Abstract
As of 2021, there are 23 geothermal district heating (GDH) systems in the United States. Most are over 30 years old. This paper presents an overview of GDH development in the United States and the performance of GDH systems over time. Calculations of the estimated levelized cost of heat (LCOH) for existing U.S. GDH systems were made using NREL's GEOPHIRES tool. Estimated LCOH for existing U.S. GDH systems ranges from $15 to $105/MWhth. This paper explores other factors in GDH development such as resource and system size, capacity factor, and the role of policy. U.S. GDH utilization and deployment are compared to worldwide trends. Results show that the market for GDH in the United States has been weak over the past 40 years due to the combination of inexpensive fossil fuel alternatives (mostly natural gas), lack of incentives focused on heating/cooling, and other factors. Future opportunities for increased GDH deployment in the United States related to increased demand for low-carbon heating and cooling solutions (driven by decarbonization goals in the residential, commercial and industrial heating/cooling sectors, and particularly aggressive ones on college campuses) are outlined. Lastly, this paper identifies policy mechanisms that have been implemented in other countries to incentivize GDH (such as financial incentives targeting GDH, geothermal risk reduction mechanisms, carbon prices benefiting low-carbon heat production, and others).
Original language | American English |
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Pages | 442-464 |
Number of pages | 23 |
State | Published - 2021 |
Event | 2021 Geothermal Rising Conference: Using the Earth to Save the Earth, GRC 2021 - San Diego, United States Duration: 3 Oct 2021 → 6 Oct 2021 |
Conference
Conference | 2021 Geothermal Rising Conference: Using the Earth to Save the Earth, GRC 2021 |
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Country/Territory | United States |
City | San Diego |
Period | 3/10/21 → 6/10/21 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:Copyright © 2021 Geothermal Rising.
NREL Publication Number
- NREL/CP-5700-80363
Keywords
- Geothermal district heating
- Geothermal energy
- Geothermal energy policy
- Geothermal risk mitigation
- LCOH
- Levelized cost of heating