What is this course about?

As buildings transition away from fossil fuels, heat pumps are becoming the go-to solution for efficient heating, cooling, and hot water. But getting the best performance from these systems doesn’t happen by accident—it requires thoughtful, thorough work, guided by commissioning.

In this course, you’ll learn what commissioning is, how it works, and how each member of the project team—from owners to contractors—can contribute to a successful outcome. Through real-world case studies and examples, we’ll cover common performance pitfalls and how to catch them before they become costly problems.

Whether you're involved in design, construction, or operations, this training will give you the tools to support a smooth commissioning process and deliver reliable, efficient results. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of the commissioning workflow, its impact on project outcomes, and best practices for getting the most out of your heat pump systems.

What will you learn?

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:

• Define commissioning and explain its importance in a heat pump project.
• Describe how team members in different roles can leverage commissioning to ensure a successful heat pump project.
• Identify typical issues you might find with a heat pump system for space heating and cooling.
• Identify typical issues you might find with a domestic hot water heat pump system.

Who is this course for?

This training is ideal for professionals trying to navigate the transition from fossil-fueled systems to heat pump technology in commercial and multifamily residential buildings including:

• Building Owners & Developers
• Architects & Engineers
• Contractors
• Facility Managers
• Energy Consultants

What should you expect?

This on-demand course should take approximately 90 minutes to complete. Click through the interactive lessons below to complete this course!

This course qualifies for 1.5 AIA (LU/HSW), 1.5 GBCI and 1.5 PDH credits. To receive continuing education units, students must achieve an 80% on the learning comprehension quiz at the end of the course. The quiz can be taken as many times as needed in order to pass. If you are pursuing PDH credits outside of NYS, please contact our education team for assistance at education@urbangreencouncil.org.

Do you qualify for free training?

This $10 course is free for NYSERDA’s designated Disadvantaged Communities and Priority Populations. Find out if you’re eligible here ⇗.

When signing up for an account on this portal, you will be asked if you are part of one of these groups – if so, select “Yes” when registering. If you’ve already registered for an account and are eligible, visit this page to update your address and information. After updating your profile, be sure to save, sign out, and then sign back into the portal – you should now have access. Reach out to education@urbangreencouncil.org for help.

Meet the instructor

Nate Goodell, PE, CCP, EBCP
Distinguished Engineer, Commissioning | Taitem Engineering, DPC

Nate Goodell has been commissioning buildings since 2008, leading or assisting on Cx projects including school additions, government buildings, industrial buildings, offices, commercial, hospitality and multifamily buildings. He has experience with LEED NC, LEED EBOM, Ongoing Cx, NYC LL87, NYSERDA compliant Cx, and rehab and gut renovation projects. In 2020 Nate was recognized as one of the top 20 young Cx Agents in the US by the Building Cx Association. He has extensive energy modeling, energy audit, and M&V experience and has served as a subject matter expert, lead technical reviewer, and presenter in various capacities. Nate holds a BS in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Cornell University.