Fundamentals of HVAC

Lodging

DoubleTree by Hilton Madison Downtown

525 West Johnson Street
Madison, WI 53703

Room: rates start at $195

Reserve by: September 7, 2026

Accommodations include: Enjoy complimentary business center, WiFi and Local/Airport Shuttle. Each room has a refrigerator, microwave, 42-inch HDTV, and executive desk. Parking available $15/night.

800-222-8733

608-251-5511

Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor's Club

One West Dayton Street
Madison, WI 53703

Room: rates start at $160

Accommodations include: Complimentary WiFi, Local/Airport Shuttle, Pool, and Fitness Center.

Fluno Center

601 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706

Accommodations include: Your stay includes hot breakfast buffet, fitness center, business center, convenient on-site parking. Guest rooms are complete with Keurig coffee maker, refrigerator, complimentary high-speed Internet, and 40-inch, flat screen, high-def TVs.

More Madison Lodging Options

Instructors
Deanne Walz
Project Manager
Deanne is a Project Manager at Affiliated Engineers, a national MEP engineering consulting firm with 16 offices. She began her career in the firm’s Washington, DC office, where she contributed mechanical design expertise to several projects at the National Institutes of Health. Now based in Madison, Deanne focuses on healthcare projects, currently leading the design of a new 332,000-square-foot hospital for Bay Area Medical Center in Marinette, Wisconsin. Her recent work also includes MEP and utility infrastructure planning for Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee and the mechanical design of a 452,000-square-foot expansion at Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Delaware. Deanne is a licensed professional engineer and a LEED Accredited Professional, bringing a strong commitment to sustainable and high-performance building design.
Mark Malkin
Program Director and Teaching Faculty
Mark P. Malkin, PE, is a program director in the Office of Interdisciplinary Professional Programs in the College of Engineering at UW-Madison. He is a registered Professional Engineer with over 25 years of experience in university facilities project management and HVAC systems design. His course offerings include HVAC, plumbing and fire protection fundamentals, building code reviews, and design and operation of science labs, data centers, museums and libraries. Mark received his bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, and his MS in Mechanical Engineering from UW–Madison.
Brian Clark
Registered Mechanical Engineer
Brian Clark, PE, is a registered mechanical engineer at the National Laboratory of the Rockies. His experience is extensive and includes HVAC design of health care, laboratories, clean rooms, manufacturing, office space, and indoor waterpark resorts to name a few. He now focuses on building energy security and resilience research. Brian received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Milwaukee School of Engineering.
Jacob Weber
Project Engineer
Jacob is a registered professional mechanical engineer at Affiliated Engineers, Inc where he focuses on HVAC and utility system analysis and design for industrial test, manufacturing, and university clients. His design experience includes hydraulic shaker test cells, aircraft hydraulic test systems, engine and chassis test cells, wind tunnels, and climatic chambers. In addition, he is well versed in utility and infrastructure designs such as steam, heating hot water, chilled water, process water, and tower water systems. Jacob’s current prominent clients include General Motors, Collins Aerospace, and University of Wisconsin – Madison.
Doug Showers
Senior Project Engineer
Doug Showers, PE, is a Project Engineer at Affiliated Engineers, Inc. in Madison, WI, focusing on the instrumentation and controls design for complex industrial, energy and utilities, and research building projects. Doug has experience managing control systems on a large University campus, including multiple heating and cooling plants, and is currently leading the control system design for several large research lab facilities. Doug is a registered engineer and holds a Power Plant Operating Engineer license from ASOPE.
Tim Fritsche
Building Manager (retired)
Dave Meinzer
Project Manager
David J. Meinzer, DES, is a Pre-Construction Project Manager in the Majors Division at J.F. Ahern Company, focusing on Laboratory and Healthcare project design/pre-construction. Dave is a registered Designer of Engineering Systems (in the state of Wisconsin) with over 24 years of experience in HVAC system design, including coordinating and collaborating with design concepts with clients, other disciplines, and contractors. Dave is fluent in Revit modeling, load calculations, and system designs.
Program Director
Mark Malkin

Total Credits:

CEU 2.1,

PDH 21,

LU/HSW 21,

Applies to this Certificate:

Existing Building Commissioning Process Provider (EBCxP or EBCP) ,

Course Administration

If you are planning to attend an Interdisciplinary Professional Programs course, payment is required at the time of registration. Below are the payment options:

Pay by Credit Card

Enroll online and pay by credit card.

