Geothermal Systems, Education, Training

and IGSHPA / NATE Certification

by Peter Tavino, IGSHPA Trainer

 

Next Installers course September, 2019

Last courses:

March 27, 28 & 29, 2019 West Nyack, NY

 

Feb 13, 15 & 16, 2019 Albany, NY

 

Sept 20, 21 & 22, 2018 Accredited Installer  Kingston, NY

 

2 trainings in Ontario Canada March, 2018

 

February 2018 Hamstead New Hampshire Trained 17 installers

 

 

Heat Loss and Gain in Buildings Buffalo, NY June, 2017

January 13, 2017 Heat Loss and Gain in a House   - Ronkonkoma, NY

 

Geothermal training was on hold pending tax credit renewal, but is back!

Last course was

Las Vegas, NV January 20, 2017

 

2016 Geothermal Courses:

7/26 Buffalo NY  (successfully completed)

8/23 Cherry Hill, NJ (successfully completed)

9/20 Fort Washington, PA (successfully completed)

9/21 Baltimore, MD (successfully completed)

10/19 Albany, NY (successfully completed)

12/7 Natick, Mass    (successfully completed)

12/8Portland, Maine   (successfully completed)

 

 

April 14, 2016   Heat Loss and Gain in a House   - White Plains, NY

(Also satisfies IGSHPA continuing education requirement) (successfully completed)

 

Past trainings of Architects and Engineers for their Continuing Education:

Ronkonkoma / Islandia, NY March 18, 2016 (successfully completed)

and

Somerset, NJ February 24, 2016   Brochure Link (successfully completed)

Sponsors of my Feb 24 geothermal seminar were happy too:

Here are the scores and comments from Somerset.  Very favorable, once again!
 **
 The attendees rated the program at 4.4 on a scale of one to five, with five being the highest rating.  The seminar manual was rated at 4.3.
 
Your individual speaker ratings were 4.3 for content and 4.5 for delivery. These scores are excellent!  Here is what attendees had to say about your presentation:
 
“Mr. Tavino was a personable speaker, kept the material interesting” (Engineer)
“Very good seminar, exceptional facilitator” (Mechanical/Electrical Eng.)
“Side stories often more informational than slides. Very enthusiastic and knowledgeable instructor.” (Noise Control Eng.)
“Very good seminar” (Acoustical Consultant)
“Instructor shared good experience related to topic” (Utility)
“Peter could use laser pointer to point out features he wants us to see on screen” (Civil Eng.) (I purchased a pointer / clicker this same day.)
“Very practical info mixed w/ data” (Engineering)
“Instructor was excellent! One of the useful and informative instructions taken post-college.” (PM)

 

 

Lunch And Learn at Architectural firm near Boston  February 17, 2016

 

Syracuse, NY December 9, 2015

 

 Training: a one day seminar from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm in White Plains, NY July 16, 2015.

Geared to American Institute of Architects Continuing Education requirements.

 

Thanks again for an excellent seminar yesterday.

Steve

 

 

Successful Training on Staten Island, NY complete.

Pipe fitters installing geothermal at new Elementary School.

 

 

I was honored to be asked to be one of the Opening National Trainers

at the Annual IGSHPA Conference in Baltimore October 13, 2014.

 

Schedule pdf

 

 IGSHPA Training: Sturbridge Mass.   August 11, 12 and 13, 2014.

 

Past Training: Auburn, NY Feb 9, 10 & 11, 2014.

 

Thank you IGSHPA for again recognizing me last year, as the national trainer with the most installers trained after your headquarters trainer.  I admire the hundreds of installers I have had the privilege to train.

