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GreenFire Energy June Updates: How Geothermal Energy Could Power The Future
We are excited to share the new CNBC video “How Geothermal Energy Could Power the Future
We are excited to share the new CNBC video “How Geothermal Energy Could Power the Future.” Katie Brigham, a CNBC producer, reached out to Joseph Scherer, CEO, GreenFire Energy, in early April to learn about geothermal and GreenFire Energy’s solutions. The powerful video features Joseph Scherer and other industry experts: Jamie Beard, GEO, University of Texas at Austin; Catherine Hickson, Geothermal Canada; Tim Latimer, Fervo Energy; John Redfern, Eavor Technologies; and Barbara Burger, Chevron Technology Ventures.
From the video: “Geothermal anywhere is futuristic. Geothermal in great locations is a present opportunity that can be expanded dramatically. And with retrofits, the capital expenditures are relatively low and the payback is relatively fast because you don’t need to drill a well,” says Joseph Scherer. “Geothermal at scale, leveraging the entire oil and gas industry, literally solves energy,” says Jamie Beard.
Our View of the Industry
In May the International Energy Agency released its roadmap to Net Zero by 2050. Getting to net zero requires a “massive deployment of all available clean energy technologies–such as renewables, EVs, and energy efficient building retrofits–between now and 2030 and clean energy investment to more than triple by 2030.”
The effort to propel geothermal is making headway in many countries. Japan’s government is relaxing regulations to push geothermal forward, as part of a broader renewable energy initiative. The UK is looking at the decarbonization opportunities of geothermal energy. Geothermal energy can make a significant contribution to reducing CO2 according to a study released by researchers of the University of Bayreuth in Bavaria, Germany.
While we are seeing significant interest in geothermal investment, geothermal energy, with its tremendous potential to produce clean energy, is currently underutilized. Here is a cogent article on the issues that the industry needs to address.
Hollis Chin - hollis.chin@greenfireenergy.com
Read Geothermal Energy Is Critical to Biden’s 100% Carbon-Free Grid, Why Is It Currently Underutilized?
Natural Gas Liquids Drive Geothermal Tech
A Canada-based firm has developed geothermal technology that removes water from the equation
A Canada-based firm has developed geothermal technology that removes water from the equation.
Commonly associated with water via hot springs, geysers, or plumes of steam, geothermal energy relies on underground heat. A Canada-based firm has developed geothermal technology that removes water from the equation, potentially expanding where the renewable resource can be tapped.
“Geothermal, derived from its Greek roots, means ‘earth’ and ‘hot’ and quite literally means that we bring heat up from the ground,” Chris Cheng, a senior development engineer with Eavor, told Rigzone. “This heat can then be used directly or converted to electricity with a power generation unit.”
Unlike conventional approaches to harness geothermal energy, Eavor’s technology uses a closed-loop energy system that eliminates the need to find hot water or steam resources, Cheng continued.
“Since there is heat under the ground everywhere, Eavor technology is applicable in many more places than traditional geothermal, places where that hot water or steam resource may not exist,” he said.
Cheng explained that his company’s technology generates electricity by bringing heat up to the earth’s surface with a working fluid inside the “Eavor-Loop” system, exchanging heat with the working fluid – often one of two natural gas liquids – used by the power-generating unit.
“For an Organic Rankine Cycle application, this working fluid is usually butane or pentane, shown in the red loop and is chosen for its lower-than-water boiling temperature,” Cheng said, referencing the diagram below that illustrates Eavor’s closed-loop technology. “The working fluid is allowed to vaporize and expand in the power turbine which turns this into rotational energy, making electricity. The working fluid is cooled and condensed back to a liquid and is ready to collect heat from the Eavor-Loop once again.”
This diagram outlines how Eavor's closed-loop geothermal technology works. IMAGE SOURCE: Eavor
“While the power generation unit is not unique to Eavor, Eavor’s novelty in its closed-loop design reduces exploration risk – no need for hot aquifers – and allows for more predictability and operational control, including dispatchability,” Cheng said.
The geothermal technology’s novelty evidently appeals to two major oil and gas players, which have steered investment dollars to Eavor. Find out which companies are supporting the technology developer in the following excerpts from Rigzone’s conversation with Cheng.
Rigzone: Where in North America is there sufficient geothermal potential to sustainably diversify the energy mix?
Chris Cheng: The average geothermal gradient around the world is about 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) per kilometer (0.6 miles), which means that, on average, the temperature increases by 30 degrees for every kilometer you drill into the earth.
