Geothermal Heating Shows Improved Potential As Capacity Increases

There is great potential for geothermal heating as a clean energy source; however it still appears to be unrealized. Industrial development of large scale Geothermal heating appears to be increasingly supported by global financial markets. An increasing number of countries, including China, Japan, Germany, Italy, Iceland and the US, are assisting in the progress of geothermal development activities around the world. Support is provided in the form of financing, training, sharing of technologies, and geological surveys.

The technology has been around for more than 60 years, but has yet to gain full traction, although it has been proven to be efficient. Heat pumps are the most important components of the geo-exchange system. They are responsible for transferring heat from hot areas to colder areas. In the winter the region about 10 meters below earth`s surface is usually warmer than the ground, and heat is transferred through ethanol filled coils that are buried underground, to heat sinks in the building where they can be used for heating water or other purposes. In the summer the system works in reverse and heat is transferred from the buildings to the ground surfaces.

The increase in geothermal heating projects that are currently being considered or are being developed is in part attributable to the multi-lateral and international support received in new areas. The important question is whether support will continue. In regions such as East Africa, resources for geothermal heating is readily abundant, and support for assessing the feasibility of the resources has helped to develop interest in several other countries. But, there are associated risks and higher costs associate with new projects. Sustained support is needed at the crucial stages of development.

Some electricity is needed to operate a geo-exchange system, but, in the instances of heat transfer, more than 60% of the heat supplied comes from the earth`s surface. This is the main reason why the most effective ground heat exchange systems are almost 50 per cent more productive than natural gas furnaces and greater than 75 per cent better than oil furnaces.

Development appears to be moving faster with hydrothermal reserves that are available along the Ring of Fire. A growing group of European countries are actively enacting new policies to spur the development at the consumer and local levels. In countries such as France, Latvia, Germany and the UK, there are rebate programmes available for the installation of geo-thermal systems.

As a renewable energy source, ground-source-heating can help protect the environment, as less fossil fuel is consumed. The carbon footprint left by maintaining and operating both commercial and residential buildings is greatly reduced. These systems can save homeowners up to 70 per cent in heating costs and they can also save up to 50% in cooling costs when they are used as exchangers in warmer climates. The American Environmental Protection Agency classifies geothermal energy as representing an underused and enormous energy source of power that provides renewable energy in a clean and virtually unlimited supply.

It is now up to industry, and perhaps government or the private sector to pursue development of the potential.