If you missed our November newsletter, we decided to move from an end of the month to a middle of the month format. So, the December newsletter includes November news. Plus, we really wanted to provide everyone with an update on the conference as soon as possible.
I’m happy to share that the IGSHPA Annual Conference, December 5-7 in Las Vegas, was a great success! IGSHPA registrations were 33% higher than last year and double 2021 attendance. Timing was great, too! The U.S. Department of Energy commissioned report by ORNL (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), Grid Cost and Total Emissions Reductions Through Mass Deployment of Geothermal Heat Pumps for Building Heating and Cooling Electrification in the United States, was released during the fireside chat with Alejandro Moreno, Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the EERE (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy) at U.S. DOE. Watch your Inbox for an announcement about the conference proceedings. We’re in the process of creating a page and uploading the presentations from the conference. Our goal is to have this page ready by the end of December.
In 2024, IGSHPA will really be “picking up speed” on new training development and membership benefits. Also, watch for the January edition of GeoOutlook magazine towards the end of the month. I look forward to working with you in the New Year!
Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
Jeff Hammond
Executive Director
International Ground Source Heat Pump Association
jeff@igshpa.org
2023 Conference Survey
If you attended this years conference please fill out our 2023 Conference Survey and let us know your thoughts! We are always looking for new ways to improve the conference experience for our members. As IGSHPA members, your opinion matters to us and your feedback helps us make each year better than the last!
2023 IGSHPA Annual Conference
Thank You For a Successful Conference!
We're still buzzing with the energy from Las Vegas, and a good part of that comes from our incredible, interactive attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, and speakers. The participation of all who attended brought an exciting dimension to our event, and we can't thank you enough for that. From insightful discussions to infectious laughter, we hope that you made some great memories and forged some meaningful connections at our 2023 Conference.
Again, thank you to all that took time out of their busy schedules to join us in Las Vegas. We cannot do this without you, and we owe so much of our success to your contributions! If you have any pictures you would like to share, please email them to sally@igshpa.org.
Here are the final stats from our 2023 Conference:
403 IGSHPA registrants- Total registration number including NGWA: 6642
Previous Years IGSHPA Registrations: 2021 Nashville- 200 registrants
2022 Las Vegas- 310 registrants
Number registered on-site/during show week: 779
Registrants from 40 countries
Registrants from all 50 states, plus DC, Puerto Rico, and Guam
21 exhibitors from IGSHPA- Number of total exhibitors: 301
3,700 sq ft sold to IGSHPA exhibitors- Final exhibit space sold: 81,600 sq ft
Thank You Conference Sponsors!
GeoExchange Update
What an amazing conference IGSHPA hosted in Las Vegas! It was great to see so many old friends and acquaintances and to meet new folks who are getting plugged into the industry. The excitement was evident throughout the conference and a highlight of the three days was certainly the keynote presentation from DOE Assistant Secretary Alejandro Moreno unveiling the DOE GSHP Impact Report. Everyone should familiarize themselves with the report and the prospective societal benefits from widespread geothermal heating and cooling adoption.
Back in the office this week, there’s been so much to catch up on. I’m thrilled to report that a Congressional letter on behalf of the industry has finally been produced after months of work by GeoExchange to drive support for third-party ownership. Colorado Senator Michael Bennet led a letter signed by 14 of his Senate colleagues and sent to Secretary Janet Yellen urging the U.S. Department of Treasury to issue safe harbor guidance allowing third-party leasing of geothermal heat pump property. TPO will be essential to scaling the market for ground-source/geothermal technology. Read the full letter here.
GeoExchange will be working over the holidays to prepare and coordinate responsive comments to Treasury’s November 17 proposed regulations on energy property. Stay tuned for more information and don’t hesitate to reach out with questions. Happy holidays to all!
New IGSHPA Membership Program for 2024!
As IGSHPA continues to grow and provide more benefits to members, we occasionally need to review our membership program to ensure that it is fair to all members, it is positioned to help the organization and the GSHP industry grow, and it is easy to understand. We have spent the last two years discussing the current membership program with members and the IGSHPA board of directors. We are excited to present a new membership program, effective January 1, 2024, that will put IGSHPA on a new path for growth and provide members with many more choices to participate. It will also help correct some of the confusion with membership and certification, and provide discounts for members, as well as additional incentives. IGSHPA’s last membership cost increase was in 2016. This new program will have very little financial impact on members but will provide a much better program for IGSHPA and members long-term.
Below is a summary of changes for 2024. You can find all of the details in the new membership brochure.
Individual IGSHPA membership has stayed the same as 2016 at $125 per year.
Certification renewal for members for AI (Accredited Installer), CGI (Certified Geothermal Inspector), and CRD (Certified Residential Designer) decreased from $100/year to $75/year. Overall cost for membership plus certification renewal increased by $50/year for members. For non-members, the overall cost for membership plus certification renewal increased by $100 per year. Note that CGD (Certified GeoExchange Designer) certification is administered by AEE (Association of Energy Engineers) and therefore certification renewal and AEE membership has not changed.
HVAC, GHEX, and other contractor memberships increased by $30 per year.
A new directory only listing (no membership or voting) has been added for contractors, distributors, and MEP firms at $200 per year. This is a new level to encourage more industry participation and help customers find GSHP businesses in the online directory.
Utility memberships have been broken out separately (previously part of manufacturer memberships) as distribution co-operatives, municipal utilities, G & T co-operative utilities, Investor-owned utilities, and (Canadian) Crown corps.
Distributors and MEP firms memberships increased by $230 per year. This is part of our efforts for membership fairness, better leveling out the membership types.
A new student/retired individual membership has been added.
A new community organizations membership (trade schools, community colleges, university departments, government, and state provincial associations) has been added.