It all comes down to price, and Eavor believes there is geothermal potential in most places in the world, including all of North America, for both heat and electricity. For now, while the technology is new and costs are high, Eavor is targeting locales where the price for heat and electricity is also high, such as in Germany, the Netherlands, or Japan. These countries have what we call feed-in tariffs in place to help support the transition to renewables.
Eavor is working hard to reduce the cost of its technology so that it can be economic anywhere, comparable to the prices we see now for wind and solar but with the added benefit of dispatchability and small footprint.
Rigzone: What makes geothermal stand out as a renewable resource?
Cheng: Compared to wind and solar, geothermal has a relatively small surface footprint which is important in jurisdictions where surface space may be at a premium.
Secondly, as previously mentioned, Eavor’s closed-loop design allows for improved operational control, making the Eavor-Loop both load following and dispatchable. The heat in the ground is always present, while the wind and the sun may not always be there.
Rigzone: Where do you see geothermal contributing to the energy transition, particularly in North America?
Cheng: Eavor sees itself fitting into the energy mix alongside other renewables. It can fill in the gaps where wind, solar and traditional geothermal are less effective, such as during the night, when the weather is unfavorable, or where the geology doesn’t support traditional geothermal.
Rigzone: What are the biggest misconceptions you hear about geothermal energy, perhaps from the oil and gas community? How do you overcome them?
Cheng: We get a lot of questions about induced seismicity or fracing, which can be a non-starter in some places. With Eavor’s closed-loop system, there is no fracing and a very, very low probability of induced seismicity, so it’s important that we educate potential clients and partners about what separates our technology from the incumbents.
While we are adopting technology from oil and gas, Eavor’s technology eliminates some of the perceived negative aspects that may be associated with enhanced geothermal systems or hydrocarbon extraction, such as fracing.
In the grand scheme of things, the misconceptions are not that major – something that a few technical meetings can overcome – and the overall reception has been positive. Our latest round of investment back in February of 2021, which included bp (NYSE: BP) and Chevron (NYSE: CVX), are a good indicator that we have been embraced by at least some major players in the oil and gas industry as a viable solution.
Rigzone: Where do you see geothermal market opportunities for oil and gas industry players such as operating companies, drilling companies, service and equipment providers, etc.?
Cheng: One of the reasons Eavor is based in Calgary is because of the vast amount of geoscience and engineering expertise that exists due to the oil and gas roots of this city. There is a lot of opportunity for technical staff, service and equipment providers to pivot into geothermal due to the amount of overlap between the two industries.
For example, as a development engineer, the work that I do is remarkably similar to oil and gas. We have to select a good place to drill an Eavor-Loop, which begins with good geological and geophysical work, then we have to design the well and spend capital to drill the well and construct the facility, and finally sell a commodity for a forecasted price over many years.
Sound familiar? For geothermal, instead of oil and gas, the commodity is heat and power, but the development process and the financial modeling is very similar!
To contact the author, email mveazey@rigzone.com. Find out more about geothermal energy in recent Rigzone articles discussing orphaned oil and gas wells, market opportunities and collaboration, and ultra-deep drilling technology.
VIDEOS: A Made-In-Canada Clean Energy Solution Wins Multiple Awards For Innovation
The Eavor-Loop is a closed system within which a proprietary working fluid is contained and circulated
Eavor’s technology consists of several Patent Pending innovations. The Eavor-Loop is a closed system within which a proprietary working fluid is contained and circulated. The working fluid is not fluid from a reservoir flowing into our wells, it is a fluid added to the closed-loop Eavor-Loop™ to create an efficient radiator, much like a vehicle radiator circulates fluid in a closed-loop to remove heat from a gasoline engine.
Eavor-Loop™ harvests heat from deep in the earth to be used for commercial heating applications (ex: greenhouses or district heating) or to be used to generate electricity using conventional heat to power engines. Eavor-Loop™ is an industrial-scale geothermal system that mitigates many of the issues with traditional geothermal systems, which rely upon using wells to produce brine from a subsurface aquifer.
The closed-loop is the key difference between Eavor-Loop™ and all traditional industrial-scale geothermal systems. Eavor-Loop™ is a buried-pipe system, which acts as a radiator or heat exchanger. It consists of connecting two vertical wells several kilometers deep with many horizontal multilateral wellbores several kilometers long. As these wellbores are sealed, a benign, environmentally friendly, working fluid is added to the closed-loop as a circulating fluid. This working fluid is contained within the system and isolated from the earth in the Eavor-Loop™. The wellbores act as pipes, not wells producing fluid from the earth.
The working fluid naturally circulates without requiring an external pump due to the thermosiphon effect of a hot fluid rising in the outlet well and a cool fluid falling in the inlet well. The working fluid contained in this closed-loop pipe system brings thermal energy to the surface where it is harvested for use in a commercial direct heat application or converted to electricity with a power generation module (heat engine).
