Building energy systems are responsible for moving energy around in buildings through air, water, and refrigerant distribution systems to meet heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) needs of the occupied spaces. This course will train engineers and architects to design these HVAC systems based on the engineering foundation established in the previous course. Students will learn the design objectives dictated by occupant comfort and health, apply engineering principles to heat and mass exchangers, design both air and water distribution systems, and explore alternative methods for providing indoor environmental comfort to occupants.
Design of HVAC Distribution and Delivery Systems
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Design of HVAC Distribution and Delivery Systems
This course is part of Building Energy Systems Engineering Specialization
Instructors: Gregor Henze
Included with
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Intermediate level
Recommended experience
3 weeks to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
What you'll learn
Apply physics principles to heat and mass exchangers and engineering guidelines to select heating and cooling coils for HVAC applications.
Apply engineering principles to the design of air distribution systems, including duct sizing and fan selection.
Apply engineering principles to water distribution systems, including pipe sizing and pump selection, and compare water and air distribution systems.
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
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Recently updated!
January 2026
Assessments
21 assignments
Taught in English
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This course is part of the Building Energy Systems Engineering Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
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There are 6 modules in this course
HVAC design begins in the building occupied zone. In this module, you will learn the anatomy and functional characteristics of both air and water distribution and delivery systems. The design of these systems is driven by occupant needs for comfort, health, and productivity. Our exploration of thermal comfort and acoustic considerations will inform the design, especially at the interface with the occupied zone.
What's included
10 videos5 readings3 assignments
In this module, you will explore the range of possibilities for achieving comfort, health, and productivity in occupied spaces. The possibilities include air delivery strategies for fully mixed zones and alternative displacement methods that involve intentional stratification, as well as radiant methods either as separate systems or integrated into the building structure.
What's included
6 videos5 readings5 assignments
Moving conditioned air around in a building is an exercise in fluid dynamics. In this module, you will understand pressure profiles in air distribution systems and layout and design air distribution systems using two common design methods. You will also understand how fans interact with duct systems, leading to application of engineering guidelines for their selection and operation.
What's included
8 videos5 readings5 assignments
As with air, moving hot and chilled water around in a building is an exercise in fluid dynamics. In this module, you will understand pressure profiles in water distribution systems and layout and design water distribution systems using a common design method. You will also understand how pumps interact with piping systems, leading to application of engineering guidelines for their selection and operation. Finally, you will compare and contrast performance benefits of air and water distribution systems.
What's included
7 videos5 readings4 assignments
Heat and mass exchange are foundational processes in building energy systems. In this module, you learn about the functional characteristics of heat and mass exchangers, analyze their performance, and select heating and cooling coils for HVAC applications.
What's included
5 videos5 readings3 assignments
This final exam comprehensively tests your understanding of all five modules of this course through a set of conceptual, equipment selection, and quantitative questions. Some of the conceptual questions will involve simple arithmetic calculations, while for the quantitative questions, you will need to employ your computational tools that you developed. Review these tools and have them ready before you embark on the final exam.
What's included
1 reading1 assignment
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University of Colorado Boulder
University of Colorado Boulder
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Frequently asked questions
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When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
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