 

Shrestha, Jeena <jeena.shrestha@okstate.edu>

Mr. Pete Tavino,
I am Jeena Shrestha, Graduate Assistant at IGSHPA. I am currently working under the supervision of Mr. Roshan Revankar.
Each month, IGSHPA features a GSHP Professsional in its official Facebook page with a mission to recognize his/her experiences and achievements in the Geothermal Heat Pump industry. In the past, Garen Ewban, Jim Bullington, Dominique Durbin, and Ed Lohrenz have been featured as the "Trainee of the Month".
For the month of November, IGSHPA would like to feature you to appreciate your contribution to the GSHP industry.
Please take a moment to fill out the information requested in the link below which will be used solely for this purpose.
http://www.igshpa....
If you have any question or comment, please don't hesitate to contact me.
IGSHPA appreciates your time and effort.

Thank you.
Regards,
Jeena Shrestha
Graduate Assistant
IGSHPA

 

Thanks again to the 115 engineers from around the country who paid for and took my SUNCAM.com

Geothermal Heating and Cooling on line course in one week in June.

And thanks to the 21 reviewers who have rated it to average the highest possible : 5 stars.

Thanks to the 95 Engineers who took The Energy Audit of an Existing Home in July

 and also rated it highly.

 IGSHPA Vertical Loop Installer workshop for a private company was held in August, 2013.

 IGSHPA Accredited Installers Workshop was held in September, 2013

 

HOW HAPPY CAN GEO-GLIDE FITTINGS MAKE YOU?

HAPPIER THAN A BABY WITH A NEW TOY !!!

IGSHPA CERTIFICATION TRAINING AT BARGAIN PRICE
BOSCH AND PHOENIX ARE READY TO ROCK & ROLL


IGSHPA Certification Training
Taught by (2) Certified Instructors with decades of experience in the northeast.
Peter Tavino, PE & John D. Manning, PE
Their experience & scar tissue will allow you to walk away with a whole lot more than
"book smarts".
Call (315) 253-3720 speak with Anna or Jenny to reserve your seat. Credit Card payments can be taken over the phone.

 

Workshop for the State University of NY at Dutchess,

in Poughkeepsie, NY, Oct. 24, 25, 26, 2013.

 

Planned workshop for the New York State Society of Professional Engineers

and others in Albany, NY, Nov. 21, 22, 23, 2013. Not held

 

Workshop May 6-7-8, 2013    - Montgomeryville, PA.

The 30th three day workshop conducted by Peter Tavino.

Allison (standing) is the Senior Operations Associate who planned Montgomeryville.   Photo 4/25/13

 

Spring workshop March 21-23, 2013 Poughkeepsie, NY  a huge success!

From Allen, who later was told he received 100% on the test:

Hello Peter,
I wanted to thank you for the excellent training you've provided in IGSHPA Geothermal Accredited Installer course.
I received my NATE Certification w/credits and also the IGSHPA credentials of Accredited Installer. I see that I'm now on the list.
I've recently been contacted by a builder that would like me to help him decide on a geothermal system. 
He has sent me the house plans .....

 

Hi Peter,
I sending you this email from my personal email account. ... is my work account. I just wanted to drop you a note that I really enjoyed your class. I spent a lot of time studying piping pressure drops, duct sizing before the class started. You really went over all the questions well. I know there were a couple questions that I took either way, probably because I was looking for trick questions, but I still think I passed.....

...see you made me into a Geo junkie.

Thanks
Tom

(All 7 passed)

 

For info on this or any workshop to be held anywhere you like, email Pete@LitchfieldGeothermal.com

Peter Tavino ended the October to October IGSHPA Training year

with 121 NATE installers and 4 vertical loop installers trained.

North American Technician Excellence proctored tests in 10 states.

About 83% passed first time, and over 90% for those paying their own tuition.

Indianapolis, IN:   Peter is seen at right receiving a plaque from Dr. Jim Bose (center)

 for being the nationwide Trainer with the second most number of installers trained in 2012.

First Trainer was at IGSHPA Oklahoma headquarters.

Thank you to all the installers who made that happen.

 

Your Name:
WILLIAM .......