Search for the course on the website and then click on the Enroll Now button from the course webpage.
Enter all necessary course attendee information and payment information on the course enrollment page.
You will receive an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Check

Mail in a completed registration form and check payable to UW Madison.

Fill out a registration form (found either in the back of the course brochure you received in the mail or here).
Prepare a check, made payable to UW Madison.
Mail the registration form and check to: CERC Registrations 21 N Park St, Ste 7101 Madison, WI 53715
You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Purchase Order

Request Purchase Order information from registration@cerc.wisc.edu
- If a fee quote is needed, contact custserv@interpro.wisc.edu first
You will receive an invoice from UW–Madison Business Services for payment, usually within 3–5 business days

Military

If using SF-182 form, please call our registration number at 608-262-2451 or email registration@cerc.wisc.edu for details and instructions.

Event Cancellation

We reserve the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrollment or unforeseen events. If we cancel a course, participants will be notified via email or phone and will be given the option for a full refund or to transfer their registration and any fees paid to another course. We are not responsible for non-refundable plane tickets, hotel reservations, and other travel related expenses. For enrollee Course Cancellation, refer to notes on course page.

Create a custom learning experience

We can deliver this course as an on-site learning experience tailored to your organization’s specific training needs.

“Great wealth of knowledge across the instructors, gave the chance to see the experience from different fields. Notes were well developed and will allow the student to reference back. The tour of the building was a good experience that allowed the classroom teaching to blend into [the] real world.”
– Richard, Energy Systems Group, Frederick, MD

"The course was very informative and direct on the topics. The instructors did a great job of presenting everything in a very definitive and understanding way. I would definitely recommend this course to anyone who is in, or works with facilities.”
– Igor, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA

“It was very good for the content and what was discussed for going over all of the HVAC systems and equipment and explaining how they work. The tour was very good for physically seeing what was discussed installed in the field. For what I need to know for my job, this was very helpful and I would advise our other field reps. to take [this] course for general knowledge if not formally trained in HVAC.”
– Tim, Bemers-Schober Associates Inc, Green Bay, WI

“The breakdown of the course content made it very easy to follow and retain. Really enjoyed the WEI tour and was excited to see that I was able to identify and understand what I was looking at due to the class segments from the previous day.”
– Jenny, NAMI, Windsor, WI

Course Details: RA00367-E108

Day One

Welcome and Student Introductions

Introduction to HVAC

The need for HVAC
References, standards and codes
Terms, definitions, and equipment
HVAC system type overview
Ventilation and indoor air quality
Energy efficiency and loads

Psychrometrics

Properties of moist air
Psychrometric chart
Sensible and latent
Combined processes
Mixing of air streams

Day Two

Refrigeration in HVAC

Phase change and refrigerants
Vapor compression cycle
Chilled water vs. D/X cooling

Hydronic Systems

Definition of "hydronics"
- Comparison to air systems
Types of hydronic systems
- Heating hot water
- Chilled water
- Condenser water
  - Tower
  - Geo-exchange
- Glycol water
Types of central equipment
- Boilers
- Chillers
- Cooling towers / Fluid coolers
- Pumps
- Heat Exchangers
Types of terminal equipment
- Coils
- Unit heaters
- Fan coil units
- Chilled beams
- Radiant

