The different terms all form part of the overall Global Quality GeoExchange™ Program®.  There are four major steps within the Initiative:  

Accreditation of individuals is achieved by those who successfully complete training with a passing mark on the examination, and apply for accreditation. A different accreditation is available for vertical loop installers, systems installers and designers. Accreditation requires:

• a passing mark on the relevant CGC examination
• satisfactory work on up to five previous geoexchange systems
• credit references if and where appropriate
• proof of adequate insurance and liability coverage if and where appropriate
• assent to the CGC Code of Conduct, etc., and is valid for two years.

Firms / Company Qualification means that companies / firms hiring CGC accredited individuals for vertical loop installation, system installation or design, either as full time employees or as subcontractors, had their credentials verified and offer the highest quality of workmanship, and highest ethical standards. Qualification allows CGC top screen out mushroom companies or fly-by-night firms. 

Certification of systems is completed once an application for certification has been approved by CGC.  Certification means that the system has been designed by an accredited designer, installed by an accredited installer, and any borehole work has involved an accredited vertical loop installer.   For a system to be certified it must follow all guidelines within CSA Standard C-448-02, use ISO/CSA-approved equipment, and engage such best practices as delivering an ‘As-Is’ book to the project owner, clearly labelling all piping and valves, be verified and inspected as necessary to ensure the system is in compliance with all provincial regulations, etc.  Much of this is covered in initial training  

Vertical loop installers, system installers and designers are the three main components of the workforce in the geoexchange industry. Very often, those three functions will be performed by three different individuals, although it is not rare that one individual will carry forward two or even the three functions. For the CGC, it was important that the training program put in place reflects this market reality.  

Until the CGC training program was deployed, only basic introductory training was available. Ranging from half day to three days, none of those, either in Canada or in the United States had the scope or the depth to support a growing industry in a meaningful and sustainable manner. 

CGC has developed its courses as part of a national quality initiative.  This initiative is the CGC’s response to over four years of stakeholder requests to “raise the bar” in available training and in the consistency of quality of work delivered by geoexchange practitioners.   

The four new CGC courses – for system installers, loop installers, residential system designers, commercial system designers respectively – are part of the first national training and quality initiative based on Canadian climate, geology, and CSA Standards (C-448-02, principally).   

The course training materials are the product of over eighteen months of effort from CGC staff, with contributions from about fifty of the industry’s top professionals and critical ongoing support from the federal government.  The  courses have gone through six drafts before release and are thoroughly revised at least once a year. 

Financial assistance programs are put in place by utilities and government to help grow a renewable energy industry or increase energy efficiency. These programs are built around a variety of economic and performance criterias with the objective of transforming the markets. They are generally meant to reduce the energy bill of the customers while providing some form of economic value to energy distributor and governments. 

Over the years, those programs have been tightly connected to the availability of qualified work forces and reputable firms / companies. Despite efforts to run those programs as smoothly as possible, it takes no effort to document horror stories of customers being fooled by unscrupulous firms and serious companies being forced into bankruptcies because of aggressive marketing campaign by competitors more interested in selling subsidies than selling quality and reliable work. 

In the geoexchange industry, this happened in Europe in many countries during the 1970s. Unfortunately, no lessons were learned and it happened again in the 1980s. Every time subsidies were available, it seemed that the geoexchange industry would live a golden age. Every time subsidies disappeared, so did dozens of fly by night unqualified companies that left behind hundreds of poor installations. Every time this happens, the concerned technology goes into oblivion, only kept alive by a handful of serious companies who pick up the pieces and keep the industry alive until the next subsidy round. It happened in Canada in the early 1990s. And it happened in the United States as well. 

The goal of the Global Quality GeoExchange™ Program® is to ensure that fly by night companies will be kept out of the geoexchange industry. At the same time, those who are serious about their endeavour will be welcomed as well trained and accredited professionals working for trustable companies. To play with us, both companies and individuals have to show their professionals intents, before and during their participation in the program.  

Recognizing that some people may want to take CGC course only to acquire more technical knowledge about the geoexchange technology, anyone can take the CGC course.   

But remember that all provincial licensing & permit regulations must be respected in order to work in the field and receive the CGC accreditation.   

The CGC courses are about providing quality assurance to the consumer and about describing and delivering industry best practices when designing, installing vertical loops or installing geoexchange systems.  CGC members and partners understand that for the geoexchange industry to continue growing rapidly, consistently high quality of training and system design & installation is a top industry priority.   

Further, Canadian incentive programmes increasingly refer to and require Canadian training and accreditation as developed by the CGC. Several levels of government have examine the CGC training materials and accreditation mechanisms and have decided to refer to this new Canadian industry standard.   

