Fully online technical training designed around real industry demand, so you can specialize at your own pace.
10/31/2026
Start Date
2 months
Duration
100
Total Hours
6 Modules
Program
Duration
Total Hours
Program
Start Date
ICTESS’s Course in HVAC Equipment Selection is designed to train professionals who can correctly size and select HVAC systems for any type of building or space. The program covers everything from thermal load fundamentals to final verification using manufacturer selection tools.
You’ll learn the technical calculations engineers use on real projects: determining sensible and latent loads, applying diversity and occupancy factors, making a preliminary selection based on rated conditions, adjusting for actual design conditions, and verifying the selection using technical catalogs and selection software. The course includes a Capstone Project where you’ll apply everything you’ve learned to a complete equipment selection project for a full installation.
The Course in HVAC Equipment Selection answers a critical industry need: avoiding the oversizing or undersizing of equipment, which leads to energy inefficiency, premature failures, and thermal discomfort. The HVAC industry needs professionals who master thermal load calculations and know how to correctly read catalog data to make technically sound selections.
The course’s purpose is to train professionals who can make equipment selections grounded in rigorous calculations. You’ll learn to determine sensible and latent thermal loads using standardized methodology, apply diversity factors based on building use, interpret equipment performance curves, adjust the selection to the site’s actual climate conditions, and verify that the selected equipment meets the project’s technical requirements.
The training includes hands-on work with manufacturer selection software and professional calculation tools used at engineering firms in the field, and culminates in a Capstone Project where you’ll develop a complete equipment selection project, applying every skill gained in the technical modules.
The Course in HVAC Equipment Selection qualifies you for technical roles at installation companies, HVAC engineering firms, HVAC equipment distributors, and manufacturers’ technical departments. You can work as an estimating and proposals technician, equipment selection lead, HVAC systems designer, or technical sales advisor at companies in the field.
The training prepares you to manage the complete equipment selection process: performing thermal load calculations under applicable codes, correctly reading technical spec sheets and performance curves, applying correction factors for actual conditions, producing technical and cost comparisons between alternatives, and documenting selections to justify them to clients or in technical reports.
You’ll also build skills to spot errors in existing selections, propose energy efficiency improvements for oversized installations, and provide technical guidance on choosing between different HVAC technologies. The hands-on approach lets you apply what you learn directly to real projects in the field.
Study from anywhere with no commute required. Balance your technical specialization with your current professional schedule.
Organize your study around your own availability. Move through modules on your schedule and revisit whatever needs reinforcement.
Learn to use manufacturer selection tools and thermal load calculation software applied on real projects.
Technical video lessons, up-to-date downloadable catalogs, forums with specialized tutors, and hands-on selection exercises.
With ICTESS, you’ll receive specialized technical training focused on professional practice and built to help you master the competencies the HVAC industry demands. Learn with up-to-date methodology and real equipment selection case studies.
What you'll achieve
Calculate sensible and latent thermal loads for spaces and buildings using standardized methodology, accounting for building envelope, occupancy, lighting, and internal equipment.
Apply diversity and occupancy factors based on building use type to determine the actual required capacity and avoid unnecessary oversizing.
Make preliminary HVAC equipment selections by correctly interpreting catalog data, performance curves, and manufacturer rated conditions.
Adjust equipment selections to actual design conditions by applying correction factors for outdoor temperature, altitude, and site-specific characteristics.
Verify selections using manufacturer software and technical catalogs, documenting the selection process with complete technical justification for project reports.
The HVAC industry represents a significant share of building energy consumption, with HVAC systems accounting for as much as 40% of total energy costs in commercial buildings. Selecting equipment correctly is critical to achieving efficient installations that meet current energy codes such as ASHRAE 90.1 and IECC. This creates ongoing demand for technical professionals who specialize in equipment sizing.
Selection errors with high financial impact: equipment oversizing is a widespread problem that drives up upfront investment costs, causes excessive energy consumption from partial-load operation, and leads to premature failures from short-cycling. Professionals who can optimize selections deliver measurable, direct value on every project.
Technology evolution that demands ongoing training: new refrigerants, high-efficiency heat pumps, and VRF systems require specific selection criteria that differ from traditional technologies. Up-to-date training in selection methodology is essential for working with today’s market technologies.
