The Great Northern Exhibition is in its 156th successful year and is put on by the Collingwood Agricultural Society.   The fair expects close to 3000 attendees each day from Sept. 23-25.

The Barrie Home Reno & Decor Show is in its 19th year and features exhibitors from around the Barrie/Georgian Bay area. The show is open from Sept. 24-25, 2011.

Be sure to check them out if you’re in the area!

The Canadian GeoExchange Coalition acts as the industry catalyst to unite private and public sector stakeholders, and to expand the market for ground source heat pumps and geoexchange technology in Canada. As the nexus of information, training, certification, standards and public awareness, their mandate is to work with stakeholders to build the necessary infrastructure to foster the growth of the Canadian geoexchange industry.

Clearly, there are requirements involved in getting this rebate and it is extremely important that you follow them carefully. Take advantage of the expertise of a qualified local geothermal dealer who can help to make sure you comply with the requirements.

To begin the process in making the switch to a water furnace geothermal system, step one is to call Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) at 1-800-622-6232 and get a registration number for your retrofit. The second step is to find a local CGC-accredited geothermal dealer who can not only help you in finding a qualified energy auditor but can also help you decide whether making the switch to geothermal is right for you. If you call Eden Energy Equipment at 1-800-665-3336, they can assist you in locating a local geothermal heating specialist. Alternatively, you can fill out the form on the right and we will put you in touch with a geothermal dealer regardless of where you are.

Once your home has been inspected by a certified energy auditor and your water furnace geothermal system has been installed, you need to submit your paperwork to receive your rebate.  Be sure to keep all of your invoices for all work done, should the CGC or Natural Resources Canada require them for proof of the upgrades.

It is extremely important that if you are looking to make the switch to geothermal you move quickly, but obviously also use caution. Make sure you are dealing with a reputable geothermal installer with references, experience and a proven track record of quality work. Rebates can be a “double-edged sword” rewarding consumers but also drawing unqualified people into the arena of installing geothermal systems. Geothermal is a big investment and much like buying a home, you want to qualify your installer.

Energy auditors and geothermal installers are going to get extremely busy and the geothermal rebates in Ontario could also disappear before the ending date of March 31, 2012. The rebate will only run until the money is used up or until March 31arrives. If you have any questions about Ontario geothermal rebates, the ecoENERGY program or geothermal itself, feel free to contact us. For more information on the ecoENERGY program visit the NRCan website.

Green Mortgages help you save money and save the environment by making smarter choices

In a recent survey conducted by EnerQuality Green Building in November 2009, it was discovered that more than 40% of Ontario homeowners are willing to pay up to $10,000 more for a “green” or ENERGY STAR certified home. This is almost double the number from 2008 which showed 22% of homeowners were willing to spend $10,000 more for an “environmentally-friendly” option.

Homeowners recognize the savings of “green” products and a water furnace geothermal system fits the bill providing homeowners not only with peace of mind but annual savings on their home heating, cooling and hot water operation costs.

Thanks to these new “green” mortgages offered by financial institutions like TD CanadaTrust there is more incentive for customers to take advantage of an environmentally-friendly geothermal system.

A typical geothermal system in Ontario costs $24,244 according to a 2010 report by the Canadian GeoExchange Coalition (CGC) and if you have a TD “green” mortgage it makes the choice easy to install geothermal. Whether you are an existing customer of TD CanadaTrust or a new one you can take advantage of the TD “green” mortgage to help pay for your geothermal installation.

The TD “green” mortgage is a two-fold program that gives you a rate discount on your mortgage and a 1% cash rebate. Current 5-year closed rates as of June 15, 2011 on TD CanadaTrust’s website are 5.39% which means qualified homeowners can receive a rate as low as 4.39%. If we assume you have a $250,000 mortgage, TD CanadaTrust will give qualified homeowners a $2,500 cash rebate, and yearly savings on your mortgage of $1,704 because of the lower rate.

