The use of graphite in thermally-conductive grouting applications has exploded in recent years with more and more drillers abandoning the use of sand either completely or partially.
To balance substantial tax cuts, the draft bill eliminates or shortens scores of tax breaks, including those currently in place for geothermal heat pumps.
The geothermal heat pump industry has been buzzing about tax reform since the House Ways and Means Committee released a proposal by Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) on Feb. 26.
The Driller attended last fall’s International Ground Source Heat Pump Association Technical Conference and Expo in Las Vegas. We did an extensive interview with the keynote speaker, Eric Corey Freed, leading up to the show, but it took us a while to nail down an interview about the group’s Accredited Driller’s Workshop.
The geothermal heat pump (GHP) industry prides itself on offering an efficient, environmentally friendly technology for satisfying the thermal loads of buildings. To do so, a GHP system relies on circulating water through pipes placed underground (either vertically or horizontally) to tap the natural heat retained by the earth.
While well intentioned, geothermal heat pump (GHP) incentives—including rebates, electricity cost reductions, tax incentives and grants from utilities and governments—can be detrimental to acceptance of the technology if steps aren’t taken to ensure successful installations.