Renewable Energy Systems – Geothermal

Renewable Energy Systems – Geothermal
March 26, 2024 Sabine Schoenberg

Renewable Energy Systems – Geothermal is one of the proven renewable energy systems available to consumers in industrial countries around the globe. They offer clear financial and environmental benefits. What is geothermal? It’s YOUR ticket to energy independence. If you desire reliable, upgraded, environmental, and way more sustainable living, with federal and often state tax incentives to boot, geothermal is for you.

Geothermal and Lifestyle Upgrades

Geothermal Energy systems may not be as well-known in the United States, this technology has been used for years in Scandinavian countries and throughout Western Europe.  Today, heating and cooling in Iceland is 99% run by geothermal systems. Island officials speak of a tremendous upgrades of the standard of living in Iceland:

“During the 20th century, Iceland went from what was one of Europe’s poorest countries, dependent upon peat and imported coal for its energy, to a country with a high standard of living where practically all stationary energy is derived from renewable resources. In 2014, roughly 85% of primary energy use in Iceland came from indigenous renewable resources.  66% was from geothermal.”

Why not create upgrades to the standard of living across the United States of America? Today’s geothermal technology brings down the energy cost of households. It can and should be used in the US for a similar lifestyle effects.

Geothermal Technology Today

In the quest for sustainable energy sources, scientists and engineers continually explore innovative solutions to

(1)Reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and

(2) mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Geothermal technology harnesses the heat stored beneath the Earth’s surface to generate electricity. This in turn provides heating and cooling for residential, commercial, and industrial applications. Today’s precision drilling equipment makes it possible even in the most complicated utility structures like underneath New York City buildings. Check out Brightcore to see just what is possible today. They installed geothermal heat pump systems in iconic structures like Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC, for example. Just image the extensive infrastructure in Midtown Manhattan buildings – subway tunnels, water tunnels, large and small, water supply lines, electrical lines +++.

Geothermal heat pumps utilize the relatively constant temperature of the Earth to heat and cool buildings. During winter, the pumps extract heat from the ground and transfer it indoors, while in summer, they remove heat from buildings and transfer it back into the ground. This process is highly efficient.  It can significantly reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling compared to traditional HVAC systems.

Today, there are geothermal installers with drilling rigs that capture the “crud” that comes out of the drilling channels.  In other words even in fully developed yards, these rigs allow for a geothermal energy systems installation with minimal collateral property damage.

Geothermal – Reliability And Environmental Benefits

One of the most significant advantages of geothermal technology is its reliability and consistency. Unlike solar and wind power, which are intermittent and dependent on weather conditions, geothermal energy provides a stable baseload power supply. Geothermal power plants operate continuously, with minimal fluctuations in output, making them ideal for meeting the energy demands of both urban and remote areas. Simply put, renewable Energy Systems – Geothermal is one of the proven renewable energy systems.

Moreover, geothermal energy is environmentally friendly. The process emits minimal greenhouse gases and pollutants compared to fossil fuel-based power generation. The ideal situation is to twin geothermal with solar panels for so-called start-up loads. By displacing coal, oil, and natural gas-fired power plants, geothermal technology helps reduce air pollution and mitigate climate change. It’s also worth noting that geothermal reservoirs have a long lifespan. Count on sustainably producing energy for decades without depletion, unlike finite fossil fuel reserves.

Geothermal – Large Scale Applications

Large municipal and commercial installations will have the largest positive environmental and fiscal impact. In the Town of Greenwich, CT, 58% of the entire town’s energy consumption comes from school buildings. Building upgrades present opportunities to save millions of dollars in operating costs going forward when geothermal energy systems are installed.

Engineering firm Thorton Tomasetti, detailed the costs of old chiller systems, geothermal, and geothermal with solar installations – the clear winner: geothermal with solar.  The facts, as also born out by other geothermal school installations in CT are clear: Significant tax incentives from IRA and other State and unitily tax incentives even the score. FACT!

Today, capital costs of geothermal systems are at par with outdated gas chiller installations. Most noteworthy:  Geothermal/ solar wins in all operational expense categories even in cold areas like Minnesota. Given these facts, you must have a dinosaur mindset to cling to dinosaur gas chiller technology and ignore today’s proven technologies.

Check out tax incentives in your state.  Combine them with the Federal IRA incentives and add the significant operating benefits even at today’s fossil fuel prices – you will want to switch your home and property to renewable energy systems ASAP – geothermal in combination with solar. It’s a winner – it’s that simple.

Image: Dana Andreea Gheorgh