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An enhanced geothermal system (EGS) generates geothermal electricity without natural convective hydrothermal resources. Traditionally, geothermal power systems operated only where naturally occurring heat, water, and rock permeability are sufficient to allow energy extraction. [ 1 ]
Closed-loop geothermal systems (also known as “advanced geothermal systems” or “AGS”) are a type of engineered geothermal energy system containing subsurface working fluid that is heated in a hot rock reservoir without direct contact with rock pores and fractures.: [1] [2] [3] Instead, the subsurface working fluid stays inside a closed loop of deeply buried pipes that conduct Earth’s ...
Valles caldera was home to the first experiments into development of an Enhanced geothermal system (EGS) or Hot-dry-rock (HDR) geothermal system, beginning in 1974 by the Los Alamos National Laboratory at the Fenton Hill reservoir, approximately 3 km west of Valles caldera. Originally, the Fenton Hill site was chosen as an EGS laboratory in ...
Estimates of exploitable worldwide geothermal energy resources vary considerably, depending on assumed investments in technology and exploration and guesses about geological formations. According to a 1998 study, this might amount to between 65 and 138 GW of electrical generation capacity 'using enhanced technology'. [28]
Technical advances may eventually make geothermal power more widely available. For example, enhanced geothermal systems involve drilling around 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) into the Earth, breaking apart hot rocks and extracting the heat using water. In theory, this type of geothermal energy extraction could be done anywhere on Earth. [126]
Unlike the closed loop in a Ground Source Heat Pump, which is used for small-scale residential heating and cooling, Closed-Loop Geothermal Systems are used for utility-scale energy production (typically >1 megawatt). A Closed-Loop Geothermal System is sometimes referred to as an Advanced Geothermal System (AGS).
In response to these “dry” holes, the geothermal industry began developing Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). In EGS, a “hot pan” in the earth is located and the heat is amplified by other means. This method allows for wells with insufficient or inconsistent heat to be viable candidates for synthetic geothermal electricity generation.
Geothermal (ground source) heat pumps represented an estimated 30 GWth of installed capacity at the end of 2008, with other direct uses of geothermal heat (i.e., for space heating, agricultural drying and other uses) reaching an estimated 15 GWth. As of 2008, at least 76 countries use direct geothermal energy in some form. [67]