IMPROVE YOUR KNOWLEDGE.IMPROVE YOUR HOMES.

Make the Propane Training Academy your go-to online resource for free continuing-education training courses and other valuable propane application information. The Propane Education & Research Council is constantly developing new NAHB-, USGBC-, NARI-, and AIA-approved training courses covering a broad range of propane-related topics, including its many applications, installation options, and products.

Whether you’re training from home, learning at the office, or reading on the road, the Propane Training Academy is always in session, and it’s always free. This brochure highlights some of the most popular courses available online, many of which are available in either on-demand webinar or printable PDF format. Visit propanetrainingacademy.com to grow your professional expertise and learn more about the environmental and efficiency benefits of building and remodeling with propane.

Know the answers to your clients’ questions about building or remodeling with propane.

Building with PropanePropane is a clean energy source that fuels many of the modern amenities that your customers desire. These training courses will help you learn more about building with propane and maximizing energy savings for your clients.

Introductory An Energy and Environmental Analysis of Propane Energy Pod Homes

Bundles or collections of building systems in homes can form the basis of an energy package or “pod,” delivering energy and CO2 emissions savings that outperform typical new homes in the marketplace. The Propane Energy Pod is a model for

new construction that treats a home’s five key areas of energy use — space heating, water heating, cooking, fireplaces, and clothes drying — as parts of a whole-home energy package.

This course • Evaluates the energy and environmental performance

of Propane Energy Pod prototype homes.

• Compares Propane Energy Pod homes with standard homes featuring typical technology packages.

• Describes how energy pods can help homes qualify for national, state, or local incentives for energy improvements made to the home.

Intermediate Expanding Outdoor Living: Using Propane for Efficient and Sustainable Outdoor Living

Outdoor living spaces can add just as much to a home’s overall comfort and resale value as indoor features. No longer just a deck and a floodlight, a comfortable and fully functional outdoor

living area can include an array of kitchen appliances, pools and spas, sophisticated lighting, radiant heat, and more.

This course • Explains why outdoor rooms and furnished outdoor spaces

are becoming popular among homeowners and designers.

• Describes how you can use propane to create efficient, sustainable, and beautiful outdoor living areas.

• Helps pros know what to consider before designing an outdoor room or space.

PDF1Available in: AIA: 1 Hour NARI: 1 CEU Hour

On-Demand Webinar

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Available in: NAHB Approved2 AIA: 1 HSW/SD HourUSGBC: 1 CMP Hour

Propane Storage and Distribution Systems Propane is versatile enough to fit any kind of project, with installation options ranging from underground tank burial to propane systems that fuel an entire community. These courses help you learn how to work with a propane professional to plan for your next project.

Advanced Community Propane Systems: Environmental and Economic Advantages

Community propane systems, also known as jurisdictional systems, central pipe systems, or master meter systems, are extremely flexible and offer energy-efficient fuel options to entire communities. They provide a

reliable, freestanding community pipeline capable of serving dozens, even thousands of residences from a central facility. Propane is available everywhere in the United States and can be used anywhere without the need for expensive natural gas main extensions — even beyond municipal and private utility service areas.

This course • Identifies the advantages to communities of using propane

over other types of energy.

• Describes requirements to follow when installing a community propane system.

• Explains the efficiency, economic, and environmental benefits of using propane.

On-Demand Webinar

PDF1

Available in: NAHB Approved2 AIA: 1 HSW/SD HourUSGBC: 1 CMP Hour

Intermediate Introductory

When planning and designing propane-fueled homes, many builders are choosing to keep the propane system out of sight and out of mind by installing underground tanks. For single-family homes in neighborhoods

without a community propane tank system, an underground propane tank allows the owner to utilize propane for indoor and outdoor applications with little impact to the surrounding landscape. Underground tanks are environmentally friendly, low maintenance, and durable.

This course • Identifies the benefits of using propane to fuel homes.

• Describes the residential infrastructure requirements and the many benefits of underground propane tanks.

• Explains how a local propane retailer can work with you and your building partners to design homes with propane as the primary energy source.

