Geothermal Energy Potential - Nevada › PDFs › Final_Nevada.pdf · Heat Pumps Discover the geothermal heat pump potential in your state. Geothermal energy is heat from the Earth

Geothermal Energy Potential State of Nevada

Discover the geothermal power generation potential in your state.

PowerGenera*onGeothermalenergyisheatfromtheEarth.It'scleanandsustainable.Resourcesofgeothermalenergyrangefromtheshallowgroundtosteam,hotwater,andhotrockaccessedbydrillingwellsuptothousandsoffeetbeneaththeEarth'ssurface.TheextremelyhightemperaturesinthedeepergeothermalreservoirsareusedforthegeneraAonofelectricity.Mostpowerplantsusesteamtogenerateelectricity.Thehigh-pressuresteamspinsaturbinethatrotatesagenerator,producingelectricity.ThelargestsourceofcarbonemissionsintheU.S.arethemanypowerplantssAllburningfossilfuelstoboilwaterforsteam.Geothermalpowerplants,however,donotburnfuelstoheatwatertosteam.Instead,theyusenaturalheatfoundbelowtheEarth'ssurfacetogenerateelectricity.Newgeothermalpowerplantsproducenear-zeroCO2andemitveryliKleairpolluAon.Andunlikesolarorwindenergy,geothermalenergyisavailablearoundtheclock.

BENEFITS

Jobs Boost. Geothermal power plants employ about 1.17 persons per MW. Adding related governmental, administrative, and technical jobs, the number increases to 2.13. Economy Boost. Over the course of 30 to 50 years an average 20 MW facility will pay nearly $6.3 to $11 million dollars in property taxes plus $12 to $22 million in annual royalties. Seventy-five percent of these royalties ($9.2 to $16.6M) go directly back to the state and county. Locally Produced. Geothermal power can offset electricity currently imported into the state, keeping jobs and benefits in state and local communities. Near-Zero Carbon Emissions. Geothermal flash plants emit about 5% of the carbon dioxide, 1% of the sulfur dioxide, and less than 1% of the nitrous oxide emitted by a coal-fired plant of equal size, and binary geothermal plants – the most common – produce near-zero emissions. Small Footprint. Geothermal has among the smallest surface land footprint per kilowatt (kW) of any power generation technology. Reliable. Geothermal power can provide consistent electricity throughout the day and year - continuous baseload power and flexible power to support the needs of variable renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar. Sustainable Investment. Energy resource decisions made now for sources of electric power have 40-50 year consequences, or longer. Using renewables like geothermal resources avoids "price spikes" inherent in fossil fuel resource markets. Geothermal energy is an investment in stable, predictable costs. Investing in geothermal power now pays off for decades to come.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory 15013 Denver West Parkway Golden, CO 80401 303-275-3000 + www.nrel.gov NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC. NREL/AA-AA00-00000 • Month 2015 NREL prints on paper that contains recycled content

Locally produced power: In-state electricity production

TotalannualpowerconsumpAoninNevadain2013was90,000GWh.GeothermalpotenAalinthestateisasmuchas40,000GWh–45%ofthestate’spowerconsumpAon,providingreliablebaseloadpower.

Reliable, baseload power: 5,755 MWe of geothermal potential

GeothermalPotenAal:

45%CurrentNevadaElectricityProduc*on

Water use reduction

GeothermalpowerhassubstanAallylowerlife-cyclewaterconsumpAonthanothertypesofbaseloadgeneraAon.

GeothermalPowerRepresentsSignificantWaterSavings

Nevada’smostpromisingGeothermalResourceAreas

Geothermal plants can operate for many decades providing stable jobs to local communi8es and revenue to state and municipal treasuries.

DevelopingtheavailablegeothermalresourcescancreatetemporaryandpermanentjobsandrevenuestreamsinNevada.

Job Creation: Construc*on:18,000person-yearsOpera*on:6,000full-Amejobs

Geothermal Energy Association http://www.geo-energy.org Geothermal Resources Council http://www.geothermal.org Geothermal Exchange Organization http://www.geoexchange.org Nevada State Geologist James Faulds Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy (775) 682-6650 [email protected]

Nevada Geothermal Power Benefits

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NotableGeothermalProjectsinNevada

•  Steamboat,WashoeCounty•  SAllwater,ChurchillCounty•  Tuscarora,ElkoCounty•  SanEmidio,WashoeCounty•  DonA.CampbellFacility,MineralCounty

•  McGinnessHills,LanderCounty

Policies&Incen*vesFederalandstatepoliciesandincenAveshelpedcatapultrenewableenergytechnologies,suchaswindandsolar,intothebilliondollarindustriestheyaretoday.

StateincenAveprogramsthathelpdevelopersreduceupfrontriskandsecurepowerpurchaseagreementscanhelptoincenAvizegeothermalpowerdevelopmentinthestate.

Coal

NaturalGas

Hydro

Geothermal

OtherRenewables

January2016

Calcula5onsinthisflyerwerebasedontheUSGS2008ResourceAssessment.Sourcesforotherinforma5oninthisflyercanbeobtainedbycontac5ngtheGeothermalEnergyAssocia5on.

