Wider benefits from ambient and low temperature geoheat. Why don’t we get it?

Abstract

Decarbonising NZ’s energy system is complex and costly, using local energy resources reduces the need for capacity in the interconnected energy delivery systems, with low temperature Geoheat providing an opportunity waiting to be harvested, being present across virtually all of the nation.
The broader Tauranga area has an expansive low temperature geothermal system that is currently used for heating pools, space and water heating, and irrigation, but has potential for so much more. The Mount Industrial area contains a number of large heat users, of which a number currently burn gas. The area has electrical network capacity constraints. Heat pumping can provide medium temperature process energy replacing gas in some applications.
New Zealand’s horticultural sector is transitioning from gas and coal. Work is underway to raise the awareness of using ambient and low temperature geothermal as a base energy source.
Commercial and residential heating and cooling networks can share subsurface infrastructure and resources, allowing more efficient energy use, lowering carbon footprints, and contributing to healthier work and living environments.
Ambient and low temperature local geothermal resources can contribute now to reducing system capacity growth required as part of NZ’s decarbonisation. The challenge is to “get it” and to understand what using these geothermal energy resources across the nation means for individual users, energy networks, the network capital required and for our nation overall.