Johnson Controls offering remote and virtual reality training at Ducted Systems Academy
December 15, 2020 | By HPAC Magazine
While COVID-19 has disrupted live hands-on courses, the Oklahoma-based Academy is bringing commercial and residential HVAC labs to the industry through LabStreaming, using Microsoft Teams to collaborate.
Johnson Controls has re-opened its Ducted Systems Academy in Oklahoma City, a 30,000 sq. ft. commercial and residential HVAC training facility featuring two large classrooms and two training labs, offering remote and hands-on classes, including virtual reality (VR) training.
The VR training places students in real-life field conditions, such as on a roof servicing a large commercial rooftop unit, or in a residential home installing a gas furnace or air conditioning system. The technology simulates real-life experiences without having to be in close physical contact with the instructor.
While COVID-19 has disrupted the regular offering of live, hands-on courses, the Ducted Systems Academy team is bringing the commercial and residential labs to the industry through LabStreaming, using Microsoft Teams to collaborate. During these live virtual classes distance learners are provided instruction as if they were in the lab.
For technical courses, procedures are demonstrated on live residential and commercial equipment, with participants able to ask questions and engage with the instructor in real-time.
The Academy provides training for technical, sales, leadership and professional development disciplines in the HVAC industry, including how to:
- Partner with customers and understand their needs to best position products and services to win their business
- Properly select and apply ducted systems products
- Efficiently install, set up and service ducted systems equipment from 1.5 to 150 tons of capacity
- Manage their schedule and their team of employees
- Work through difficult situations, such as disruptions related to COVID-19
The training labs feature all residential and commercial equipment that is manufactured at Johnson Controls facilities in Norman, Oklahoma, and Wichita, Kansas, for YORK, Luxaire, Coleman, Champion, TempMaster and Fraser-Johnston. For residential, this includes all gas furnaces, air handlers, heat pumps, air conditioning systems and packaged equipment. The commercial systems used in the training center range from smaller 3-6 ton packaged rooftop units to the newly expanded 25-80 ton Premier platform.