If you have any questions at all, please contact us at info@igshpa.org, 1-800-626-4747, or 1-217-212-2112. Thank you for your support of IGSHPA!
January Town Hall
Be sure to join us live on Teams January 10th at 10:30 CT. We will be hearing from Pete Prydybasz of B.J. Terroni. Pete will be speaking on The Importance of a Site Survey.
In this presentation, attendees will learn how a geothermal heat pump operates and what conditions must exist and be addressed at the site in order for the installation to be successful. You will learn what the site requires for the most expedient, cost-effective way to provide the fuel source for a geothermal heat pump. Finally, we will look at Open Loop (Ground Water) and Closed Loop (Ground Source) systems. The “Loop” is the “fuel source” for the system, where the heat pump can extract heat from the ground instead of burning fossil fuels. We will also evaluate building characteristics using a prepared Manual J calculation as a starting point to select a unit with proper loop sizing along with using Loop Link software.
When the Steel Mill closed, needing a new trade, Pete found his way into the HVAC industry, literally starting from the ground up, hanging duct work. After learning how an Air-source heat pump worked and learning how a ground source heat pump worked there was no turning back.
Pete left the contracting business and migrated to wholesale. There as his knowledge base grew, he helped start the first ground source heat pump department in a distributor in my region.
Realizing the industry was in its infancy he saw a future. Pete moved to manufacturing. He became the Sales and Marketing Manager for a premier, innovative manufacturer of ground heat pumps.
Since then Pete has consulted with contractors, distributors and manufacturers on how to distribute support and sell ground source systems. Today he maintains a position as a Geothermal Consultant with BJ Terroni, a manufacturer's representative organization working with the hydronics industry in Philadelphia, PA.
Town Hall and Dig Deeper Sponsorship Opportunities
In 2023, IGSHPA began offering a new opportunity for members to get the word out about their products and services. IGSHPA Town Hall and Dig Deeper webinars may now be sponsored. Your logo will be prominently displayed on the opening slides and your company will be recognized by the moderator. Since webinars are recorded, anyone who views the webinar later on will see your logo, creating an advertising opportunity with longevity. Town_Hall-Dig_Deeper_sponsor.pdf. Hurry! 2024 sponsorships are going fast!
Upcoming Events
January 16- March 19, 2024- 10 Week Certified GeoExchange Designer Course- Online with Ed Lohrenz: Tuesday lunchtime for 10 weeks – 12:00 – 1:30 pm EST LIVE, ONLINE & INTERACTIVE: Cost: USD $1,850 – click here to register. 10 live online presentations, PDFs of C-448 Standard and Design of Ground Source Heat Pump Systems and PDF of presentation slides. Cost: USD $1,600 – click here to register. 10 live online presentations and PDF of presentation slides
January 22-24, 2024- Online Accredited Installer Training with Ewbank Testing: This Accredited Installer Course will be taught online over the course of three days. Cost includes all materials (digital) needed for course, 3 years of IGSHPA membership & AI Certification. Go here to register.
January 23-25, 2024- HRAI Online IGSHPA Accredited Installer Course: The IGSHPA Geothermal Accredited Installer Course includes topics such as: Design and Material Options; System Layout; Pipe Joining Techniques – Hands-on for butt, socket, saddle and electro fusion; Trenching/Drilling Processes; Air and Debris Purging; Pressure Drop Calculations; Pump and Fluid Selection; Thermal Conductivity; Start-up, Performance Checking & Troubleshooting. Upon successful completion of the corresponding exam, IGSHPA Accredited Installer certification will be provided. Get more information & register here.
January 26, 2024- IGSHPA Dig Deeper Webinar with U.S. Dept. of Energy: 10:30 am - 11:30 amCSTSpeakers Jeff Winick & Sean Porse of U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Technologies Office will go over the GHP Impact Analysis. In Fiscal Year 2022, with GTO support, ORNL and NREL conducted a modeling assessment of the grid impacts resulting from the mass deployment of GHPs. Modeled changes in end use load profiles for the US building stock and their impacts on the bulk power system were analyzed under various carbon policy, electrification, and sensitivity scenarios using capacity expansion modeling (ReEDS) and production cost modeling (PLEXOS). The results demonstrate GHPs’ significant aggregate value to a decarbonizing grid through reduced infrastructure requirements, reduced emissions, and improved grid efficiency. The results have important implications for energy and technology investments in a rapidly decarbonizing energy economy. Go here to register.
Why Should My Company Join as an IGSHPA Business Member?
On the IGSHPA website, there is a list of benefits for business and corporate memberships, including a listing in the directory, voting rights for board elections and changes to the organization’s structure, discounts on conferences and publications, access to the member-only website, and more. However, IGSHPA membership for your organization is much more than the listed benefits. As our industry grows (and it appears to be on a strong trajectory!), consistency of message, quality design and installation, and unity as an industry is more important than ever. IGSHPA has made good progress in the past 2-1/2 years in its transition to an independent non-profit, but membership funding is a large portion of IGSHPA’s revenue. As membership expands, IGSHPA’s ability to add membership benefits via additional programs, hiring of staff, and participating in more industry events grows exponentially.
IGSHPA’s mailing list includes over 6000 e-mail addresses. We have 124 business and corporate members, and we are very thankful for the support! Imagine what we could do with 1000 members! Plus, imagine how many additional hits/leads your companies would receive from being part of a much bigger directory. Keep in mind that HVAC contractors and distributors may have funding available from heat pump manufacturers. We are aware of advertising cooperative funds available to offset IGSHPA membership from ClimateMaster and Enertech; other manufacturers may offer similar incentives, as well.
(1).jpg)
