Blog

Government Purse Strings Loosen in British Columbia Canada

Great GeoNews for British Columbia, Canada

The Government of Canada and likewise the various Provincial Governments, seem to vacillate between offering generous programs and then seemingly rescinding them for the most part.

With the recent financial free-for-all in Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics officially over and done, it is a nice surprise for those in the geothermal industry to see some tangible commitment on the part of government to cutting edge environmental/conservationist technologies via Canada’s Economic Action Plan

“We are deeply appreciative of the contributions made by the federal and provincial governments to the capital renewal of BCIT,” said Don Wright, president of BCIT. “This investment will enhance our continuing contribution to the economic, social and environmental prosperity of B.C.”

The new construction is targeted to be registered as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold project. Some of the environmental features include: use of enhanced daylight capture technology, energy efficient heat pumps technology – geo-exchange system plus extensive heat recovery, energy efficient lighting and equipment, use of recycled material and use of a micro-electrical grid.

Terasen Expanding Into Geothermal Heating

The press release was to announce the British Columbia utility company, Terasen’s, move to local customer service call centres , but we’re interested in a paragraph halfway down about “geo-exchange heating systems” – presumably Terasen  means heating and cooling (which is actually a *more* efficient system than heating-only).
The article states:
“Terasen is also expanding its range of energy options to include choices such as solar, thermal and geo-exchange heating systems.”
Click here for the article in the Vancouver Sun.

Incorporating Geo In His Zero Energy House – Three Cheers for Gary Poush –

Here’s a great article about Gary Poush an Energy Star builder who is incorporating geo into his zero energy project:

Gary Poush has been building homes in the Grand Valley for 10 years, and has been an Energy Star builder since 2003.

“You could see the way things were going, if you were paying attention at all,” says Poush, who has a passion for environmentalism. “I’m not the kind of person who can do the same thing over and over again. I have to have a challenge.”

In the seven years that Poush has built Energy Star homes, he has built homes using a geothermal heat exchange system for heating and cooling, he’s built insulated concrete form (ICF) construction homes, he’s built straw bale homes and he’s built homes with solar panels on the roof to generate electricity.    …

Click here for more,,,

Geoexchange: “A Guy Thing”?

It is interesting to read on the forums on geoexchange.org that the demographic for geoexchange systems is generally 55+ year old men (and some 18-35s also).
This must fit in with accepted marketing wisdom that men are “early adopters” – and although geoexchange is not new, it is just now gaining acceptance. Let’s face it, the whole concept of heat exchange systems is not nearly as simple as burning fossil fuels to get heat or even as simple as absorbing solar thermal heat.
Looking at mechanical drawings for a geoexchange system for most of us requires a little trip down memory lane back to science class – physics, specifically!
Call to action: Ladies, get in there, go geo, go green, get with the program!

Everyone has to watch this movie

Geoexchange: To DIY or NOT to DIY

So you’re thinking about a do-it-yourself geoexchange / geothermal project…

1-Kudos to you for thinking outside the box, saving on fuel, and “going green” with your project!

2-A DIY system is a bold and ambitious idea BUT it is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to have an expert install a GSHP (ground source heat pump) system – with about $10,000 of equipment alone invested in such a system, it is worth having your system designed by someone with years of experience.

Part of the reason for this website is because now with geothermal/geoexchange becoming more popular, there are a lot of ‘geothermal installers’ out there who don’t have much experience in the field and they won’t necessarily be able to do a good job.

You would do well to consult with a professional – with a track record – and check their references thoroughly, as the
success of your system is at stake.

The prospects of a DIY radiant floor system working satisfactorily are not good, but as for the geoexchange component (at the risk of seeming pessimistic), the prospects are bleak for a first-attempt to work at all.

Geothermal… the new green

Find out more about a tried and true but widely misunderstood technology.

First of all geoexchange is not geothermal although at this time the word “geothermal” is pervasively (incorrectly) used to describe geoexchange.

Throughout this website, geoexchange will be referred to as such, however sometimes for the sake of clarity, we will refer to it as “geoexchange (AKA: geothermal)”.

What is Geoexchange (TM)? What is Geothermal?

A SHORT, SWEET, VISUAL EXPLANATION OF GEOTHERMAL
This short Flash presentation is the quickest way to get an understanding of geo priniples:
www.geoexchange.org/animation/flash-56k.html
(Courtesy of: www.geoexchange.org)

GEOTHERMAL: WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT’S NOT
Geothermal is a tried and true, proven technology which is so widely misunderstood, that it is usually referred to as “Geothermal Energy”… but that is a misnomer.

GEOTHERMAL OR GEOEXCHANGE ™
Geothermal energy is the kind of energy found in the hot springs in Iceland, for example, where hot water from naturally occurring can be run through pipes in the floor for heating, for example.
A geothermal system using a ground source heat pump is the most common application in North America, and it does not rely on nature having put a hot-spring on your property. The typical system  employs a heat pump to use the Earth’s heat (or to “dump” heat if the geo system is being used for cooling).