All-Air Systems

Definition of "all air systems"
Types of all supply and return air systems
- Recirculating / Mixed Air Systems
- Dedicated Outside Air (DOAS) Systems
- Overhead / Dilution Type
  - Constant Volume (CAV)
  - Variable Volume (VAV) - Single duct, dual duct, fan powered, etc.
- Displacement / UFAD Type
Types of exhaust systems
- General – toilet, etc.
- Laboratory, process, or other specialty systems
Types of central equipment
- Packaged / Unitary systems: PTAC, rooftop, etc.
- Split systems: air conditioners, heat pumps, variable refrigerant flow
- Air handling units
- Fans
Types of terminal equipment
- Air Terminal Units / VAV Boxes
- Grilles, Registers, & Diffusers

Day Three

Steam and Steam Condensate

Definition of "steam"
- Comparison to air and hydronic systems
- ASME codes / Safety
Types of steam and condensate systems
- Low pressure
- High pressure
- Condensate collection
  - Gravity return
  - Pumped return
  - Vacuum
Types of central equipment
- Boilers
- Heat exchangers
- Make-up water systems
Types of terminal equipment
- Coils
- Humidifiers
- Unit Heaters
- Fan Coil Units
- Radiators

Tour of Mechanical Rooms

Wisconsin Energy Institute (WEI)

Controls: Building Automation Systems

Definition / Purpose of "Building Automation System" (BAS)
Types of HVAC control systems

Local
Centralized (building-wide)
Pneumatic
Direct Digital Control
Pneumatic - hybrid
Programmable Logic Control (PLC)

Type of control equipment

Valves
Dampers
Actuators
Sensors & Thermostats

Types of controls

Proportional / modulating control concepts
Open / closed loop control

Wisconsin Energy Institute

Controls drawings
Sequence of operations

Course Location

Fluno Center

601 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706

Lodging

DoubleTree by Hilton Madison Downtown

525 West Johnson Street
Madison, WI 53703

Accommodations include: Enjoy complimentary business center, WiFi and Local/Airport Shuttle. Each room has a refrigerator, microwave, 42-inch HDTV, and executive desk. Parking available $15/night.

800-222-8733

608-251-5511

Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor's Club

One West Dayton Street
Madison, WI 53703

Room: rates start at $160

Accommodations include: Complimentary WiFi, Local/Airport Shuttle, Pool, and Fitness Center.

Fluno Center

601 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706

Accommodations include: Your stay includes hot breakfast buffet, fitness center, business center, convenient on-site parking. Guest rooms are complete with Keurig coffee maker, refrigerator, complimentary high-speed Internet, and 40-inch, flat screen, high-def TVs.

