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Yeah, I'm not sure large scale geothermal electrical production will ever be a thing outside some specialized locations like Iceland. I do think geothermal has
by theluketaylor 2y ago
Yeah, I'm not sure large scale geothermal electrical production will ever be a thing outside some specialized locations like Iceland.
I do think geothermal has a part to play, specifically for heating and cooling of neighbourhoods and multifamily developments. The construction has to move a ton of dirt anyway, so might as well install some ground loops while you're at it. If you're forced to drill due to site conditions, the load is lower than pure electricity generation meaning the wells are not that deep. For private homes it's far too expensive to be much more than a curiosity, but amortized across a whole new neighbourhood or collection of apartment buildings it's very affordable. Especially in northern climates accessing the consistent ground heat source/sink that allows you to run heat pumps at max efficiency all year is a huge win and is a huge amount of electricity you never need to generate in the first place.
- Reason077 2y ago> "I'm not sure large scale geothermal electrical production will ever be a thing outside some specialized locations like Iceland." You may be underestimating the extent of geothermal power production that already exists around the world. For example, California's Geysers[1] and Salton Sea[2] geothermal complexes are some of the largest in the world, generating more electricity than all of Iceland's geothermal power plants combined. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Geysers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Geysers [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Valley_Geothermal_Project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Valley_Geothermal_Pro...
- jandrewrogers 2y ago> outside some specialized locations like Iceland I think you underestimate the scale of geothermal available. The US is the largest geothermal power producer in the world though no one thinks of the US as that. Not coincidentally, it also sits on top of the largest high-quality geothermal basin in the world, essentially the entire Mountain West. The US barely taps these resources at all despite leading the world. Ironically, much of the pushback on developing these geothermal resources in the US comes from environmental activists.
- jbm 2y agoWhile I agree with you generally, the price I was given was $50k for geothermal heat pump all in. Considering my house has risen in value by 200k over the past 3 years and I intend on it being a permanent family home, it's really not out of the question, especially considering the potential increase in extreme heat events and the impacts on energy. I understand people see this as an underperforming investment but I instead see it as de-risking.