On-Demand Webinar

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Available in: NAHB Approved2 AIA: 1 HSW/SD HourUSGBC: 1 CMP Hour

Propane Gas Underground Systems: Residential Infrastructure Requirements and Energy Benefits

1. PDF courses are not eligible for NAHB credit. 2. NAHB-approved programs meet NAHB’s continuing-education requirements for the following designations: Certified Graduate Associate (CGA), Certified Graduate Builder (CGB), Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR), Certified Green Professional (CGP), and Graduate Master Builder (GMB), and Graduate Master Remodeler (GMR).

Intermediate A Comparative Analysis of Residential Heating Systems

The right heating system for a home can not only translate to money saved for your project and for the home’s current or future owners, but it can also help reduce the amount of harmful carbon emissions

released into the atmosphere. In this course, get the facts that will help you make the best decision about which home heating system to use in your next project.

This course • Describes trends in residential heating systems and how they

compare in first costs, operating costs, carbon emissions, and rates of payback.

• Compares and contrasts trade-offs involved in specifying high-efficiency HVAC equipment for residential projects.

• Discusses how regional differences affect system performance.

Intermediate A Comparative Analysis of Residential Water Heating Systems

Residents depend on a reliable and sufficient supply of hot water for multiple uses in the home, and they are increasingly aware of the energy implications of different hot water systems. This course provides an energy,

environmental, and economic analysis of 11 residential water heating systems in 10 geographic locations throughout the United States, with emphasis on the performance of propane-based systems relative to alternatives.

This course • Describes the factors that contribute to energy costs

varying by region and climate.

• Compares and contrasts the environmental and economic benefits of the systems in each climate.

• Examines the conclusions reached from analyses of water heating systems.

Advanced Impact of Combined Heat and Power Systems in Residential and Commercial Buildings

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems, as the name implies, serve dual purposes. First, they use a propane or natural gas generator to create electricity. Simultaneously, the heat from the engine

is captured and used to warm the building or create hot water, reducing energy costs. The electricity produced from the generator is used by the home, further reducing energy costs.

This course • Describes how CHP systems work.

• Explains where a CHP system can be used and how it can improve the energy performance of a project.

• Discusses the environmental and economic benefits of using a CHP system.

Propane Space Heating Homeowners look to you to help them make wise energy choices in the home. The research and technology discussed in these training courses will help you choose heating systems that perform well in energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, and return on investment.

On-Demand Webinar

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Available in: NAHB Approved2 AIA: 1 HSW/SD HourNARI: 1 CEU HourUSGBC: 1 CMP Hour

Intermediate Propane-Enhanced Solar Water Heating

As energy and utility costs increase, homeowners look for ways to save money on their utilities while maintaining the same performance and service expectations. If your client would like to

make energy-efficient upgrades, solar water heating may be a wise move. While solar water heating systems are widely recognized as reliable, good for the environment, and an excellent way to lower utility bills, solar water heating systems need a backup system for cloudy and rainy days and times of increased demand.

This course • Explains what makes solar water heating a viable and

reliable water heating method for residential homes.

• Compares and contrasts the benefits of energy sources that can supplement a solar water heating unit.

• Describes how a solar water heating unit works with a propane-fueled back-up tankless water heater.

On-Demand Webinar

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Available in: NAHB Approved2 AIA: 1 HSW/SD HourNARI: 1 CEU HourUSGBC: 1 CMP Hour

Propane Water Heating By using an energy-efficient fuel source for water heating, you can please your customers and enhance the value of your homes. These courses examine a variety of water heating systems to help you choose one that fits your project.

Visit propanetrainingacademy.com

On-Demand Webinar

PDF1

Available in: NAHB Approved2 AIA: 1 HSW/SD HourNARI: 1 CEU HourUSGBC: 1 CMP Hour

On-Demand Webinar

PDF1

Available in: NAHB Approved2 AIA: 1 HSW/SD HourNARI: 1 CEU HourUSGBC: 1 CMP Hour

Intermediate Living Off-Grid: Power Generation and Storage Basics

While the basic challenges of living off-grid haven’t changed, solutions to them have made the idea of getting away from it all much easier. Learn how you can help homeowners who desire to live off-grid,

away from natural gas and power lines, do so successfully and comfortably, without sacrificing many of the creature comforts they expect in modern society.

