Geothermal heat pumps, geothermal, ground-source heat pumps, ground-coupled heat pumps, GHP, GSHP, GeoExchange, Closed Loop, Open Loop, Direct Exchange, Standing Column Well

What You Need to know About Quoting and Selling Standing Column Well Systems

It’s much easier to answer this question for residential applications.  The price is composed of three pieces:  the drilling cost, the loop field installation including underground piping to/from the building, and the HVAC system installation. Many times the driller is also the installer, but not always.  Sometimes the mechanical contractor controls the overall bid.  In general, here in the SE PA area prices for the geothermal installation are running between $12/ft to $14/ft.  There is another $1600 in the trenching, penetration, backfill, grading & re-seeding. So, for a typical 2500 sf home, one might expect to pay around $15,000.  The extended range (4 ton) heat pump installation, circulator, water/methanol fill, and commissioning might add $8000 for a total price to the owner of $23,000.  This could be higher or lower based on the thermal conductivity of the site and how easy or difficult it is to drill and contain the spoils.
Download the 13 Steps Basics Steps to Standing Column Well Design to get a better understanding of how design overlaps with quoting projects
Read more to get more information on quoting SCW projects.

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“Best Practices for Selling Geothermal” on Wednesday’s #GeoChat

On 11am on Wednesday, January 18th, HeatSpring will be hosting a #geochat with guest expert Martin Orio, VP at Water Energy Distributors on twitter. Read more about the #geochat here.

The topic for the first #geochat is “Best Practices for Selling Geothermal”. Like we discussed in our last episode of HeatSpring TV, Geothermal is a better […]

HS TV Ep. 7: “Geothermal Will Give you Better Returns than the Stock Market”

One of our goals in 2012 is to explore what can be done to make geothermal a mainstream technology.

To get some more insights into what we need to do as an industry, I had a conversion with Harold, the founder and CEO of 360Chestnut.

The discussion is around 20 minutes, here is what we talked about:

What 360 Chestnut is doing around educating homeowners about geothermal.
Why Harold loves his geothermal system more then his kids (sometimes).
How and why Harold decided to get into the geothermal industry.
What are your thoughts on installing geothermal versus upgrading the shell of a building?
What is the story of 360 Chestnut? Why was it created and what specifically are you working on within the geothermal industry?
Why every home should be at least consider geothermal.
Do you think 360 Chestnut is more of a ‘geothermal missionary’, someone who is converting non-believers, or are you preaching to the choir, are you looking to find the people that already want geothermal?
What do you see as the main problems with geothermal industry going mainstream?
How does the fragmented geothermal industry, both in manufactures and installers, make it difficult for the industry to market itself to homeowners?
Why should a contractor work with 360 Chestnut instead of creating their own site that attracts homeowners? Why would a homeowner go to your site first, instead of companies that are actually doing the installations?

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January 16th, 2012|Categories: Geothermal Heat Pumps|Tags: , , |

13 Steps to Basic Geothermal Standing Column Well Design

HeatSpring Instructor Albert Koenig discusses the 13 steps to basic Geothermal Standing Column Well (SCW) Design…

Unlike closed loop geothermal installations, open loop systems, in particular, standing column well (SCW), require more diligence from the designer than just the well field.  In the former case, the HDPE supply and return pipes are handed through the foundation […]

The Top 7 Trends that Will Impact Renewable Energy Profits in 2012

The beginning of 2012 is here and the lookout is bright for renewable energy. There are some roadblocks ahead and some barriers we cannot yet see that will become clear. Overall, the renewable energy industries are becoming a force to be reckoned with.

Here are the 7 trends and areas we’re watching closely in 2012. Each will have an impact on the ability of small companies to make money. Please take time to skim the list, provide feedback and pick out what pertains to your company and your situation.  These will be the prevailing topics, trends, and themes that HeatSpring will cover going in to 2012.
1. Increased regulation and credentials.
The rapid growth of the renewable energy industry has increased credentials manufacturers, property owners and local AJHs are looking to minimize risk. Here are the big items we see coming that will impact your businesses.

Fire Safety Training and Regulation. Local fire AHJ’s are becoming much more meticulous around permitting roof mounted solar PV arrays. Two items are causing AHJ’s to pay more attention to solar permitting and will require more diligence from integrators. First, a few high profile fires caused by solar arrays. Second, roof access requirements in case of a fire. A specific credential has not yet been released, nor have any additional regulations, but local fire departments are becoming more aware and better trained. For this reason, the Solar Energy Business Association of New England is hosting a Solar PV Systems and Fire Safety Event in February for their members and the public.
A New Commercial Roofing Certification. Expect an increase demand for the RISE Certification on commercial solar RFPs and projects. The certification is specifically for roofing contractors and professionals who will be working on commercial solar projects in order to make sure the existing roofing warranty is not voided. The rapid growth in the solar industry and a number of voided roof warranties due to solar installations, has caught the attention of national roofing manufacturers. Through the National Roofing Contractors Association and the Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing, the RISE Certification has been created.
New Solar Thermal Credentials. The quick growth of the solar thermal industry has increased the demand for trained professionals. NABCEP has created a new entry-level solar thermal certification for new comers to the industry. If you’re a job hunter looking to get the certification, here is NABCEP’s list of approved providers.
As the geothermal industry grows, so do the relevance of two relatively new credentials. The IGSHPA Driller Certification and the Certified GeoExchange Designer certification. The main questions we’ve been answering about the new certification are the difference between the IGSHPA Installer and Driller certification and who should attend the designer certification. Especially with the Certified GeoExchange Designer, be prepared to start seeing requirements for these certifications on public and large private RPFs.
Is the Solar PV industry still lacking trained electricians?
Is there too much credentialing happening or will it increase the quality and technical ability of the industry?

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