Sugarcreek, Ohio – The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) selected Tim Yoder, owner of Yoder Drilling & Geothermal Inc., to be one of four experts on a residential retrofits panel during its 20th annual Technical Conference and Expo last month in Denver. Yoder was the only loop installer asked to participate.
About 700 attended the national conference, which highlighted Yoder Geothermal as one of the nation’s leading geothermal system installers. During the break-out session, Yoder and other panel members from around the United States fielded questions about regulations on residential drilling and geothermal loop system installation.
Yoder says the biggest issue is the need to educate homeowners about the installation process. He adds, “At Yoder’s, we’ve had great success using a pictorial form with prospective customers. It’s part of our commitment to take those extra steps to communicate with and accommodate homeowners who are interested in installing geothermal heating and cooling systems.”
Other key points that surfaced during the discussion include the:
- Importance of involvement in the legislative process at the state level to help establish geothermal guidelines that protect water and promote proper drilling.
- Growing interest in residential geothermal – especially sizing systems – and the move toward hybrid systems in the retrofit market.
- Protection of residents’ property from drilling silt and water runoff, which are natural results of the installation process.
- Geothermal tax credit (30 percent for systems placed in service before December 31, 2016) and the need to promote this value.
About IGSHPA
The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) is a non-profit, member-driven organization established in 1987 to advance ground source heat pump (GSHP) technology on local, state, national and international levels. Headquartered on the campus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla., IGSHPA utilizes state-of-the-art facilities for conducting GSHP system installation training and geothermal research. With its access to the most current advancements in the geothermal industry, IGSHPA is the ideal bridge between the latest technology and the people who benefit from these developments.