Those already engaged in quality assurance measures – such as the well developed regional or national distributor - understand that provincial governments, banks, insurance companies, and international partners all desire to work with one national quality framework for Canada.

Taking the CGC course and supporting the CGC Global Quality GeoExchange™ Program® will in the longer term lead to higher quality and is therefore crucial to the long term growth of the industry. 

Given the variety of training initiatives available in the market and the wide variance in their content and quality control mechanism, the CGC has announced in December 2006 that in future it will only recognize other trainings which are harmonized with CGC training.  Several manufacturers and organisations have since expressed their desire to discuss and harmonize their training with CGC training. It is the responsibility of other organizations to inform their potential registrants of this policy. It is also the responsibility of those other organizations to contact the CGC to discuss partial or full harmonization.  

Recognizing that experienced and knowledgeable professionals have been successfully working in the industry, and that elements of currently available trainings have merit, CGC has developed training upgrade seminars for those who have successfully passed other installer trainings and/or have significant current experience in the field.  These upgrade seminars are developed/adapted as needed and on a case by case basis. 

Having equivalent training is the first step in earning CGC accreditation.  Therefore, those who have taken non-CGC courses before January 1st, 2007, and who want to become accredited, will need to take either the full CGC course or one of the upgrade seminars in their specialty – installation, drilling, or design.  All those seeking equivalency with CGC training must at a minimum take and pass the CGC examination. 

Please refer to Appendix A of this document for the CGC Training Equivalency Criteria. 

It is important for the CGC that the field work is performed by well trained professionals. A three day introductory training is not sufficient to be awarded an accreditation.  

To be awarded a CGC accreditation, vertical loop installers, system installers and residential designers have to prove they received the appropriate training (either CGC courses or recognised equivalencies) and also prove they have a positive field experience backed by customers references and manufacturers / distributors favourable recommendations.  

There has never been and there is currently no other geoexchange accreditation program anywhere in North America that has such diversified and high level training requirements while verifying the industry pertinent professional experience. If you are interested in becoming a CGC Accredited Vertical Loop Installer, a CGC Accredited System Installer or a CGC Accredited Residential Designer, please carefully read and fill-in the appropriate application form(s). 

Absolutely not.  Compulsory membership into an organization is not a guarantee of your professional qualifications. Compulsory membership in an association, particularly for professional accreditation purposes, can be seen as a form of market manipulation.   

Quality is in the entire industry’s interest, and CGC is about delivering value to the entire industry, not individual companies. 

Forcing members to join would not be about the value CGC provides in government relations, industry infrastructure and information for the public and members.   

To discuss why and how to become a CGC member, please call Ted Kantrowitz, at extension 34 or see our membership section.

The first step is to take appropriate CGC training course(s). Then you may fill-in an application form for the accreditation you are seeking.  

Those who are new in the business are required to work with their distributors and be supervised on their first drilling jobs, installations or designs.  

No accreditation will be awarded without this professional supervision done by a CGC accredited professional.     

Please see Appendix A for the CGC Installer Training Equivalency Criteria. 

Simple affiliation or accreditation with other national / international organization is deemed insufficient in Canada for the CGC Global Quality GeoExchange™ Program®. 

CGC training goes well beyond the basic introductory training for installers offered by other organizations. CGC offers extensive quality controlled training for vertical loop installaters, system installers as well as designers.

A CGC trained individual does not receive automatic installer accreditation. CGC accreditation is based on real life experience and verification of permits and licences authorizing an individual to perform professional work on a geoexchange system in the province / territory. 

CGC has published all the necessary forms as of this date. Please consult the accreditation forms for vertical loop installers, system installers and residential designers for specific prerequisites applicable for each professionals. 

Make sure you are on our emailing list and check our website regularly – www.geo-exchange.ca – to ensure you have the latest information and the most up-to-date application forms.  

Firms and companies, whether registered as individuals or sole proprietor, partnership or corporation are, in the normal course of a business transactions over a geoxechange system, the responsible legal entity that will provide the supervision of professional employees or subcontractors, warranties, quality assurance. They are also expected to carry professional liability insurance as well as a positive business practices record.  

Customers want their geoexchange system designed and installed by professionals. But they also want quality service, not for a month, not for a year, but for the next 10 and 20 years. They are looking for quality service which is unsurpassed in the industry.  

CGC Qualified firms / companies demonstrate they stand above the rest. They employ and sub-contract work to CGC Accredited professionals. They want a strong national geoexchange industry by providing customers the quality service they deserve.