Design and Installation

Step 1: Initial Consultation:

The initial consultation consists of a site visit by our principal or foreman. The visit has two goals: to advise you on ways to reduce the heating requirements of your home and to develop a preliminary design of a geothermal energy system customized to your home and site.

Heat Load Reduction: We use a component evaluation form, in which the existing insulation and infiltration values for each component of the thermal envelope of your home are entered, along with the potential improvements to those values. Then we prioritize the improvements based on our best judgment.

Geothermal Energy Design: An initial design for your geothermal energy system generated from a review of the site, the heating load, the existing heating system, and your goals.

Subsidies and Tax Incentives: We provide you with initial information about incentives for conservation and geothermal. These vary by location and utility company.

The initial consultation is free.

Step 2; Optional Energy Audit and Modeling

The energy audit is a thorough and accurate analysis of the heating load of you home. The Energy Audit can be performed with or without Computer Modeling

The Energy Audit consists of a measured inventory of the thermal components of your home, and a blower door test.

The blower door test identifies the specific places where outside air is leaking into your home, as well as the overall infiltration rate. A frame and flexible panel are placed in an entrance door. A powerful fan exhausts air from the home to mimic a 25 mph wind.

Computer Modeling: Your home can then be modeled, using the data gath ered from the thermal inventory and blower door test. Computer modeling is the most accurate way of predicting the effect of possible improvements on the cost of heating and cooling.

Many incentive programs require an energy audit and computer modeling by an approved energy rater

Step 3: Geothermal Energy System Design

We design your geothermal energy system after conferring with you about the predicted heating and cooling loads, the type and condition of your existing heating system, and the type and capacity of ground water that is likely to be available.

Systems can be designed to work in conjunction with your existing heating system or to replace it. If there is currently hot water baseboard distribution, we can design a ducted system to provide cooling as well.

We then prepare and submit proposal for your consideration.

Step 4: Building Envelope and Geothermal Energy System Installation

Building Envelope:

We can then assist you with the thermal envelope improvements in a variety of ways: from providing advice about doing the work yourself, to providing you with referrals for materials or contractors, to performing the work for you under contract.

Geothermal Heating System:

The installation of your system will be carefully coordinated and supervised by our principal or foreman. If wells are included, the drilling and the installation of the well pump and piping to the home will be done first. Then the inside work will be performed a timely manner to minimize any inconvenience.

The geothermal energy system we install in your home or business will be designed, inspected, and tested by an IGSHPA (International Ground Source Heat Pump Association) certified designer. We will provide you with a Certificate of Performance which defines the Coefficient of Performance for your system, and can be used to qualify for incentives and reduced electric rates where available.

Step 5: One Year Inspection:

One year after the installation we will request a home visit to inspect the equipment, gather data about your heating and cooling costs, and discuss any additional improvements that you might be considering. We enjoy seeing the results of our work.

Links:

Geothermal Energy Worldwide
http://geothermal.marin.org/geomap_1.html

US Dept of Energy Geothermal Site
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/space_heating_cooling/
index.cfm/mytopic=12650

International Ground Source Heat Pump Association
http://www.igshpa.okstate.edu/

PSNH Solutions Incentive Program
http://www.psnh.com/Residential/Efficiency/Residential_Retrofit.asp

PSNH Heatsmart Reduced Rate Program
http://www.psnh.com/Residential/Efficiency/HEATSMART.asp

Maine : Residential Incentive Programs
http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/maphomeowner.cfm?State=ME&
CurrentPageId=1&RE=1&EE=1

Maine : All Incentive Programs
http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/map2.cfm?CurrentPageID=1&State=
ME&RE=1&EE=1

Heat Pump Equipment: FHP GT Series Brochure
http://www.fhp-mfg.com/newpdfs/GS_GT/GS-GT_Brochure.pdf

Geothermal in Iceland - no need for heat pumps there
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_power_in_Iceland

Geothermal in Michigan
http://www.metromodemedia.com/features/Geothermal0046.aspx

Geothermal for Powerplants
http://atlanticgeothermal.blogspot.com/2007/01/blog-post.html

Contact us to find out more