Home Energy Efficiency for Real Estate Professionals Course
Check your local regulating body to confirm this course is approved for Real Estate Continuing Education credits.
Welcome to InterNACHI’s free, online Home Energy Efficiency for Real Estate Professionals Course. Licensed real estate professionals can take the free, online Continuing Education course by creating a free account.
InterNACHI is solely responsible for the content used in this course.
Goal:
The goal of this course is to teach real estate professionals how to help their clients in saving money by saving home energy.
Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this training course, the individual be able to:
- understand the value of Home Energy Reports™ for current and prospective homeowners;
- understand and provide informative options to help homeowners cut their energy use, reduce their carbon footprint, and increase their homes’ comfort, health, and safety; and
- help homeowners make informed decisions about purchasing new HVAC equipment or improving existing equipment for more efficient operation.
This course will also help:
- protect the general public and registrants in real estate transactions;
- enable registrants to better serve the objectives of the consumer in real estate transactions; and
- develop and enhance the competence and professionalism of registrants in a changing marketplace.
The typical home buyer purchases a home without first fully understanding what it costs to operate it. Most homeowners do not understand where energy (and, therefore, money) is being wasted in their home. For the average American homeowner, heating and cooling accounts for over 55% of annual energy usage.
There are many approaches to reducing the heating and cooling costs of the utility bill, including:
- properly maintaining the existing HVAC system;
- improving the energy efficiency of a system in need of repair; and
- picking the right heating and cooling equipment when replacement is needed.
And, in keeping with InterNACHI’s commitment to Continuing Education, this online training course is open and free to all real estate professionals, and can be taken again and again, without limit.
Note:
The course requires the student to sign a written statement under penalty of perjury that the participant enrolled in the course is the personal completing the course, and ensures the course can not be completed in less time tan the approved credit hours by controlling the participant’s navigation through the course content.
This course has been approved by:
- the State of Colorado Division of Real Estate;
- the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors;
- the Master Inspector Certification Board; and
- the International Association of Certified Indoor Air Consultants.
The Home Energy Efficiency for Real Estate Professionals course includes:
- 4 Continuing Education credit hours;
- 27,400 words in the course;
- 24,000-word, downloadable course book;
- one 3-minute video;
- 30 questions within four quizzes;
- a 40-question, 45-minute, final exam (drawn from a larger pool);
- instant grading;
- a downloadable, printable Certificate of Completion; and
- accreditations and state approvals.
The course covers the following categories and chapters:
Student Verification and Interactivity
- Introduction
- Learning Objectives
- Acknowledgments
- Throwing Money Away
Whole-House Approach
- Energy Upgrades
- Home Performance Energy Assessment
- How to Find a Certified Energy Contractor
- Space Heating and Cooling
- Federal, State & Utility Incentive Programs
- Typical U.S. Homeowner’s Energy Bill
- Building Permits and Codes
Heating Systems
- Introduction
- How Much Does it Cost?
- Decision Chart for Replacing Heating System
- Common Heating System Options
Furnaces
- Furnace Efficiency
- Furnace and Boiler Equipment Efficiency
- Low-Efficiency Furnaces (Less than 78%)
- Mid-Efficiency Furnaces (80% to 82%)
- High-Efficiency Furnaces (90 to 98%)
- Bigger isn’t Always Better
- Repair or Replace?
- A Furnace Tune-Up Checklist
- ANSI/ACCA HVAC Standards
- Ducts
- Existing Ducts
- New Ducts
- A Word about Chimneys
- Quiz 1
Electric Heaters
- Electric Central Furnaces
- Room Heaters slide
- Zoning
Heat Pumps
- Heat Pump Heating Efficiency
- Central-Air-Source Heat Pumps
- Central-Air-Source Heat Pump Checklist
- Ductless Heat Pumps
- Ground-Source Heat Pumps
Boilers and Hydronic Heating
- Introduction
- Steam & Hot Water Radiators
- Radiant Floor Heating
- A Boiler Tune-Up
- Repair or Replace?
Wood and Pellet Heating
- 2.9 Million
- Traditional Open
- Pellets
- Check Codes
- Consider Upgrading
Solar Heating
- Introduction
- Passive Solar Heating
- Active Solar Heating
- Quiz 2
Cooling Systems
- Introduction
- Cooling Efficiency
- Decision Flow Chart for New AC System
- Common Cooling Systems Options
Central Air Conditioning
- Introduction
- Sizing Up Old Air Conditioners
- Bigger is Not Always Better
- Repair or Replace?
- ANSI/ACCA HVAC Standards
Room Air Conditioning
- Room Air Conditioning Information
- Efficiency Ratings
Heat Pumps
- Introduction
- Central- and Ground-Source Heat Pumps
- Ductless Heat Pumps
- Absorption Heat Pumps
Evaporative Coolers
- Introduction
- Indirect Evaporative Cooler
- Water-Cooled
- Photovoltaic PV
Radiant Cooling
- Information
Dehumidifiers
- Dehumidifiers
Natural Cooling Strategies
- Introduction
- Fans & Ventilation for Cooling
- Central Fan-Integrated Night Cooling
- Natural Draft
- Window Fans
- Attic Vents
- Whole House Fans
- Passive Cooling
- Windows
- Window Rating
- Shading
- Replace Roof with a Cool One
- Radiant Barriers
Ventilation
- Introduction
- How Much Ventilation?
- Exhaust-Only Ventilation
- Supply-Only Ventilation
- Balanced Systems
- Semi-Balanced System
- Ventilation System Types, Cost & Performance
- Quiz 3
The Home Performance Energy Assessment
- Introduction
- Certified Energy Contractors
- The Energy Assessment Process
- Step 1: Assessment
- Step 2: Making Energy-Efficiency Upgrades
- Step 3: Testing
- Quiz 4
References
Conclusion
Final Exam
Upon completion of this course and passing the 30-question final exam (drawn from a larger pool), the student can download and print his/her own Certificate of Completion, which is auto-generated in the student’s name.
The student’s information is recorded on InterNACHI’s servers for compliance verification, and automatically logs completion into InterNACHI’s online Continuing Education log. It counts as four InterNACHI Continuing Education hours (4 CE).
Contact:
Ben Gromicko ben@internachi.org
Lisa Endza lisa@internachi.org
Fees:
Free to licensed real estate professionals.
Refunds:
If, for any reason, the student wishes to cancel his/her enrollment, a full refund for any fees paid will be offered. But remember, this is a free course for licensed real estate professionals.
Final Examination Criteria:
- Number of questions: 40 questions drawn from a larger pool
- Types of questions: Fill in the blank, multiple choice, and T/F questions.
- Time: 40 minutes
- How many different exams: Always randomly drawn from a larger pool of questions.
- Minimum passing percentage: 80%
Attendance Policy:
InterNACHI’s online courses are open to all students, can be taken from anywhere, at any time, and can be taken again and again without limit.
Correspondence Course Identification Statement:
An affidavit is presented to the student in the beginning and end of the course to attest to the student’s identity.
Online Evaluation Statement:
A course and instructor evaluation is available on the California Bureau of Real Estate (BRE) website at www.bre.ca.gov. Access this form by typing in “RE 318A” in the search box located in the upper right corner of the homepage.
CalBRE Disclaimer Statement:
This course is approved for continuing education credit by the California Bureau of Real Estate. However, this approval does not constitute an endorsement of the views or opinions which are expressed by the course sponsor, instructors, authors, or lecturers.