A UF center is offering a new course that targets professionals in the architecture, engineering and construction industries who are looking to expand their education.
The Training, Research & Education for Environmental Occupations center will provide a two-day course, Introduction to Building Energy Modeling, which will help professionals minimize energy use in buildings.
“It’s meant to be an intense, compressed course to get this information to the students,” said Charles J. Kibert, director of the Powell Center for Construction and Environment.
Although the course is targeted at professionals, Laurel Brown, the marketing and program coordinator for the center, said UF architecture, engineering and construction graduate students may also benefit from the course and will not be excluded from registering.
The course is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 5 and 6. It includes a lecture portion and a hands-on workshop, which will allow participants to use the models in professional practice.
“The idea is to simulate a building’s operation and how much energy it will use before you build it,” he said.
During the course, participants will try different combinations to minimize energy use including components such as lighting, control systems and heating and cooling systems, Kibert said.
This course will fulfill one of the four course requirements necessary to become a certified sustainable building analyst. To become an analyst, participants must take two additional two-day courses.