This course • Describes economic and environmental reasons why off-grid

living is becoming more appealing.

• Identifies the technology and components required to generate and store power in an off-grid home.

• Describes the functional, practical, and sizing differences of portable, standby, and off-grid generators.

PDF1Available in: AIA: 1 HSW/SD HourNARI: 1 CEU Hour

Advanced Propane-Enhanced Renewable Energy Systems

Many American homeowners, now acutely aware of fluctuating energy prices and the environmental implications associated with some conventional energy sources, are driving demand for alternative-energy

sources for their homes. It’s up to you, as a construction professional, to propose the best alternative-energy systems for your homes. Learn why propane is an ideal backup energy source for a wide range of renewable energy systems.

This course • Explains why a supplemental energy source, such as propane,

is often required in combination with renewable-energy technologies.

• Describes how propane supplements three types of alternative-energy technologies.

• Identifies considerations to take into account before specifying an alternative-energy system for a home.

Sustainable Living with Propane For homeowners who want to live off the grid or simply have a lighter footprint on their environment, sustainable and energy-independent homes continue to be popular. These courses help you learn more about the energy generation and fuel choice options available for comfortable and sustainable living.

Visit propanetrainingacademy.com

Free training courses are only the beginning of the resources available on buildwithpropane.com. PERC offers a variety of documents, research studies, online tools, and videos that focus on propane applications, including new technologies, installation, energy efficiency, and safety. Continue to expand your propane knowledge today with these online tools: • Reference guides. The Build with Propane Guide is designed to help

you learn more about how propane fits into a home building project, and it includes a variety of information on jobsite planning for propane. The Propane Technical Pocket Guide is an easy-to-use reference for construction professionals ready to start building with propane. View them online at buildwithpropane.com or download copies for your contractors.

• Interactive tools and research. The Propane Energy Pod Interactive Tool lets you see how homes built with the Propane Energy Pod measure up to standard homes in your area. The Comparative Heating Map interactive training module draws on a research study performed in 2012, Comparative Study and Analysis of Residential Heating Systems, to see how propane heating systems fare against alternatives in different parts of the country.

• Products and appliances. The Propane Products and Appliances Directory is an online search tool you can use to discover propane products by category, manufacturer, or even efficiency rating.

• Training videos. The Multimedia Library has videos on a number of subjects, including:

Learn More Online

Introductory Choosing to Live Off-Grid: Energy Generation and Fuel Choices

Living off the grid has become increasingly popular over the past decade. Whether through practical need (like in remote Tanana, Alaska) or by desire to improve the environment (like in Three Rivers, Ore.),

entire communities now draw from local energy production systems instead of centralized, distant sources that rely on conventional distribution and carbon-based energy. Energy independence, pursuit of a more sustainable lifestyle, moving away from the city, and economics are all cited as common reasons for choosing to live off-grid. Off-grid and standby generators can be used in combination with renewable energy sources for successful off-grid living.

This course • Describes why off-grid living is increasing in popularity.

• Compares and contrasts types of generators and fuel choices for off-grid living.

• Explains how lifestyle choices and appliance selections are a critical part of successful off-grid living.

On-Demand Webinar

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Available in: NAHB Approved2 AIA: 1 HSW/SD HourUSGBC: 1 CMP Hour

• Converting an Oil-Fueled Boiler System to Propane • Innovative Propane Technologies: Micro Combined Heat and Power (CHP)• The Propane Energy Pod • Whole-Home Energy-Efficiency Improvements with Propane

On-Demand Webinar

Available in: AIA: 1 HSW/SD Hour NARI: 1 CEU HourUSGBC: 1 CMP Hour

1. PDF courses are not eligible for NAHB credit. 2. NAHB-approved programs meet NAHB’s continuing-education requirements for the following designations: Certified Graduate Associate (CGA), Certified Graduate Builder (CGB), Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR), Certified Green Professional (CGP), Graduate Master Builder (GMB), and Graduate Master Remodeler (GMR).

© Propane Education & Research Council 10/2012