What Course Did You Take?
IGSHPA CERT


Course End Date:
11/03/2012


How Likely Are You to Refer this course to a friend or colleague?
10 - Very Likely


What did you like best about this course?
The instructor Peter was very down to earth and taught so we could easily understand the material.

 

Our new copyrighted 20 minute video explaining geothermal : Simply Geothermal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AqyM7vfZUI&list=HL1378469253&feature=mh_lolz 

shown at all Training workshops.

 

Last courses: Saratoga Technology & Energy Park (STEP)
 Malta, NY September 17, 18 &19, 2012

Poughkeepsie, NY    Nov. 1-3, 2012    

Rochester, NY    Nov.27-29, 2012

Jackson Geothermal,  Morrisville, PA 12/5-7/2012

 Kokomo, Indiana Jan 14-16, 2013

 

 

Flush cart demonstration in Rochester, NY

 

 

Contact Pete to register Pete@LitchfieldGeothermal.com

IGSHPA Trainer Peter Tavino, PE CGD 

  -with now Accredited Installers at the State University of New York:

I was pleased to train and test Installers in 10 different states in 2012:

Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey,  Pennsylvania, Virginia,  Indiana, Iowa, Arizona and California.

It is great to see how similar the drillers and heating contractors and engineers are throughout our great country!
 

 

Contact me at Pete@LitchfieldGeothermal.com to see when the next training will be held.

 

It's nice to hear from candidates who were trained.

Many are "Linked In" professionally to me, and all are welcome to do so.

 

Pete,
Hope you made it home safely. Before I put my phone on the charger, I wanted to thank you for putting on a great workshop.  You kept it real and held our attention throughout the class. The material covered was excellent, and your real life experiences served as great examples of the material being covered... Pat

 

Thanks for all the help this week, great learning experience !!! Will let you know, will stay in touch. Todd

 

Dear Peter,
I wasn't sure if you knew the testing results. I passed!!!Excited
 
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I don't think I would have passed without your dedication and encouragement. Please keep in touch. I do know how to run a backhoe and would love to toodle around while waiting for paying jobs. The Building envelope course starts Monday. After that who knows what is next?
All best regards
Peter Tringali

 

Hello Pete
 
Its Cesar Bobadilla from Geothermal class. First I wanna thank you for a great class. You changed my outlook on geothermal . Second I was looking for the site for rock and soil. You took us to my house on line.
I have someone ready to spend money and would like to have things prepared. If I have any questions can I please call you. I will be  sending the pictures of wick, greg and yourself doing heat fusion soon. Thank you again. Cesar Bobadilla, future NATE certified


 

Pete:

 Got my  certificate.  ... I am looking to do what you are dong but actually start a resource center in my office building for alternative and renewable energy with PV/ SHW and geothermal.  Maybe wind.  But anyway I would like to meet with you some time to discuss your model and see an installation, however I will need about 2 weeks notice to do that.  Look forward to meeting again!  Thanks again for your help! 

Ewald

 

Hi Peter....As I said to you in an email Friday evening, I think, this was a fabulous experience--and I really have you to thank for the invitation.  I learned much more than I thought I would. ... Lorraine

 

Hi, Pete –

I enjoyed the class in Albany last week.

I’m looking into software available for field design,... John

 

Hi Pete, I believe I did very well on the exam, good prep!... Nick

 

March 30, 2011 Peter Tavino did not train or present, but did participate at the EPA seminar for state regulators:

http://www.neiwpcc.org/waterresourceprotection/geothermalworkshop.asp

 

Thanks to all who participated in the successful IGSHPA Training on Long Island

Hosted by Greenway Environmental Management at Miller Environmental Group

(Right) Potential Installers tour the Hydron Module heat pumps.

Below: Trainer, Test Proctor and Heat Fusion Instructor Peter Tavino with future accredited installers performing Hands On Loop pipe socket fusion.