More Madison Lodging Options

Instructors
Brian Clark
Registered Mechanical Engineer
Brian Clark, PE, is a registered mechanical engineer at the National Laboratory of the Rockies. His experience is extensive and includes HVAC design of health care, laboratories, clean rooms, manufacturing, office space, and indoor waterpark resorts to name a few. He now focuses on building energy security and resilience research. Brian received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Milwaukee School of Engineering.
Deanne Walz
Project Manager
Deanne is a Project Manager at Affiliated Engineers, a national MEP engineering consulting firm with 16 offices. She began her career in the firm’s Washington, DC office, where she contributed mechanical design expertise to several projects at the National Institutes of Health. Now based in Madison, Deanne focuses on healthcare projects, currently leading the design of a new 332,000-square-foot hospital for Bay Area Medical Center in Marinette, Wisconsin. Her recent work also includes MEP and utility infrastructure planning for Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee and the mechanical design of a 452,000-square-foot expansion at Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Delaware. Deanne is a licensed professional engineer and a LEED Accredited Professional, bringing a strong commitment to sustainable and high-performance building design.
Mark Malkin
Program Director and Teaching Faculty
Mark P. Malkin, PE, is a program director in the Office of Interdisciplinary Professional Programs in the College of Engineering at UW-Madison. He is a registered Professional Engineer with over 25 years of experience in university facilities project management and HVAC systems design. His course offerings include HVAC, plumbing and fire protection fundamentals, building code reviews, and design and operation of science labs, data centers, museums and libraries. Mark received his bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, and his MS in Mechanical Engineering from UW–Madison.
Doug Showers
Senior Project Engineer
Doug Showers, PE, is a Project Engineer at Affiliated Engineers, Inc. in Madison, WI, focusing on the instrumentation and controls design for complex industrial, energy and utilities, and research building projects. Doug has experience managing control systems on a large University campus, including multiple heating and cooling plants, and is currently leading the control system design for several large research lab facilities. Doug is a registered engineer and holds a Power Plant Operating Engineer license from ASOPE.
Joel Boado
Principal
Joel joined Affiliated Engineers, a MEP engineering consultant with 16 offices, in 2004 as a mechanical engineer. His early tenure primarily focused on the design of data centers for multiple client types; however, for the past several years, he has been focused on large-scale healthcare buildings as project manager and lead mechanical engineer. He managed the new, 496,000 sf UW Health at The American Center (Madison WI) and provided mechanical engineering services for the 1.2 million sf Center for Care & Discovery at The University of Chicago Medicine. He currently is managing the 1.5 million sf North Campus Expansion on the Houston Methodist Hospital campus. Joel is a registered engineer and a LEED Accredited Professional.
Jacob Weber
Project Engineer
Jacob is a registered professional mechanical engineer at Affiliated Engineers, Inc where he focuses on HVAC and utility system analysis and design for industrial test, manufacturing, and university clients. His design experience includes hydraulic shaker test cells, aircraft hydraulic test systems, engine and chassis test cells, wind tunnels, and climatic chambers. In addition, he is well versed in utility and infrastructure designs such as steam, heating hot water, chilled water, process water, and tower water systems. Jacob’s current prominent clients include General Motors, Collins Aerospace, and University of Wisconsin – Madison.
Program Director
Mark Malkin

Total Credits:

CEU 2,

CEU 2.1,

PDH 21,

LU/HSW 21,

Applies to this Certificate:

Existing Building Commissioning Process Provider (EBCxP or EBCP) ,

Course Administration

If you are planning to attend an Interdisciplinary Professional Programs course, payment is required at the time of registration. Below are the payment options:

Pay by Credit Card

Enroll online and pay by credit card.

Search for the course on the website and then click on the Enroll Now button from the course webpage.
Enter all necessary course attendee information and payment information on the course enrollment page.
You will receive an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Check

Mail in a completed registration form and check payable to UW Madison.

Fill out a registration form (found either in the back of the course brochure you received in the mail or here).
Prepare a check, made payable to UW Madison.
Mail the registration form and check to: CERC Registrations 21 N Park St, Ste 7101 Madison, WI 53715
You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Purchase Order

Request Purchase Order information from registration@cerc.wisc.edu
- If a fee quote is needed, contact custserv@interpro.wisc.edu first
You will receive an invoice from UW–Madison Business Services for payment, usually within 3–5 business days

Military

If using SF-182 form, please call our registration number at 608-262-2451 or email registration@cerc.wisc.edu for details and instructions.

Event Cancellation

We reserve the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrollment or unforeseen events. If we cancel a course, participants will be notified via email or phone and will be given the option for a full refund or to transfer their registration and any fees paid to another course. We are not responsible for non-refundable plane tickets, hotel reservations, and other travel related expenses. For enrollee Course Cancellation, refer to notes on course page.

Create a custom learning experience

We can deliver this course as an on-site learning experience tailored to your organization’s specific training needs.

