    We'll publish a recording of the live presentation in this learning management system. We'll notify you by email when the recording is available. You may view the recording any time you choose and as many times as you wish within your enrollment period. Your enrollment period (your access to the recording) is 60 days from the date of the live presentation. It typically takes three business days for the recording to be published.

  • Your Questions + Guidance

    Please share your questions and guidance at any time through our Support page. (insert link)

  • You Need An Account

    You need an account to view a course. Setting up an account is free and easy to do - just click the "Enroll Now" button below. If you're not currently signed in yet have an account, click the "Enroll Now" button and enter the email address you used for your account. The LMS will recognize your email address, prompt you for a password. Enter your password, click "Continue". The LMS will add the course to your account and open your dashboard to display all of your available courses. If you're signed into the LMS, clicking the "Enroll Now" button will launch the course.

  • Give This Course as a Gift

    You can give this course to a person using the gifting feature at checkout: Click the "Enroll Now" button and then check the box to the left of the text "This is a gift". You'll be prompted to provide the recipient's email and name plus a personalized message. The recipient will receive an introductory message with your personalized note. You'll receive an email with a link to the gift. Our courses are a transformative gift of education: we teach people how to enjoy more healthy, comfortable and efficient homes and communities. Our courses are appropriate for all ages and backgrounds: homeowners, students, professionals, etc.

  • Terms of Service

    Your participation in this course and all other RTA events is subject to RTA's Terms of Service.