Geothermal power is one of the most effective ways to produce electricity and heat for your home if you are looking at alternative energy sources for it. Although geothermal energy has been used for centuries to provide heat, it has only lately become an effective way to heat a house or even an entire neighborhood. How efficient is geothermal energy? Here are the results.
Geothermal Efficiency
Capacity Factor
The capacity factor is frequently used to determine an electrical power plant’s overall efficiency in order to gain a better understanding of how well the plant runs. The amount of electricity that is actually produced in a given time period in relation to the maximum, ideal amount that could be produced in that time is known as a power plant’s capacity factor. Being a quantity that is simple to measure, it is a useful way to compare various power plant types. The calculation for determining a capacity factor would be set up with the measured value of power output in megaWatt hours as the numerator of the ratio and the number of days the measurement was taken over multiplied by a conversion factor to convert days to hours multiplied by the power plant’s maximum capacity as the denominator. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, geothermal power plants have capacity factors of roughly 73%. It is clear that geothermal power plants have the potential to be more efficient than conventionally fueled power plants when compared to a coal-fired power plant, whose capacity factor typically averages around 60%, or a natural gas plant, whose capacity factor is at 45%. The plant operates more closely to its ideal, peak level of performance when the capacity factor is higher.
Transmission Losses
The issue of transmission losses, which includes the electrical energy lost when it must travel through power lines, is another factor to be taken into account for the effectiveness of geothermal power plants. Losses vary according to the amount of current flowing through the wires, their length, and, consequently, the distance between the power plant and the buildings it powers. Due to the relatively small area of the United States where geothermal energy can be used to adequately fuel a power plant, transmission losses have grown to be a significant problem. The issue of transmission losses is being addressed in the US. To better handle the higher voltage that a geothermal plant can produce, new, improved power lines are being installed. The power plants involved will become more efficient as a result of these lines’ anticipated significant reduction in transmission losses.
More Affordable Than Ever
With today’s advancements in geothermal technology, the overall cost of installing and maintaining geothermal power can be comparable to that of even the cheapest fossil fuels, like coal, with significantly fewer negative environmental effects. Consider these geothermal facts:
- The average life span of a geothermal heating system is 22 years according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), GeoExchange
- Geothermal heating systems are the most energy efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective space conditioning systems available (source: Space Conditioning: The Next Frontier””)
- Geothermal installation cots are generally recouped in three to seven years
- A geothermal heat pump has a four to five times higher fuel conversion efficiency than a gas furnace.
Energy Costs Compared
How does geothermal energy compare in dollars and cents to conventional forms of energy? A common practice when comparing the cost effectiveness of power and heating is to compare the cost to generate one million BTU’s:
- Fuel Oil – $30.21 per 1,000,000 BTU
- Propane – $29.73 per 1,000,000 BTU
- Cost of natural gas: $15.48 per 1,000,000 BTU
- Geothermal Heating Pump: $670 per 1,000,000 BTU
Flexibility
Geothermal systems can provide any combination of forced-air heating, radiant in-floor heating, domestic hot water, and air conditioning all from the same unit. Geothermal systems can be created to offer effective heating and cooling solutions for everything from homes to offices to community pools. In comparison to conventional HVAC systems, geothermal systems take up only a third of the space.
Quieter Operation & Better Aesthetics
Neither outside air conditioning equipment nor chimney. Instead of a bulky, unsightly outside condensing unit, which a traditional air conditioner needs, the small, self-contained equipment inside can function effectively. The quiet, covert operation of geothermal heat pumps. Even though you won’t even notice them, you will see a difference in your energy costs.
Healthy Indoor Air Quality
Reduces the need for carbon monoxide detectors in newly constructed homes and costs associated with them (since nothing is burned). Eliminates the need for exterior wall venting, improving building envelope weather tightness
Environmentally Responsible, Green Technology
Geothermal systems are an example of environmentally friendly, green technology since they completely eliminate the need to generate electricity on-site and drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and environmental harm from the mining of nonrenewable resources.
Comfort
Geothermal systems employ the earth’s relatively constant temperature as a source of energy. You can count on steady, even heating in the winter and superior humidity management in the summer thanks to a single system that takes care of both your heating and air conditioning needs. By minimizing the number of penetrations in the building envelope and doing away with the requirement for exhaust venting, they improve weather tightness.
Types of Geothermal Power Systems
Three main varieties of geothermal heating systems are frequently available. The use of each is determined by the requirements of your home and the available environmental resources (i.e. It is possible to pump hot water directly into a heating system in areas with hot springs. Earth tubes and downhole heat exchangers are used to collect heat in dry areas.):
- Open Loop Heat Pump System – The earliest geothermal system, this one transports water to the heat pump by pumping it from a well. To serve as an injection well, it needs a body of surface water, like a lake, river, or pond.
- Horizontal Closed Loop Heat Pump System – The most typical residential system’s ability to save space makes it a viable option for homes without access to land or surface water.
- Lake Loop Heat Pump System – a fantastic option for people who live close to a large body of water.