OpportunityforDevelopment

SitewithInstalledElectricalCapacity


DirectUse BENEFITSJobsBoost.Direct-usegeothermalenergyprojectsleverageexisAngworkforcesandcompanieswithinthestate.TheirsimpledesignandconstrucAonfromoff-the-shelfpartscanuAlizelocalengineeringfirms,geologists,drillingoperators,construcAontrades,pipefiKers,technicians,andwelders.AroughpredicAonofpotenAaljobopportuniAescreatedbyinstallingdirect-usesystemsmaybe3temporaryjobsperMWthduringconstrucAon,with1full-AmejobperMWthforongoingoperaAon. EconomyBoost.GeothermalheatedfaciliAeshavethepotenAaltosAmulateeconomiesthroughincreasedtaxrevenues,thecreaAonofnewbusinessesandlocaljobs,tourism,agriculture,andenhancedcommunityinvolvement. LocallyProduced.DirectlyusinggeothermalenergyinhomesandcommercialoperaAons,suchasfoodproducAonfromlocalagriculture,canoffsetimportedenergy,keepingjobs,dollars,andotherbenefitsinlocalcommuniAes. CarbonEmissionReduc*on.Geothermaldirect-useprojectsproducenear-zeroemissions.DependingontheexisAngheaAngfuelsbeingoffset,thismayresultinannualemissionsreducAonsofanywherebetween1,700tons(ifoffsedngnaturalgas)to9,300tons(ifoffsedngelectricity)ofCO2savedperMWthofinstalledgeothermaldirect-usecapacity. FlexibleHea*ngSystems.ApplicaAonsofgeothermaldirectusemayincludedistrictheaAng,snowmelAng,spasandpools,agriculture,foodprocessing,andotheruses.WithinasinglesystemthesediverseapplicaAonscanbe“cascaded”andworktogetherinthemostefficientwaypossibletoensurethemaximumbenefitandlowestcostspossiblefromdirect-usesystems.ReliableandSustainableHeatSource.GeothermalheaAngprojectslastfordecades—typically25yearsormore—providingreliableenergyatalow,stableprice.Thiscanprovidepricecertaintyandinsulateconsumers(andtheeconomy)fromojenunpredictablefluctuaAonsinfossilfuelprices.

Discover the geothermal direct-use potential in your state.

GeothermalenergyisheatfromtheEarth.It'scleanandsustainable.ResourcesofgeothermalenergyrangefromtheshallowgroundtohotwaterandhotrockaccessedbydrillingwellsuptothousandsoffeetbeneaththeEarth'ssurface.ThehoKestreservoirsareusedtoproduceelectricity,andthemorecommonmoderatelyhotreservoirsareareadysourceofnaturalheat,withoutburningfossilfuels.Direct,ornon-electric,useofgeothermalenergyreferstotheuseoftheenergyforbothheaAngandcoolingapplicaAons.Fluidswithtemperaturesof<300°F,adequatefordirectuse,areavailablethroughoutmuchoftheUnitedStates.DirectuseofgeothermalenergyinhomesandcommercialoperaAonsismuchlessexpensivethanusingtradiAonalfuels;savingscanbeasmuchas80%!Furthermore,direct-useapplicaAonssuchasfishfarms,greenhouses,microbreweries,fruitandvegetabledrying,spas,pulpandpaperprocessing,andlumberdryingofferaKracAveandinnovaAveopportuniAesforlocalbusinessesandentrepreneurs.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory 15013 Denver West Parkway Golden, CO 80401 303-275-3000 + www.nrel.gov NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC. NREL/AA-AA00-00000 • Month 2015 NREL prints on paper that contains recycled content

Carbon emissions reduction: 4.1 million metric tons (MMtCO2)


StateincenAveprogramsthathelpdevelopersreduceupfrontriskcanhelptoincenAvizegeothermaldirect-usedevelopmentinthestate.

Reliable, stable heat: 70 trillion BTU

Locally produced energy

GeothermalDirect-UseProjectsinNevadaThecityofElkohastwogeothermaldistrictheaAngsystemsinplace.Alarge,privately-ownedsystemonthewestsideoftownprovidesspaceheaAngandhotwatertoresidenAal,commercialandmunicipalbuildingssuchasthesheriff’sofficeandtheoldpostoffice.Asmallersystem,ownedbyElkoCountySchoolDistrict,providesspaceheaAngtoseveralmunicipalbuildingsandheatsthemunicipalpool.

ThetotalesAmatedannualheatconsumpAoninNevadais85TrillionBTU.Developingthehydrothermaldirect-useresourcesinNevada–asmuchas70TrillionBTU-couldsupplythree-fourthsofNevada’sheaAngneedswithclean,renewablegeothermalheat.

Nevada’sCO2emissionsfromheaAngarenearly5.1MMtCO2peryear.Developinggeothermaldirectuseinthestatecanreduceemissionbyasmuchas4.1MMtCO2peryear,whileprovidingreliableenergyatalow,stableprice.

Low-temperaturehydrothermalpotenAalexiststhroughoutmostofthestateofNevadawithseveralhundredlocaAonsidenAfiedbytheUSGSashavingpotenAalfordevelopment.

