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Suburbia game missing pieces5/15/2023 Now, new technologies can bring missing components to areas that do not have them naturally and can enable geothermal on a community or household scale, opening the door for geothermal everywhere. But you can use some type of geothermal technology anywhere in the world, and you can often bring the water and pathways to the site.” “You see this in places like California, Nevada, Iceland, New Zealand, and Japan. “Having all three things present - water, heat, and flow paths - is rare,” said Koenraad Beckers, an NREL thermal sciences researcher. Hydrothermal resources, which naturally have everything needed for large-scale geothermal power - namely heat, water, and pathways for the water to move - are what many people think of when they think “geothermal.” These types of power plants have been providing clean energy for more than a century, but only certain locations are ideal. “We can use 55☏ groundwater to heat and cool bus terminals, college campuses, and even whole towns.” “It doesn’t have to be this amazing, dramatic volcano,” said Whitney Trainor-Guitton, NREL geoscience researcher. Geothermal power plants can run off temperatures ranging from just 250° to 700☏ heat can be used directly from temperatures ranging from 100° to 300☏ for space heating, industrial, and agricultural uses and the consistent 50°–60☏ found only 10 feet underground can heat and cool buildings and communities of all sizes. Luckily, we do not need to get to those 9,000☏ temperatures to tap into geothermal energy. If you were to journey to the center of the Earth, you would find it is as hot as the surface of the sun. It can play a big role in the energy transition by providing reliable, 24/7 clean energy, and it can do so much more than people think.” “Earth’s heat is always available it doesn’t go away when the sun goes down. “The Earth itself is a renewable energy source,” Kolker said. (Photo by Joe DelNero / NREL)įrom improving geothermal resource identification to advancing drilling techniques to expanding emerging technologies, read on to see how researchers at NREL are discovering how geothermal can use the planet to save the planet. 24, 2023, showcasing the laboratory’s geothermal research portfolio to more than 50 leaders in attendance.įebru– The Honorable Governor Jared Polis visited and toured the National Renewable Energy Laboratory as a part of the Western Governors Association’s meeting at NREL’s campus. As part of this Western Governors’ Association initiative, NREL provided technical assistance for the project and hosted an event on Feb. Jared Polis recently launched “ The Heat Beneath Our Feet” initiative to encourage renewable geothermal energy generation in Colorado and other western states. And investors and leaders across both the public and private sectors are moving full steam ahead with geothermal.Ĭolorado Gov. With the ability to provide electricity, heating, cooling, and storage - plus the potential to access critical minerals, capture and sequester carbon, produce green hydrogen, and more - the natural heat of the Earth is a powerhouse ready to be tapped. “The Earth itself has the potential to address a variety of hurdles in the transition to a clean energy future.” “Geothermal is a triple resource: an energy source for heating, cooling, and power a storage resource and a mineral resource,” said Amanda Kolker, geothermal laboratory program manager at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). While geothermal power plants have delivered renewable power for more than 100 years, recent research and advancements have shown that geothermal is more than a 24/7 clean power source. Geothermal energy - literally “heat from the Earth” - may be hard to see, but thanks to increasing public interest and outreach it is not hidden anymore. Geothermal energy has the potential to assist with many aspects of the transition to a clean energy economy, including energy storage, mineral extraction, and more.
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