Deep direct-use (DDU) systems are an emerging renewable energy technology that uses lower temperature deep geothermal resources to directly heat and cool facilities. The Energy Department recently supported six (6) R&D projects led by the private sector, universities and national labs to pursue feasibility studies of large-scale DDU systems. This study presents a techno-economic evaluation of DDU awardee data using the GEOPHIRES tool, which combines resource models with cost correlations and levelized cost models to estimate the capital and operation and maintenance costs, instantaneous and lifetime energy production (in MWth), and overall levelized cost of energy for geothermal direct use applications.
Amanda Kolker,Geothermal Analyst,National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Koenraad Beckers,Co-Founder & Managing Partner,Heateon