Professional differentiation in the job market: technicians who master thermal load calculations and sound selection criteria stand significantly apart from those who rely solely on automated tools without understanding the fundamentals. This technical skill is increasingly valued by companies looking to reduce issues and optimize their installations.
Completing the Course in HVAC Equipment Selection positions you as a qualified technical professional in an industry with high demand for specialists who can correctly size installations. Companies in the field particularly value technicians who avoid costly oversizing errors or improper selections that lead to complaints and financial losses.
Greater professional independence: you’ll be able to make complete selections without relying solely on manufacturers’ sales representatives, which lets you critically evaluate proposals and negotiate with vendors and clients using sound technical judgment.
Versatility across technologies: the course covers selection criteria applicable to splits, multi-splits, VRF systems, chillers, rooftop units, and centralized systems, expanding your ability to work on projects of different scales and building types.
Recognized professional certificate: the ICTESS Professional Certificate backs your technical specialization in HVAC equipment selection, strengthening your position in hiring processes and validating your skills to companies in the field.
This course is designed for professionals and technicians looking to specialize in correctly sizing and selecting HVAC equipment. Recommended profiles include:
Program details
The Capstone Project is the culminating stage of the course and brings together every technical competency developed throughout the program. It involves the complete development of an HVAC equipment selection project for a real building or space, from thermal load calculations through final verification using professional tools, applying the methodologies and technical criteria used across the industry.
The project includes a detailed calculation of sensible and latent thermal loads for the selected space, accounting for building envelope, orientation, occupancy, lighting, and internal equipment. You’ll apply the appropriate diversity factors based on use type, make a preliminary equipment selection using catalog data, apply corrections for the site’s actual design conditions, and verify the selection using manufacturer software, documenting the entire process.
The work must be presented as a professional technical report that includes justification for every calculation performed, spec sheets for the selected equipment, and a comparison between the alternatives evaluated. The final documentation must meet the technical depth expected of HVAC project reports, demonstrating your ability to produce complete, rigorous technical documentation suitable for client presentations or inclusion in permitting packages under applicable codes.
ICTESS’s Course in HVAC Equipment Selection includes hands-on training with selection tools used across the industry. You’ll learn to work with manufacturer selection software such as the online configurators from Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric, Carrier, and Trane, which let you verify selections under actual operating conditions. You’ll also practice with thermal load calculation tools and learn to correctly interpret technical data from professional catalogs. The goal is to master the complete selection process using the same tools installation companies and engineering firms use to size their projects and prepare well-supported technical proposals.
An engineering degree is not required to take this course. It’s designed for technical professionals at different levels of training: experienced installers, vocational graduates in HVAC systems, HVAC maintenance technicians, and engineers looking for practical specialization. What matters most is having basic HVAC knowledge and familiarity with concepts such as cooling capacity, COP, operating temperatures, and general equipment operation. The course provides the theoretical thermal load fundamentals needed before moving into equipment selection, so professionals with hands-on experience but no specific background in calculations can follow the program without difficulty.
The ICTESS Professional Certificate validates your technical specialization in HVAC equipment selection and is recognized by companies in the field as high-level supplementary training. While it isn’t a formal academic degree and doesn’t replace the state licensing requirements for regulated HVAC work, the certificate documents specific, highly demanded technical skills: thermal load calculations, technical catalog interpretation, correction factor application, and verification using professional software. Installation companies, distributors, and engineering firms value this practical technical training because it demonstrates real ability to make well-supported selections, reducing costly project errors and improving the quality of technical proposals.
This Course in HVAC Equipment Selection stands out for its specific focus on the selection process, with real technical depth. While many HVAC courses cover general installation or maintenance topics, this program focuses exclusively on mastering the correct methodology for sizing and selecting equipment. You’ll learn to rigorously calculate sensible and latent thermal loads, apply diversity factors based on actual use type, correctly interpret catalog data that’s frequently misread, and verify selections using professional tools. The content includes real case studies where you’ll apply technical criteria across different building types, from commercial spaces to office buildings, working with current market catalogs and software.
