reliance@reliance.org

Contractors Business Insurance – General Liability & OSHA

Offered November 12 at 8 am in Bourne.  Click here to register

This 2-hour workshop will cover general liability, workers compensation, commercial automobile and umbrella insurance for contractors.  The second hour will focus on OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) for small business including the difference between a Workers Compensation Claim and OSHA Reporting.  Prevention will be covered including workplace safety, training and preparing for an OSHA audit.

Coffee and muffins will be served.

Cost per participant: $25
Preregistration is required.

MA Construction Supervisor License CEUs awarded:  2 [Workplace Safety (1 hour), Business Practices (1 hour)]

Offered November 12 at 8 am in Bourne.  Click here to register

Insulating: Options to Meet the Building Code

Offered October 29, 2014 at 5 pm in Hyannis. Click here to register

An investigation of insulation types from fiberglass to spray polyurethane foam.  Learn installation locations and building code implications as well as pros and cons of many types of insulation.  The importance of air sealing will be strongly emphasized.  2009 and the 2012 IECC and Stretch Code compliance requirements will also be covered.

Cost per participant: $30
Preregistration is required.

MA Construction Supervisor License CEUs awarded:  2.5
[Code Review (1 hour), Energy (1 hours), Elective (0.5 hours)]

Offered October 29, 2014 at 5 pm in Hyannis.  Click here to register.

Sam Diego’s fine Mexican cookery and beverages will be available for purchase! Feel free to have an appetizer and drink while listening and learning.

Residential Ventilation & ASHRAE 62.2-2013 Overview

Offered October 15 at 4:30 pm in Hyannis. Click here to register

Tight houses need mechanical ventilation. The ASHRAE 62.2-2013 Standard provides sizing procedures for whole building and local exhaust ventilation, outlines the equipment parameters, and requires installed system testing. This course starts with defining why ventilation is important and its role in tighter homes. It moves through the fundamentals of the standard including exercises in applying the formulas, selecting the equipment, recommending installation details, and testing the installed performance in typical homes. Because there is a homeowner perception that running a ventilation system all the time is a serious waste of money, the costs of ventilation need to be clearly understood. So the course comes back to the importance of residential ventilation. If homeowners shut the systems off, even the best installed system won’t work.

By attending this session, participants will:

  • Understand the basics of Residential Ventilation;
  • Experience the elements of ASHRAE 62.2-2013;
  • Be able to calculate ASHRAE 62.2 whole building and local exhaust fan CFM;
  • Be exposed to different ventilation equipment choices;
  • Appreciate the impacts of quality installation techniques and materials;
  • Discover inexpensive methods to measure CFM;
  • Understand proper ventilation system documentation;
  • Be able to understand the importance and promote the use of residential ventilation.

Cost per participant: $25
Preregistration is required. Click here to register

MA Construction Supervisor License CEUs awarded:  2
[Code Review (0.5 hour), Energy (1.5 hours)]

Sam Diego’s fine Mexican cookery and beverages will be available for purchase! Feel free to have an appetizer and drink while listening and learning.

Introduction to Solar with a concentration on Photovoltaics

Offered October 4 at 8:30 am in Cataumet. Click here to register

This 3 hour course will provide participants with a thorough understanding of how to properly site a solar system, evaluate the customers’ needs for energy and to accurately put forth a presentation on system size and cost. This course builds the case for implementing energy conservation and efficiency prior to or in conjunction with the solar installation.

The course covers net-metering, inverter technology, panel technology, racking types, choosing the best installer and ownership model, zoning issues and structural evaluation in different wind and snow loading areas.  We will also cover how renewable energy fits into HERS and the new energy code.

Cost per participant: $30
Preregistration is required. Click here to register

MA Construction Supervisor License CEUs awarded:  3
[Code Review (0.5 hour), Energy (2 hours), Business Practices (0.5 hour)]

One Thing Leads to Another – Introduction to the System Nature of Building

Offered September 27 in Cataumet.

It is simple to say that a house is system, but it is not easy to work through all of the elements that are interrelated.  As houses get tighter and our building materials and tools get better, these interrelationships become more critical.  A remodeler is a “changer”, making alterations in the existing system, and to improve a home requires going beyond the cosmetic changes to an understanding of the system.  Replacing windows will impact the air pressure in the room, which affects the air quality in the room and the moisture in the walls, as well as the balance of the HVAC system, as well as the heating and cooling loads of the house.  More air may be drawn in from a newly constructed, attached garage so the water heater will not draft because the water heater can no longer get that air from the leaky windows. Tightening up the living room may cause moisture problems in the bedroom or may cause the clothes dryer to take longer to dry the clothes.

Understanding the system nature of the house can help a remodeler to:

  •  Increase business by demonstrating to the homeowner that you can’t fix “just one” component;
  • Improve the quality of the work by addressing the system impacts;
  • Make the house a more comfortable and affordable place to live in;
  • Keep the living space safe.

This session explores some of the fundamentals of building science and describes the “forensic” analysis and tools for connecting one element to another.  We’ll wander down the path of various remodeling projects like updating a kitchen, adding insulation, adding a room, and replacing windows while avoiding the swamps of bad indoor air quality and uncomfortable spaces.  The final destination should be a satisfied and comfortable customer and a project the remodeler can be proud of and energy efficient changes to the structure that help preserve the home and our planet.

Cost per participant: $55    
Preregistration is required.

MA Construction Supervisors Licence CEUs awarded:  4
[Business Practices (1.0 hour), Energy (1 hour), Elective (2 hours)]

Insulating: Options to Meet the Building Code

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An investigation of insulation types from fiberglass to spray polyurethane foam.  Learn installation locations and building code implications as well as pros and cons of many types of insulation.  The importance of air sealing will be strongly emphasized.  2009 and the 2012 IECC and Stretch Code compliance requirements will also be covered.

Cost per participant: $35

MA Construction Supervisor License CEUs awarded:  2.5

[Code Review (1 hour), Energy (1 hours), Elective (0.5 hours)]

Sam Diego’s fine Mexican cookery and beverages will be available for purchase! Feel free to have an appetizer and drink while listening and learning.

Pre-registration is required.

Next offered:  October 29, 2014 at 5 pm.  Register here:  
http://www.selfreliancefuelcoop.org/event-calendar/#id=9&cid=907&wid=501

Wicked Smart Contractor Training: Self-Reliance’s CEU Program

Self-Reliance provides high quality energy education to all types of consumers and industry professionals. Exceptionally knowledgeable about energy producing systems, building science best practices,energy efficiency and conservation, Self-Reliance offers residents, businesses, municipalities solid guidance on energy technology options.

As an independent, objective authority, Self-Reliance helps members navigate energy choices and empower them to make decisions and take actions that save money, increase comfort and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Self-Reliance is a 501c3 non-profit organization established in 1980.  Our office is located at 1396 Route 28A, Cataumet, MA 02534.