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Table of Contents
Introduction
Introduction
According to Britannica, "form of energy conversion in which heat energy from within Earth is captured and harnessed for cooking, bathing, space heating, electrical power generation, and other uses. "
"... Normally, heat extraction requires a fluid (or steam) to bring the energy to the surface. Locating and developing geothermal resources can be challenging. This is especially true for the high-temperature resources needed for generating electricity. Such resources are typically limited to parts of the world characterized by recent volcanic activity or located along plate boundaries or within crustal hot spots. Even though there is a continuous source of heat within Earth, the extraction rate of the heated fluids and steam can exceed the replenishment rate, and, thus, use of the resource must be managed sustainably."
Cost Comparison
Cost Comparison
Solar = $29/MWh
Onshore Wind = $30/MWh
Natural Gas = $37/MWh
Geothermal = $61-115/MWh
Nuclear = $100-$150/MWh
Petroleum Oil = $50 - $170/MWh
Types of Geothermal Energy Use
Types of Geothermal Energy Use
Electricity Production
Electricity Production
"In 2015, the total annual utilization of geothermal energy as heat was 163, 273 GWh, which is only 28% of the total installed geothermal heating capacity world-widei. A large portion of the world’s geothermal energy remains untapped. While geothermal energy is most efficiently harnessed as heat, it would see much wider usage if converted to electricity. The first experimental geothermal power plant was developed in Larderello, Italy and successfully generated electricity in 1904, and by 1911, the geothermal field had started commercial production.
The success sparked the commercial harnessing of geothermal energy as electricity, but adoption of geothermal electricity has been slow. At the end of 2019, only 24 countries shared a total worldwide installed capacity of 15,406 MWe. The United States, Indonesia, The Philippines, Turkey and New Zealand have the highest installed capacities, with more than 1,000 MWe in installed capacity each." - ERCE: Untapped Geothermal Energy
Ground Sourced or Geothermal Heat Pump
Ground Sourced or Geothermal Heat Pump
These are ideal for temperate climates, allowing for heating and cooling so long as there is a temperature difference between the source and the place being heated or cooled. These systems use around 1/4th of the energy needed to heat or cool with common furnaces or A/C units.
Click the High Efficiency Heat Pumps button to learn more about these pumps, then scroll down to find an installer near you, and find out if your government or other local groups offer grants, no-interest loans or other support to help lower your bills and ecological impact.
Natural Hot Springs
Natural Hot Springs
"Since Paleolithic times, geothermal energy has been used for bathing. People used natural hot springs for warmth and cleansing." Later the romans expanded their use of hotsping water from simply bathing in, to warming entire homes.
"Geothermal processes create heat and electricity that provide power and hot water to cities in Iceland, New Zealand, Italy and Northern California. As well as being used for energy sources, geothermal waters can also contain minerals and elements such as sulfur, gold, silver, and mercury that can be recovered and used." - U.S. National Park Service
Drawbacks of Geothermal
Drawbacks of Geothermal
High Initial Cost
High Initial Cost
30-57% of the cost of establishing a geothermal plant is in the drilling process to access deep enough to tap into the planet's hotter depths.
Location Dependency
Location Dependency
Much like coastal wind and hydropower, geothermal is highly location dependent. Faultline with a reduced distance between the planet's surface and magma is critical to building successful geothermal plants.
Geothermal Can Be Dangerous
Geothermal Can Be Dangerous
"Boiling pools can cause thermal burns and even death. Concentrations of toxic chemicals (like mercury and arsenic) and toxic or asphyxiant gases (hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide) are also hazardous. Some systems may also have the potential for hydrothermal eruptions. Using geothermal wells can also have associated risks." - Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana: Geothermal Hazards
Land Subsidence
Land Subsidence
"Subsidence can be induced by large-scale production of geothermal systems. The rock formations at depth are dewatered and the pores collapse. This was a significant issue in the early production days. Lessons learnt from this and reinjection regimes have decreased the occurrence of wide spread subsidence today." - Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana: Geothermal Hazards
Can Trigger Earthquakes
Can Trigger Earthquakes
Can Release Harmful Gases
Can Release Harmful Gases
These can include hydrogen sulfide which is toxic, corrosive, and flammable. Carbon dioxide can also be released, which is both toxic and a greenhouse gas.
