Complete this course by December 15th for a chance to win a $25 visa gift card! Winners will be notified by December 19th.

What is this course about?

Electrifying buildings with heat pumps is one of the fastest, most impactful ways to cut carbon emissions—but building owners and stakeholders need clear answers about energy cost before making the switch. This course provides a simple, reliable method for answering this question using only utility data you already have.

Through practical examples and hands-on exercises, you’ll learn how to gather the right information, run quick calculations, and estimate the potential energy use and cost of a heat pump system. Along the way, you’ll gain a better understanding of how heat flows, how fossil fuel and electric systems compare, and how to avoid common pitfalls in early-stage cost estimates. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to run the numbers, interpret the results, and use this simple yet powerful tool to kickstart conversations on electrification.

What will you learn?

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

• Understand how heat flow affects building energy use and compare the energy cost implications of fossil fuel systems versus heat pumps.
• Identify the key utility data needed to estimate energy costs and outline the basic steps to calculating this estimate.
• Perform a preliminary calculation to estimate potential energy costs for a heat pump retrofit.
• Recognize and avoid common errors when conducting energy cost calculations.

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
• Facility Managers
• Building Operators
• Service Providers

What should you expect?

This on-demand course should take approximately 60 minutes to complete. Click through the interactive lessons below to complete this course! Complete this course to earn a badge in heat pump cost calculations.

This course qualifies for 1 AIA (LU), 1 GBCI and 1 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. 

Complete this course by December 15th for a chance to win a $25 visa gift card! Winners will be notified by December 19th.

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

Ian Shapiro
Professor of Practice, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University

This course was developed in partnership with the Syracuse Center of Excellence and funding from the New York State Research and Development Authority. 

Ian Shapiro is an accomplished engineer and educator with over 30 years of experience in energy efficiency and building decarbonization. He is the founder and former President of Taitem Engineering and the author of two textbooks, Green Building Illustrated and Energy Audits and Improvements for Commercial Buildings. Throughout his career, Ian has done research on heat pumps, led commercial and residential energy assessments, advanced zero-carbon energy codes, and fostered industry collaboration on heat pump innovations. Currently, Ian serves as a Professor of Practice in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Syracuse University (SU) and the Associate Director of Building Science and Community Programs at SU’s Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems.