Previewing the 2025 International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) Conference
Sally Stephens, IGSHPA’s marketing manager, talks about what makes this a must-attend event for the ground source heat pump industry
IGSHPA’s 2025 conference is right around the corner, March 11-13, in Champaign, Illinois. What can attendees expect?
As the premier conference for the ground source heat pump industry, the annual IGSHPA conference serves as a unique, multi-faceted event that focuses on professional development, training and education, and business growth opportunities for attendees. With eight topic tracks and more than 50 workshops, participants will hear from industry experts and peers based in the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere around the world. A topic of great interest, Thermal Energy Networks, will be the topic of a full day track on Wednesday, sponsored by Mission Geo.
These sessions will offer insights into new technology and innovations, lessons learned, best practices, policies and incentives, and much more. Information is tailored to professionals with decades of experience and those who are new to the industry.
We always hear from attendees that one of the most rewarding and beneficial aspects of the conference is the many ways they can network and share information with industry peers. This includes the awards dinner, which will recognize projects submitted by peers and feature Mike Richter, president of Brightcore Energy, as keynote speaker. There also will be a panel discussion where attendees can ask questions of representatives from ground source heat pump manufacturers. In addition, over 40 exhibitors will be on hand to talk with attendees.
The conference also will offer three tours at the University of Illinois. These include two ground source heat pump installation sites and a visit to The Energy Farm, a 320-acre living laboratory for field research and production. Registration and other information on the conference can be found here.
In addition to the annual conference, what are areas of focus for IGSHPA in 2025?
One of our biggest initiatives is a series of new training programs that we’ll roll out this summer. We revamped the curriculum for both the certified residential geothermal designer and commercial designer training programs. Industry experts were consulted to bolster the curriculum and update the content based on how the industry overall and technology specifically have evolved.
What types of memberships are available and what are the benefits of becoming a member of IGSHPA?
Individual, business, utility, and community memberships are available. A big draw for being a business member is being included in our online directory of companies that are engaged with geothermal in various capacities. We frequently get inquiries from specifiers, end users, and others wanting to know who they should contact about a geothermal project. Companies that aren’t in our directory may miss out on business opportunities.
Another benefit is being the first to know about training. We also offer member discounts for our training programs and conferences, as well as many ways to engage in networking and peer to peer information sharing and learning.