Below right, the last exam taker uses all two hours to achieve the best possible score

 

 

Here is the magazine ad on line and in print which ran internationally in  World Wide Drilling Resources magazine. (Second on the left)

 Peter Tavino is available to work with your group interested in IGSHPA accreditation.

 

Thanks to the dozen Connecticut installers who previewed the CCEF presentation

 given in Denver at the IGSHPA October, 2010 conference.

Here is the Denver Aspen Auditorium the day before Peter Tavino made his presentation.

Connecticut Clean Energy Fund Power Point Slide Show  (click on this 2 meg pdf)

A federal employee in the audience said the talk was very good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The New York Society of Professional Engineers in Albany, NY   3 day workshop

 taught by Peter Tavino to become a certified installer.

 

Here were the 17 attendees at Peter Tavino's September workshop taking the test. 14 passed first time.

 

Invited back to teach again, the March Class takes the geothermal installer's exam.

 

And here they are performing pipe heat fusion.

We were pleased to have the author of this NY Times article on geothermal:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/08/science/08geothermal.html

take the class to become an accredited geothermal installer herself.

 

 

 

 

  Accredited Geothermal Installers Workshop

 

      Become a Certified Geothermal Installer and get 11.5 PDHs

NYSSPE is now offering a new clean energy program for Professional Engineers and others to become internationally recognized installers of Ground Source Heat Pump Systems.

With this additional credential, PE’s can design and install the outside loops that circulate the heat transfer fluid. Working with interior licensed HVAC contractors, they can build together a Geothermal System for new construction or building retrofit. Many engineering firms are already organized to expand service with this new skill set.

Click here to view the three day agenda: Workshop Agenda

All attendees who complete the three day course, and pass the 100 question open book test with a grade of 90% or more, become CGI’s (Certified Geothermal or Ground-Source Installers) Those who pass will have their contact information listed on the website of The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association, with free membership to the association. This is the website  www.igshpa.okstate.edu  

 

 

July, 2010  Only eight certified geothermal installers, among those who applied, were chosen nation wide to attend the Train the Trainer week long course at the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association in Stillwater, OK, June, 2010.

Peter Tavino was one of these eight, and taught the section he prepared on power point for

Thermal Conductivity of Soils and Rock.

At its conclusion, Executive Director Dr. Jim Bose stood up and said to Peter and the three dozen class members:

"Great job!  Now, that's the way thermal conductivity should be taught!"   

(See part of the presentation in the Drilled Boreholes link above.)

So I am pleased to be the only resident of Connecticut (or Massachusetts or Rhode Island) who can instruct and test qualified geothermal installers.  I join about 220 other Trainers approved since 1980 nation wide, with 30 or so actively certifying installers today.  (Since then there is another Trainer in CT, so I am one of four in New England.)

Installer Candidates who did not receive over 90% in the 100 question exam can contact me to proctor a second test attempt.

Thanks very much to IGSHPA and John Clapp for the fine Train the Trainer program he implemented.

It was interesting to compare our Connecticut methods with procedures done by the experts around the country and world.

Technical Geothermal on line professional engineering courses authored by Peter Tavino PE may be previewed for free here :

www.suncam.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=S&Category_Code=100189

 

 

Other activity:
Here's an hour long video of Peter Tavino moderating a League of Women Voter's debate October, 2010:

Thanks to Middlesex Community College for allowing me to postpone teaching the regular Geo class that night.

http://www.thelitchfieldpage.com/lwv/Video/TorringtonDebate.html

 

 

Thanks Terry for demonstrating geo heat pump operation to the class, at Middlesex Community College, 11/3/10:

 

 

Here are some of many available videos showing how geo works:


Intro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBHHqw6TRXk&feature=related

www.waterfurnace.com/how-it-works.aspx

 http://www.climatemaster.com/index/res_movie

 

Boreholes in Europe, a little different, but instructive!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlVHXJ6BCF4

 

 

 

Pete

 

 

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