“Great wealth of knowledge across the instructors, gave the chance to see the experience from different fields. Notes were well developed and will allow the student to reference back. The tour of the building was a good experience that allowed the classroom teaching to blend into [the] real world.”
– Richard, Energy Systems Group, Frederick, MD

"The course was very informative and direct on the topics. The instructors did a great job of presenting everything in a very definitive and understanding way. I would definitely recommend this course to anyone who is in, or works with facilities.”
– Igor, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA

“It was very good for the content and what was discussed for going over all of the HVAC systems and equipment and explaining how they work. The tour was very good for physically seeing what was discussed installed in the field. For what I need to know for my job, this was very helpful and I would advise our other field reps. to take [this] course for general knowledge if not formally trained in HVAC.”
– Tim, Bemers-Schober Associates Inc, Green Bay, WI

“The breakdown of the course content made it very easy to follow and retain. Really enjoyed the WEI tour and was excited to see that I was able to identify and understand what I was looking at due to the class segments from the previous day.”
– Jenny, NAMI, Windsor, WI

Course Details: RA00367-E183

Day One

Welcome and Student Introductions

Introduction to HVAC

The need for HVAC
References, standards and codes
Terms, definitions, and equipment
HVAC system type overview
Ventilation and indoor air quality
Energy efficiency and loads

Psychrometrics

Properties of moist air
Psychrometric chart
Sensible and latent
Combined processes
Mixing of air streams

Day Two

Refrigeration in HVAC

Phase change and refrigerants
Vapor compression cycle
Chilled water vs. D/X cooling

Hydronic Systems

Definition of "hydronics"
- Comparison to air systems
Types of hydronic systems
- Heating hot water
- Chilled water
- Condenser water
  - Tower
  - Geo-exchange
- Glycol water
Types of central equipment
- Boilers
- Chillers
- Cooling towers / Fluid coolers
- Pumps
- Heat Exchangers
Types of terminal equipment
- Coils
- Unit heaters
- Fan coil units
- Chilled beams
- Radiant

All-Air Systems

Definition of "all air systems"
Types of all supply and return air systems
- Recirculating / Mixed Air Systems
- Dedicated Outside Air (DOAS) Systems
- Overhead / Dilution Type
  - Constant Volume (CAV)
  - Variable Volume (VAV) - Single duct, dual duct, fan powered, etc.
- Displacement / UFAD Type
Types of exhaust systems
- General – toilet, etc.
- Laboratory, process, or other specialty systems
Types of central equipment
- Packaged / Unitary systems: PTAC, rooftop, etc.
- Split systems: air conditioners, heat pumps, variable refrigerant flow
- Air handling units
- Fans
Types of terminal equipment
- Air Terminal Units / VAV Boxes
- Grilles, Registers, & Diffusers

Day Three

Steam and Steam Condensate

Definition of "steam"
- Comparison to air and hydronic systems
- ASME codes / Safety
Types of steam and condensate systems
- Low pressure
- High pressure
- Condensate collection
  - Gravity return
  - Pumped return
  - Vacuum
Types of central equipment
- Boilers
- Heat exchangers
- Make-up water systems
Types of terminal equipment
- Coils
- Humidifiers
- Unit Heaters
- Fan Coil Units
- Radiators

Tour of Mechanical Rooms

Wisconsin Energy Institute (WEI)

Controls: Building Automation Systems

Definition / Purpose of "Building Automation System" (BAS)
Types of HVAC control systems

Local
Centralized (building-wide)
Pneumatic
Direct Digital Control
Pneumatic - hybrid
Programmable Logic Control (PLC)

Type of control equipment

Valves
Dampers
Actuators
Sensors & Thermostats

Types of controls

Proportional / modulating control concepts
Open / closed loop control

Wisconsin Energy Institute

Controls drawings
Sequence of operations

Course Location

Fluno Center

601 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706

Lodging

DoubleTree by Hilton Madison Downtown

525 West Johnson Street
Madison, WI 53703

Accommodations include: Enjoy complimentary business center, WiFi and Local/Airport Shuttle. Each room has a refrigerator, microwave, 42-inch HDTV, and executive desk. Parking available $15/night.

800-222-8733

608-251-5511

Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor's Club

One West Dayton Street
Madison, WI 53703