RBPT 1300 Fundamentals of Residential Building Science (3)
This is a WECM Course Number. A study of the house as a complex interrelated system of people, building technologies, and the environment. Emphasis will be placed on residential building techniques and how they affect the needs for energy, water, and materials, while providing a safe, healthy, and comfortable home. (3 Lec., 1 Lab.)
RBPT 1305 Residential Lighting, Appliances, and Plug Loads (3)
This is a WECM Course Number. A study of the use of appliances, lighting, plug loads, and techniques to lower energy and water consumption in the home. Subjects include basic electrical concepts, calculating energy and water usage, selection of water and energy efficient appliances, and energy efficient lighting. The impact of human behavior on energy and water consumption in appliances, and an investigation of future trends will be explored. (3 Lec., 1 Lab.)
RBPT 1310 Residential Mechanical Systems (3)
This is a WECM Course Number. Identification and operation of space heating and cooling, ventilation, water heating, and swimming pool/spa systems. Includes comparisons of mechanical systems based on fuel type and efficiency. Also explores the impact of human behavior on energy usage. (3 Lec., 1 Lab.)
RBPT 2315 Green Rating Systems for Homes (3)
This is a WECM Course Number. Prerequisite: RBPT 2320 or consent of the instructor. Use of computer software, and rating criteria to evaluate and score homes using residential green rating systems. Emphasis will be placed on gathering data from building plans, manufacturer's specifications, and onsite testing. (3 Lec., 1 Lab.)
RBPT 2320 Residential Energy Conservation Codes (3)
This is a WECM Course Number. Prerequisite: RBPT 1300, RBPT 1305, RBPT 1310 or consent of the instructor. Use of computer software and code documents to determine compliance with residential energy conservation codes. Emphasizes gathering data from building plans and manufacturers' specifications. (3 Lec., 1 Lab.)
RBPT 2325 Energy Rating Systems for Homes (3)
This is a WECM Course Number. Prerequisite: RBPT 2320 or consent of the instructor. Use of computer software and rating criteria to evaluate and score homes using residential energy rating systems. Emphasizes gathering data from building plans, manufacturers' specifications, and onsite testing. (3 Lec., 1 Lab.)
RBPT 2329 Residential Verification and Rating (3)
This is a WECM Course Number. Prerequisite: RBPT 2325, RBPT 2315 or consent of the instructor. A summary of the skills needed to be an energy rater and a green rater for homes. Emphasizes onsite building testing, use of rating software and criteria, producing reports, and presenting recommendations to improve building performance scores. (2 Lec., 3 Lab.)
RBPT 2330 Advanced Residential Building Science and Systems (3)
This is a WECM Course Number. Prerequisite: RBPT 2315, RBPT 2325 or consent of the instructor. A study of advanced energy efficient and environmentally responsible residential building methodologies and technologies. Includes exploration of alternate residential building systems and climate applicability. (3 Lec., 1 Lab.)
RBPT 2335 Residential Environmental Quality (3)
This is a WECM Course Number. Prerequisite: RBPT 2330 or consent of the instructor. Methods for improving the indoor and outdoor environmental quality associated with homes. Emphasizes identifying materials, building practices, and human behavior both inside and outside the home that impact environmental quality. Includes best-practice strategies. (3 Lec., 1 Lab.)
RBPT 2340 Advanced Residential Mechanical Systems (3)
This is a WECM Course Number. Prerequisite: RBPT 2335 or consent of the instructor. A study in matching the size of a mechanical system with a specific heating and/or cooling load to optimize energy efficiency. Ventilation and humidity requirements will be determined. Includes air distribution fundamentals and an exploration of efficiency testing and verification. (3 Lec., 1 Lab.)
RBPT 2345 Onsite Power Generation and Renewable Energy (3)
This is a WECM Course Number. Prerequisite: RBPT 2340 or consent of the instructor. A study in the application of residential onsite power generation with an emphasis on renewable energy. Includes systems that produce electrical energy and thermal energy. Also covers determination of residential energy loads and their comparison to onsite power generation and an exploration of off-grid, on-grid, net-zero, and distributed applications. (3 Lec., 1 Lab.)
RBPT 2350 Residential Retrofit Strategies (3)
This is a WECM Course Number. Prerequisite: RBPT 2345 or consent of the instructor. Evaluation of existing homes and retrofit strategies to improve energy efficiency and environmental quality. Includes retrofitting a home for onsite power generation. Covers using a whole-house approach to evaluate the effects of comfort, safety, indoor environmental quality, financial incentives, cost effectiveness, environmental impact, energy efficiency, and the movement of heat, moisture, and air through the building enclosure. (3 Lec., 1 Lab.)
RBPT 2355 Sustainable Neighborhood Development (3)
This is a WECM Course Number. Prerequisite: RBPT 2350 or consent of the instructor. A study of neighborhood-sustained design strategies and applications that integrate the principles of green building and smart growth. Emphasizes basic neighborhood planning, utility infrastructure, land-use patterns, general zoning, subdivision practices, and quantitative methods to evaluate neighborhood development. (3 Lec., 1 Lab.)
RBPT 2359 Residential Building Performance Consulting (3)
This is a WECM Course Number. Prerequisite: RBPT 2355 or consent of the instructor. A summary of the skills needed to be a residential building performance specialist. Emphasizes onsite building testing, use of evaluation software and rating criteria, production of reports, and presentation of recommendations to improve residential building performance. (2 Lec., 3 Lab.)
Academic Courses
Designated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for transfer among community colleges and state public four year colleges and universities as freshman and sophomore general education courses.
WECM Courses
Designated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as workforce education (technical) courses offered for credit and CEUs (Continuing Education Units). While these courses are designed to transfer among state community colleges, they are not designed to automatically transfer to public four year colleges and universities.
