Entry Level Geothermal Professional Certificate Training

Expect three things to happen when you enroll: 1) We put a welcome packet in the mail to help you take notes and successfully complete the course, 2) A live human being will give you a welcome call to make sure you get the most out of the class, and 3) All of the course videos and training materials will become available immediately. . This course will be SELF-PACED, so you are not expected to be logged in at any specific time. John Manning will be available to answer your questions via discussion, email, and phone during the specified course dates – you’ll also have access to the course materials for 120 days after the end of the course.

Very few people know what geothermal heat pumps are and how they work. This week we lay the groundwork by introducing the most common terms and providing a baseline understanding of the technology. (Assignments should be completed by the end of Week 1).

"How can you use an earth temperature of 50 degrees to heat my house to 70 degrees?" This section will help you answer that fundamental question many of your customers and colleagues want to know. Understanding the heat pump itself is critical for communicating why geothermal systems are comfortable and reliable - not magic.

The ground coupling is what makes a geothermal system so efficient - it also adds cost and complexity vs. a traditional HVAC job. Making informed decisions about your ground coupling options can have huge cost and performance implications for both residential and commercial projects. This section helps you understand the pros and cons of each.

It's not enough to understand the technical side of geothermal heat pumps. To operate in the real world you need to understand the GHP's position in the building industry, and get to know the equipment manufacturers, government agencies, and industry associations that drive the market.

Proper system design is critical for keeping the initial investment low, and for making sure the system operates as advertised. You don't need to rely on rules of thumb; there are some relatively simple calculations that geothermal designers make to design reliable systems for residential and commercial buildings.

Everyone has a sales component to their job, even if you think you don't. Whether you're marketing or selling GHPs to customers, evaluating someone else's design, or a prospective owner/operator, you need to understand how people think about GHPs and how purchase decisions are made.

This week you will that the Final Exam and schedule your Capstone Call with John Manning. John is a wealth of knowledge and loves to help his students learn more about Geothermal Heat Pumps and the Geothermal Industry. Now that you have had a chance to learn from his material, the best way to answer any questions or get feedback about your ideas in the industry is talk on the phone. Feel free to just pick up the phone and call, or contact him via email to schedule a time to talk.

After you've passed the exam, expect your packet will arrive in the mail in about a month. No matter how much you've learned over the past six weeks, you're going to encounter new issues and have more questions from the field. These resources and industry contacts can be your lifeline as you experiment with new initiatives and service lines. The HeatSpring community is a rich and diverse group that is here to provide support.