Geothermal Energy Market Study on the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Economic Evaluation Model for Direct Use of Moderate Temperature (up to 250 F) Geothermal Resources in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain,

摘要

The Geothermal Resource Economic Evaluation System (GREES) was developed to calculate the average cost per million Btu of geothermal energy that is delivered either to residential and commercial users through a community heating system or to industrial process heat users. The basic assumptions and the methods used in the model are presented. Results of the current studies indicate that,under a number of market conditions, i.e.,for high-density residential housing or for large industrial users,and for a large range of resource conditions,geothermal energy costs are well below the costs of electrical space heating. They can also be quite competitive with fossil fuel costs,especially for large industrial users of process heat at temperatures below 250F.