Over a 5-year period this is a savings of $11,020 off your mortgage just for installing a geothermal system. If we take into account a potential yearly savings of up to $3,000 in operating costs with geothermal versus traditional heating systems, it means that geothermal can pay for itself in just over 5 years.

Recent government rebates have made geothermal even more popular, but even without rebates geothermal is the easy choice just by taking advantage of these new “green” mortgages. If you have questions call us at 1-888-325-3336

Causyn Cooling & Heating, based in Simcoe, ON, services the Haldimand, Norfolk and Brant Counties and surrounding areas.  “We specialize in keeping our customers comfortable during the seasons. This means that we cover both residential and commercial cooling and heating needs, along with everything in between,” says Jeff Causyn, president of Causyn Cooling & Heating.

Causyn’s service teams are trained to handle all of your needs, from regular cooling and heating equipment check-ups, to our 24-hour emergency service. The owner, Jeff Causyn, was the Haldimand-Norfolk Home Builders Association Member of the Year for Outstanding Service of the Year in 1999.  As you can see, the Causyn Cooling & Heating staff is here to suit your every need, with your overall comfort in mind.

For more information about WaterFurnace geothermal systems in the Haldimand, Norfolk and Brant counties, you can contact Causyn Cooling & Heating by telephone at (519) 428-3241, or visit their website at http://www.causyncoolingheating.com

According to the 2010 CGC Report, if 2% of single detached residential homes in Canada had geothermal heat pumps, there would be a reduction of 376, 254 tons of CO₂ equivalent a year, which is the same as taking 111, 981 cars off of the road!  As the percentage grows, more cars are essentially removed from the road.

If 4% of Canadian homes used geothermal technology for heating and cooling, in effect,     223, 961 cars would be removed from Canadian roads.  And imagine if 16% of homes utilized geothermal heat pumps – we’d lose the equivalent of 895,845 cars!

It is clear that geothermal heat pumps are very environmentally friendly.  Currently however, the percentage of homes that have taken advantage of this renewable energy is thought to be lower than 0.5%. Shown below are the types of fuel that homeowners have recently replaced with geothermal heat pumps.

This chart displays the positive environmental change that is beginning with geothermal heat pumps.  Approximately 64% of homeowners have made the switch to geothermal from oil, propane, natural gas and other fossil fuels.  Greenhouse gas emissions are getting lower and geothermal heat pumps are to thank for the reduction.

The award was handed out by Grant Blackmore, president of Eden Energy Equipment and received by Joe Carr, president of Nottawasaga Mechanical [on the left in the photo].

“We are incredibly proud to have Joe Carr [president of Nottawasaga Mechanical] and his team as part of the WaterFurnace dealer network. Their commitment to WaterFurnace is very apparent with their tremendous sales last year” says Grant Blackmore, president of Eden Energy Equipment Ltd.

Nottawasaga Mechanical sells and services WaterFurnace geothermal products to Wasaga Beach and surrounding areas. They can be reached at 705-429-3512.

With a traditional heating system setting a programmable thermostat back 8 to 10 degrees while you are at work, can save you up to 20% on your heating bill according to studies conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Because of how traditional heating systems are designed and sized, a programmable thermostat can easily recover the temperature in your home without greatly impacting the efficiency.

Unlike a traditional heating system, geothermal systems are already efficient and have maximum efficiency when run in first stage. Setting geothermal system temperatures back with a programmable thermostat can drastically impact the geothermal system’s efficiency negatively.

A geothermal system moves the heat from the ground and in to your home using a similar principle to how the fridge in your home keeps your food cold. Where a fridge rejects the heat from the fridge, geothermal takes the heat from the ground and rejects it into the home. A geothermal system works at its most efficient constantly moving heat from the ground into your home.

By installing a programmable thermostat on a geothermal system in an effort to save money, you drastically impact the efficiency of the system because you force the unit to work in its least efficient modes.

