Installation Guidelines

There is a lot of help out there if you want to have a geothermal power generation system up and running on your farm or for your house. Since these systems have to be very precise you need to do a fair amount of research to learn about the suitability of the site you would like to power.

Geothermal installations can be very tricky, so you may wish to investigate taking some geothermal installation classes. The trade organization IGSHPA (International Ground Source Heat Pump Association) has extensive information about classes and certification. They certainly admonish amateurs to avoid attempting geothermal ground loop installation on their own, and recommend that geothermal installation jobs be performed for certified individuals.

The IGSHPA also offers you guidelines about evaluating the suitability of your proposed site based on the geography of your location. While they won't show you how to install a geothermal pump yourself they can answer many questions that you would logically ask before proceeding with a system.

The cost of geothermal heating installations and the individual site requirements of geothermal installation jobs aren't going to be found in a DIY installation manual because every installation is different. This technology is very site-specific, that's why embarking on the geothermal path without knowledgeable help can be folly. It's quite understandable to wish to lower the cost of a geothermal install by trying to do it yourself, but as you make yourself more familiar with the technology you'll come to the conclusion that this isn't a hobbyist venture.

Of course, you can research the articles in back-to-nature magazines and home-energy books, but you need to keep an extremely profound fact in front of you: you are thinking about tapping the heat of the earth itself to produce energy. This isn't the benign sun giving up power by entering solar panels, nor is it a gentle creek feeding water into a micro hydro turbine. This is the actual heat and steam that resides beneath the surface of the planet. It is a potent source of energy that needs more than a cursory or passing knowledge to utilize.

You might consider looking into the online course of instruction offered by Gatlin Education Services. While their course about small geothermal hvac installations won't prepare you to do multi-million dollar facility installations, it can give you a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of geothermal technology.

You should feel encouraged about the potential for saving money and using a renewable resource. Just let the pros do the hookups!