Senate Passes Geothermal Tax Incentive Extension

From our friends at the GeoExchange Organization...

August 7, 2022 – Moments ago, the United States Senate passed groundbreaking legislation containing key provisions for the geothermal heat pump industry. Taken in its entirety, the package represents the farthest reaching climate action the U. S. Congress has ever pursued. If enacted, the bill will inject billions of dollars into the economy for a range of clean energy industries.

Thanks to the hard work of the Geothermal Exchange Organization, geothermal heat pumps have been granted significant incentives and long-term support at the federal level. Hundreds of meetings with Congressional offices in recent years have culminated in broad bi-partisan recognition of the positive impacts of GHPs and the geo industry. GeoExchange and its partners on the Hill worked diligently to push for strong action before the mid-term elections.

The bill will extend residential and commercial geothermal tax credits for more than ten years, give geothermal equal footing with solar on commercial projects, allow for direct payments to non-profits for installations, and more. The House of Representatives is expected to quickly reconvene and pass the bill, sending it to President Biden for signature in coming days. 

The Magic of Heat Pumps

Did you know that 70% of your home’s energy usage is used for heating and cooling? According to NYSERDA, that means that well over half our utility costs are spent to make your home comfortable.

So those LED light bulbs are a great idea but if you want to make the most significant impact in your home you should look in the basement. Watch this video to learn more about what a heat pump is and how you can start saving money on your heating and coolings costs, lower your carbon emissions and make your home safer.

HeatSmart Orange Selected Contractor

About a year ago we were selected as a contractor for HeatSmart Warwick. This year, we are equally as proud to be selected as a contractor for the broadened HeatSmart Orange Campaign.

HeatSmart Orange is a grassroots community initiative smoothing the path to an affordable, more energy-efficient building. HeatSmart offers nonprofit education, guidance and a list of vetted, local heating and cooling experts who install the latest clean technologies and help you maximize program rebates.

HeatSmart will connect building and home owners with local heating and cooling experts who install the latest in clean technologies, offer campaign discounts, and help maximize program rebates.

HeatSmart Orange is made possible by a partnership of Orange County, Energize NY and the New York State Research and Development Authority. The campaign is directed by community leaders who are volunteering their time to support this effort. If you’re considering a new heating or cooling system, or you're interested in finding out how to save energy in your home, sign up for the HeatSmart newsletter!

HeatSmart has several programs throughout the state and Orange County was chosen to be the next community to focus on. The team of partners put together an extensive Request For Proposal including general company information, financial health, sample proposals, marketing strategies, offers and more to evaluate the companies that applied to participate. It’s a true honor that we were chosen to be one of their trusted Ductless (Air Source Heat Pump) and Geothermal (Ground Source Heat Pump) contractors.

We’ll be using the upcoming months to train our volunteers and plan events. In the meantime, please consider helping us build awareness for our online resources and future events. Please consider any or all of the following:

• Like Alpine Air on Facebook

• If we’ve done work for you before, we’d really appreciate a positive review

• Like HeatSmart Orange on facebook

• Follow us on Instagram

Heat Pumps 101

In our partnership with HeatSmart Warwick, we’ve put together a training series on the basics of heat pumps, what they are and their benefits. We’ll be releasing these videos in a series called Heat Pumps 101. The first video is about heat pumps in general and the different types. Take a look!

Geothermal Certified

IGSHPA is one of the leading organizations advancing Ground Source Heat Pump (geothermal) technologies. Among their main initiatives are advancing the technologies used in geothermal designs, educating consumers on the benefits of ground source heat pumps and educating contractors through training and certification programs. It’s important contractors have the knowledge and experience to design and install these complex systems properly.

The next step after getting IGSHPA certified is to participate in other programs like NYSERDA’s GSHP Program. Further educating consumers and offering additional rebates to promote the growth of these energy efficient technologies is the main goal of their work. With the current 30% federal tax credit and the rebates and incentives available from the utility companies and NYSERDA, it doesn’t cost that much more to have an extremely energy efficient system over a traditional heating system. And it does your cooling too.

Geothermal systems use the constant ground temperature to exchange heat with the refrigerant that runs through your building’s heating and coolings system. Since the temperature underground is a more consistent temperature we can utilize it in the summer and winter to make the most energy efficient heating and cooling system readily available in the market today. Your energy usage is significantly reduced saving you money on your utilities, reducing your greenhouse gas emissions and your reliance on fossil fuels. It’s good for your wallet and the environment.