Direct-UseHydrothermalSitesinNevada

Nevada Geothermal Direct Use Benefits


CurrentNevadaHea*ngFuelMix

GeothermalPotenAal:

81%

ElkoPostOfficePhoto:WikimediaCommons

ElectricityNaturalGasPropaneDistrictHeaAngFuelOil/DieselOtherCoal

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January2016Calcula5onsinthisflyerwerebasedontheUSGSResourceAssessment.Sourcesforotherinforma5oninthisflyercanbeobtainedbycontac5ngtheGeothermalEnergyAssocia5on.


HeatPumps

Discover the geothermal heat pump potential in your state.

GeothermalenergyisheatfromtheEarth.It'scleanandsustainable.ResourcesofgeothermalenergyrangefromtheshallowgroundtohotwaterandhotrockaccessedbydrillingwellsuptothousandsoffeetbeneaththeEarth'ssurface.GeothermalheatpumpsusethenaturalinsulaAngproperAesoftheearthfromjustafewfeetundergroundtoasmuchasseveralhundredfeetdeep,offeringauniqueandhighlyefficientrenewableenergytechnologyforheaAngandcooling.

MostworkbycirculaAngwaterinaclosedsystemthrougha“loopfield”installedhorizontallyorverAcallyinthegroundadjacenttoorevenbeneathabuilding.Heatistakenfromthebuildingandtransferredtothegroundinthesummer.Thesystemisreversible,andheatistakenfromthegroundandusedinthebuildinginthewinter.Thesystemonlymovesheat,whichismuchmoreefficientthanusingafuelorelectricitytocreateheat.

GeothermalheatpumpscansupportspaceheaAngandcoolingneedsinalmostanypartofthecountry.

BENEFITS Economic. On average, a typical home of 2000 square feet will require 4 tons of heating and cooling capacity with an average system installation cost between $5,000 and $7,500 per ton. Energy Efficient. Geothermal heat pumps use 25% to 50% less energy than conventional heating or cooling systems. Carbon Emissions Reduction. One ton (12,000 BTU/hr) of GHP capacity over a 20 year operating cycle avoids 21 metric tons of CO2 emissions. So a typical home system can avoid 80-100 metric tons of CO2 emissions. Improved Indoor Air Quality & Safety. There is no combustion in a geothermal heat pump; therefore there is no chance of carbon-monoxide poisoning. By adding high-efficiency air cleaners with geothermal, these systems can improve inside air quality. Locally Produced. Everywhere. Unlike other geothermal technologies, heat pumps are not limited by geography or geology. They can be installed in most locations in any of the 50 states or territories of the U.S. Sustainable Investment. The lifespan of a geothermal system is usually greater than 24 years. A conventional furnace will last 7-10 years with regular maintenance. The ground loop of the geothermal system has a warranty of 50 years. These loops are made up of high-density polyethylene pipe, the same pipe which is used in city gas lines. Quiet Operation. Unlike air conditioners, there is no outdoor unit. Geothermal units are very smooth and quiet in operation.


StatescanusetaxincenAves,includingpropertyandsalestaxincenAves,andtaxcreditstoprovideanincrementalmoAvaAonforgeothermaldevelopment.

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PercentagereducAonofCO2emissionsfromageothermalheatpump(GHP)retrofitforatypicalhomeintheWesternUnitedStates.Forexample,aretrofidngafueloilfurnacewithaGHPsystemwillreduceCO2emissionsby62%.

GeothermalHeatPumpsinNevadaGeothermalheatpumpsareeffecAveforallsizesofbuildingsfromsmallhomestolargebuildings.In2009,theGoldenGateHotel&CasinoinLasVegasinstalledasystemthatuses10boreholes.TubingrunsverAcallythroughthewellsandconnectstotheheatpump.Thesystemharnessesenoughenergytoheattheshowersof106rooms.

Householdcost savings: $100s in cost savings each year

Publicandcommercialbuildings,suchasschools,universiAes,prisons,andhospitals,canberetrofiKedwithgeothermalheatpumpsandprovidecost-savingstothestate’s–andotheruAlityratepayer’s–energybills.ThepictureaboveisanexampleofacommercialsizeverAcalloopsystem.Thesesystemsarequiet,lastforseveraldecades,andreducethestate’sdependenceonfossilfuelsforheaAngandcoolingneeds.

Nevada Geothermal Heat Pump Benefits


GoldenGateHotel&Casino

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Averageannualsavingswhenreplacingahouseholdsystemwithageothermalheatpump.WhenmulAplesystemsarereplaced(e.g.,spaceheaAngandcoolingandwaterheaAng),savingsareaddiAve.

Carbon emissions reduction: Over 50% for most systems

Public & commercial buildings savings

January2016Datasourcesforinforma5oninthisflyercanbeobtainedbycontac5ngtheGeothermalEnergyAssocia5on.

Documents

Geothermal Energy Potential - Nevada › PDFs › Final_Nevada.pdf · Heat Pumps Discover the geothermal heat pump potential in your state. Geothermal energy is heat from the Earth