Improving Utilization of Low Temperature Geothermal Resources with Augmentation

Abstract

Susanville, California, is a small community, of 7,000 people on the Eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains that has energetically and carefully planned full utilization of the low temperature geothermal resource that exists under the City. Under contract previously to the Department of Energy and now to the City of Susanville itself, the Aerojet Energy Conversion Company is designing a flexible multi-use augmented geothermal system for Susanville. The first module, under a DOE supported demonstration program, will heat 24 public building and the geothermal effluent will also be used by a Park of Commerce that will be developed with private financing. A parametric economic analyses was performed for the proposed Susanville system, comparing three alternatives, (1) a total geothermal system, (2) an augmented geothermal system, and (3) the mode of heating that now exists (full oil and propane). That analysis indicated an economic and operational advantage to the augmented geothermal system over the other options explored.