History
In 1994, Charles, Phillip, Garen and Kris Ewbank became accredited installers through the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA). They recognized a significant barrier in the design of larger and commercial installations. The barrier was directly measuring the thermal conductivity of the ground where a ground heat exchanger was to be installed. Designers and builders were reluctant to specify ground source systems because they needed to know, not guess, how the earth would move the energy. The first discussions to directly measure the thermal conductivity of the earth between the Professors Claesson and Bose is interesting to read as follows: click here. Dr. Jim Bose pressed the need and the Ewbanks built the first commercial in-situ test unit. The first test was done in December of 1994. In 1995 and 1996 Ewbank performed twenty-six tests for Oklahoma Gas and Electric and the Electric Power Research Institute. To date tests have been conducted throughout the United States and numerous other countries. Garen Ewbank continues reports and works with trained installers and experienced test providers across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and Korea. Ewbank, and our test providers, have conducted well over 2000 tests resulting in thousands of systems and well over 20,000 miles of ground heat exchangers, providing 1500 MW of "green and renewable" capacity.
To learn more about in-situ thermal conductivity testing click here (will open a new browser).