Low-Temperature Geothermal Power Generation with HVAC Hardware

Abstract

Demand is growing for affordable, domestic renewable energy sources, driven by global warming concerns, tighter emissions controls, ever-increasing fossil fuel costs, and a desire to be less dependent on energy sources in politically unstable areas of the world. Unstable infra-structure, and inconsistent and inefficient delivery are driving demand for reliable power. Geothermal power systems are one of the few renewable energy sources that can generate power at full capacity all the time, in contrast to solar, wind, and hydro, which are all subject to variations in availability of energy input (sun, wind, and water level). Geothermal energy is renewable because its source is the almost unlimited amount of heat generated by the Earth’s core. Even though geothermal power plants are dependent on an underground reservoir of hot water, the volume of hot water taken out of the earth can be reinjected, making it a renewable and sustainable energy source. (Source: US DOE Geothermal Technologies Program website). In addition, the cost of geothermal power is unaffected by oil prices, which have doubled in the past three years. Geothermal energy can be extracted without burning a fossil fuel such as coal, gas, or oil, making it a non-fossil fueled, zerocombustion, zero emission energy source.