Geothermal energy future

The comparison between the two major seawater desalting alternatives, reverse osmosis and distillation, is more complex then ever. The location, system size, time of implementation and economic parameters, especially the price of conventional energy and also the possibility of use of non-conventional energy in the future, such as solar or geothermal energy sources, may greatly affect the final decision. 

Zhang, Z., Wang, J., Ren, X., Liu, S. Zhu, H. 2000. The state-of-the-art and future development of geothermal energy in China. Country update report for the period 1996-2000. In Proceedings World Geothermal Congress 2000, Kyushu-Tohoku, Japan, 28 May-10 June 2000, 505-507. 

Geothermal Energy—Heatfrom the Earth, Powerfor the Future, U.S. Department of Eneigy Brochure, Meridian Corp., Alexandria, Va., 1992. 

Brown, G. Garnish, J. Geothermal Energy. In 28. Renewable Energy Power for a Sustainable Future Boyle, G., Ed. Oxford University Press ... 

Geothermal energy, the University of Utah document concludes, is a vital part of a sustainable future. ... 

The future development of electricity demand in Germany corresponds to the assumptions for the total final electricity consumption in scenario 2011 A in [14], according to which electricity demand decreases by 25 % between 2010 and 2050. For the whole period, annual transmission and distribution losses are taken into account with a blanket assumption of 15 TWh. The annual amounts of electricity generated from onshore and offshore wind, photovoltaics, hydropower, biomass, geothermal energy and fossil CHP are also based on scenario 2011 A [14]. In 2050, electricity generation from RES totals 427 TWh, whereas annual electricity demand amounts to 393 TWh. 

Gerber, L. Marechal, F., 2012. Environomic optimal configurations of geothermal energy conversion systems Application to the future construction of Enhanced Geothermal Systems in Switzerland. Energy, 45, 908-923. 

INL, 2006. The Future of Geothermal Energy Impact of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) on the United States in the 21st Century. 

Even if geothermal energy will be increasingly exploited in the future and is currently the third most used renewable energy resource in the world, it only accounts for 0.4% of the worldwide energy. 

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