When the thermostat tries to bring the house temperature back up from an 8 to 10 degree setback, you end up driving up your operating costs by forcing the geothermal system to potentially use all three stages to try and recover the temperature versus keeping your house at a steady and constant temperature all day long in first stage.  In an effort to save literally a couple of dollars, you can add substantially to your monthly heating bill, thus drastically impacting your efficiency.

If you are looking for a smart thermostat solution for running your geothermal system, consider an ecobee Smart Thermostat which will allow you to control how the system runs without relying on setback programming. Another alternative is the TP32U04 United Technologies thermostat. Both will work well on just about any geothermal piece of equipment. As always, if you have questions call us at 1-800-665-3336.

The most obvious and significant feature of the IntelliStart system is that it reduces the start up current (locked rotor amps) of a geothermal compressor by up to 70%. When a compressor starts, it has a very large and short spike of amps to start the compressor and then it drops down to normal. This spike can cause light dimming in some cases and, in worst case scenarios, it can also trip a breaker if a system is not designed correctly. The IntelliStart is a great tool that provides the following features:

• Quieter operation: One of the benefits we have seen from installing an IntelliStart on geothermal is quieter operation as a result of the lower locked rotor amps pulled when the unit starts. Although the IntelliStart is not sold or designed as a “sound” device, it does reduce start-up noise as a result of lowering the locked rotor amps.
• Dimming Lights: Lights dim not as a result of a problem with your geothermal system but because of a drop in voltage. The IntelliStart automatically adjusts to start your compressor with the available voltage and prevents light dimming.
• Geothermal on Solar and Generator: With off-grid technology like Solar PV and standby generators becoming more popular, the IntelliStart makes it much easier to integrate into a geothermal system. The reason that geothermal going off-grid can be more expensive is you need to oversize your generator or Solar PV to overcome the brief locked rotor amps. By installing an IntelliStart, you reduce the generator or Solar PV requirements and can save a substantial amount of money going off grid.
• Power Outages: The IntelliStart features a built-in random turn on delay following a loss of power. What this means is that when the power comes back on, your geothermal system will start up on a random delay lowering the load in your home and preventing secondary nuisance breaker trips.
• Compressor Protection from Damage: The IntelliStart protects the compressor from internal damage that can be caused by sagging or low voltage on startup.

An IntelliStart will work on all new WaterFurnace & Climate Master two stage units with Copeland Compressors. It will also work on most older model single speed Copeland Compressors and single speed Bristols. The basic rule of thumb is if its a 3 and a half ton or smaller it will use an IS60RKS and anything 4ton and above will work with an IS60RKL.

Although the IntelliStart is used on geothermal systems it will also work on Air Source Heat Pumps and Air Conditioners made by Bryant, Carrier or Trane. Obviously check compatibility before purchasing. You can learn more by downloading the cut sheet for the product at this link: Intellistart Cut Sheet. The product can be purchased by calling 1-800-665-3336.

This graph shows in rush current with and without an intellistart installed on a geothermal system. The Green bar shows a system with Intellistart and the Orange shows a systems amp draw without an intellistart

Eden Energy Equipment honoured Buchanan & Hall of Stratford, ON with a trophy acknowledging the Most Innovative WaterFurnace Installation. Over the summer of 2010, Buchanan & Hall worked on the television program, Holmes Inspection to rectify a problematic geothermal installation. Eden Energy equipment chose them to work with Mike Holmes on this important project because of their experience and commitment to excellence.

The award was handed out by Grant Blackmore, President of Eden Energy Equipment and received by Joel Anderson [ on the left in the photo ].

“Buchanan & Hall was chosen for the Holmes Inspection project because they consistently demonstrate a broad knowledge of WaterFurnace geothermal systems. We are proud to have Buchanan & Hall as a WaterFurnace dealer and award them with the 2011 Geothermal Innovation Award” says Grant Blackmore, president of Eden Energy Equipment Ltd.

Buchanan & Hall sells and services WaterFurnace geothermal products to Stratford and surrounding areas. They can be reached at 519-271-4793