Solutions
Solutions
Follow Best Practices for Safety
Follow Best Practices for Safety
"There are three types of geothermal wells that are used including production and injection wells, and down-hole heat exchangers. Any geothermal well can create health and safety risks. Building geothermal wells to best practice standards and keeping them in good condition keeps people safe.
To find out more about your responsibilities for managing your geothermal well, and how to keep your well safe, read the Keeping your geothermal well fit for purpose and safe (PDF 93.81KB) fact sheet.
Well casings can also deteriorate over time. To find out more about casing integrity testing, read the Geothermal Casing Integrity Factsheet. (PDF 1.38MB)"
Drilling with Millimeter Wave Technology
Drilling with Millimeter Wave Technology
In addition to bringing down drilling costs, the high temperatures of this drilling technology turn the bore walls of the drilled hole into a glassy coating via vitrification. This seals the walls, preventing collapse or leakage. Creating deeper, sturdier shafts without the need for drilling mud.
Being able to drill into superhot rock may help the geothermal industry lower costs by 50%, resulting in costs lower than wind or solar.
Resources
Resources
Maps & Trackers
Maps & Trackers
Methane Maps
Methane Maps
Although geothermal energy sources only produce a small amount of methane, some of these sites may be visible in several of the maps and trackers listed on the Methane Maps page.
International
International
The Global Geothermal Power Tracker (GGPT) (Interactive) is a worldwide dataset of geothermal power facilities. A geothermal power plant can be composed of several units, or just a single unit. Units can consist of multiple turbines, constructed at different times and several units may make up one geothermal power station. The GGPT includes geothermal power plant units with capacities of 30 megawatts (MW) or more, and catalogs every geothermal power plant unit at this capacity threshold of any status, including operating, announced, pre-construction, under construction, shelved, cancelled, mothballed, or retired. Various types of geothermal plant technologies are tracked in the dataset, including flash steam, dry steam, binary cycle, and others. Each geothermal plant included in the tracker is linked to a wiki page on the GEM wiki."
The Global Integrated Power Tracker (GIPT) (Interactive) is a multi-sector dataset of power stations and facilities worldwide. The tracker provides unit-level information on thermal power (coal, oil, gas, nuclear, geothermal, bioenergy) and renewables (solar, wind, hydro). The tracker includes data on unit capacity, status, ownership, fuel type, start year, retirement date, geolocation, and more. Each power facility is linked to a profile page, hosted on GEM.wiki, that provides further information.
Global Energy Monitor’s eight power sector trackers provide the source of underlying data: the Global Coal Plant Tracker, Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker, Global Solar Power Tracker, Global Wind Power Tracker, Global Hydropower Tracker, Global Geothermal Power Tracker, Global Bioenergy Power Tracker, Global Nuclear Power Tracker."
Think Geoenergy: Plant Map (Interactive)
Grants & Funding
Grants & Funding
North America
North America
USA
USA
The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) Program "provides $5 billion in grants to states, local governments, tribes, and territories to develop and implement ambitious plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution. Authorized under Section 60114 of the Inflation Reduction Act, this two-phase program provides $250 million for noncompetitive planning grants, and approximately $4.6 billion for competitive implementation grants."
Companies
Companies
Quaise Energy "Our gyrotron-powered drilling platform vaporizes boreholes through rock and provides access to deep geothermal heat without complex downhole equipment.
Based on breakthrough fusion research and well-established drilling practices, we are developing a radical new approach to ultra-deep drilling. First, we use conventional rotary drilling to get to basement rock. Then, we switch to high-power millimeter waves to reach unprecedented depths."
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