Welcome to the GHPNCS Project

Welcome to the project to create a Geothermal Heat Pump National Certification Standard (GHPNCS)!  This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and we encourage you to review the Project Summary below, as well as the other resources under the above menu items.

We need everyone’s help!  In order for this standard to make a difference, it needs to reflect the real-world circumstances that result in the design and installation of reliable and high-performance geothermal heating and cooling systems. Your participation and input is essential so we need you to:


  • Review the materials posted on this website
  • Register to make comments and participate in the Forum
  • Subscribe to our periodic email updates
  • Download draft proposals and distribute them to others for more feedback
  • Email this website link to anyone else who may have additional suggestions
  • Contact Us with things we need to know (Registered Users Only)
  • Participate in upcoming consumer and industry stakeholder surveys
  • Provide feedback on National Certification Standard prototypes
  • Follow us on Twitter

 

We’ll update this website regularly to keep you informed of our progress, so check back frequently!

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GHP National Certification Standard Project Summary

Applicant: GEO

Project Director/Principal Investigator: John Kelly, GEO Chief Operating Officer
Project Title: National Certification Standard for the Geothermal Heat Pump Industry


Project Objectives: This project will create a national certification standard for all primary personnel involved in the installation of geothermal heat pump (GHP) systems, including drillers, plumbers, electricians, heating and air conditioning specialists, engineers and architects. The standard will be designed to increase customer confidence in the technology, reduce the potential for improperly installed systems, and assure product quality and performance. This standard will not include the development of curriculum, training, or certification programs, but it will be designed to be used in conjunction with those other components to be subsequently developed as part of a comprehensive new commercialization strategy to increase the deployment of geothermal heat pumps.

Project Description: The national GHP certification standard will be derived from a nationally recognized competency regimen developed in conjunction with professional and trade organizations, product manufacturers, and government regulatory authorities. It will be based on industry best practices for system design and installation, to provide the highest level of system performance, quality and safety. 

Methods to be employed: The standard will be developed through a collaborative methodology that solicits information and input from a variety of industry stakeholders, manufacturers, professional and trade organizations. Market research and technical evaluation of existing GHP installations will provide a foundation for design of qualifications incorporated into the standard.

Potential impact of the project: The national standard will enable the development of a comprehensive new commercialization strategy to increase the deployment of geothermal heat pumps. By increasing customer confidence in the technology, the standard will facilitate growth of the industry, which will create and maintain green jobs and simultaneously stimulate the economy by lowering facility heating and cooling costs, lowering consumer utility bills, making U.S. businesses more competitive and promoting economic growth.

Major participants: GEO will manage the overall accomplishment of the project to maintain an aggressive schedule for project completion, including identification of tasks needed to accomplish successful project completion; incorporation of input from all stakeholders; collaboration with other GHP industry organizations, government agencies and vendors; review and integration of materials generated by those organizations; and finalizing the structure and components of the standard. The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association will research and analyze the knowledge elements and experience requirements for system design and installation, necessary to reduce the potential for improperly installed systems and provide the highest level of system performance, quality and safety. These efforts will include design of the sub-components of the standard, including those that apply to all trades, and those that are unique to individual trades involved in GHP design and installation. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory review and critique project execution and deliverables, and will research and analyze existing GHP installations to identify (1) the most common causes of improperly installed systems, (2) components to include in the standard to reduce the potential for improperly installed systems and assure product quality and performance, (3) knowledge and experience that characterize personnel who design successful GHP systems, (4) industry best practices for system design and installation, (5) identification of components that contribute to the highest level of system performance, quality and safety, and (6) key barriers that have prevented this technically-mature technology from reaching its full commercial potential, including limited consumer knowledge and trust in GHP systems.

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