Unlike heat pumps (or “geo-exchange”), which convert electricity to heat using very shallow wells, Eavor-Loop generates industrial-scale electricity or produces enough heat for the equivalent of 16,000 homes with a single installation.
An excellent new video by CNBC entitled 'How Geothermal Energy Could Power The Future' features Eavor CEO, John Redfern and several others in the modern geothermal industry such as Catherine Hickson of Geothermal Canada, Tim Latimer of Fervo Energy, Cindy Taff of Sage Geosystems and Joe Scherer of GreenFire Energy.
The video covers topics such as:
- What is Geothermal energy?
- Geothermal startups gain traction
- Major opportunity for oil and gas
- The future of geothermal
"Miles below the Earth’s surface, there’s enough thermal energy to power all of humanity for the foreseeable future. It’s called geothermal energy, and it’s poised to play an increasingly large role as a source of always available, renewable power. Now, there are a number of startups in the geothermal space, working to figure out how to access this heat in difficult-to-reach geographies, at a price point that makes sense. And it’s even gotten the attention of oil and gas industry giants, who are interested in greening their portfolios while sticking to their core competencies - extracting energy resources from deep within the Earth."
Adding A Ground To Air Heat Transfer To An Existing Greenhouse
"A Ceres GAHT (ground to air heat transfer) System is our patented geothermal climate control technology that has helped our growers maintain comfortable growing conditions, year-round, at a fraction of the cost of a traditional HVAC system," states Ceres Greenhouse Solutions
"A Ceres GAHT (ground to air heat transfer) System is our patented geothermal climate control technology that has helped our growers maintain comfortable growing conditions, year-round, at a fraction of the cost of a traditional HVAC system," states Ceres Greenhouse Solutions. In this blog, they give advice on how to install a GAHT around a greenhouse.
The GAHT system was designed to be built with and integrate underneath a Ceres passive solar greenhouse, but it’s also possible to add a GAHT system to an existing non-Ceres or Ceres greenhouse. To do so you would need to install the GAHT pipes in the ground outside of the greenhouse footprint. Trying to install a GAHT system underneath an existing structure is generally not cost-effective nor easily accomplished. Depending on what you are using the GAHT for (heating or cooling), installing the GAHT on the outside of your greenhouse, rather than underneath, may be more beneficial for new greenhouse construction.
In this blog, we will cover GAHT installation and what makes the most sense for your climate and growing situation.
How does the GAHT work?
A GAHT system works by circulating greenhouse air underground through a series of perforated tubes. The air flowing through the tubes is either heated or cooled by the thermal mass of the soil before it’s exhausted back into the greenhouse. Depending on where you live (cold or hot climate), the GAHT system will be primarily used for heating or cooling.
The GAHT & heating
If your primary focus is keeping the greenhouse warm, it is ideal to have the GAHT system under the greenhouse because the structure will help insulate the soil underneath. Wherever you install your GAHT, It is important to insulate the sides of the system to retain as much heat as possible in the soil surrounding the pipes. We recommend insulating the outside of the greenhouse foundation if building the GAHT system underneath.
If you build an exterior GAHT, be sure to insulate the top of the system as well as the sides. A good location for an exterior GAHT, is a place with lots of sunshine, like the south or west side of the greenhouse.
The GAHT & Cooling
If your primary focus is keeping the greenhouse cool, it is ideal to have the GAHT on the outside of the greenhouse and deeper in the ground where the soil is cooler during the summer. In this case, no insulation is needed as you want to allow the heat to transfer away from the GAHT. You also want to install the system in a shaded area on the north or east side of the greenhouse. If you are going to install the GAHT system underneath the greenhouse, either because you’re limited on space or some other reason, the same recommendations about insulation and depth apply: no insulation, and the deeper the better. Installing the system deeper into the earth requires additional safety precautions to be taken to address the risk of soil collapse and personnel engulfment.
What’s important to note is that a GAHT is really only suitable for cooling a greenhouse in late Fall, Winter and early Spring. In the Summer, the sun’s energy is so powerful that the GAHT would need to be very, very large (making it very expensive) to cool the greenhouse entirely on its own. If you are able to cool the greenhouse with an evaporative cooler, this is almost always a less expensive, and higher performance option for cooling in the summer.
A benefit to cooling your greenhouse with a GAHT during the late Fall, Winter, and early Spring is that it allows you to keep your greenhouse sealed. This prevents shocking the plants with cold air from ventilation and allows CO2 supplementation to increase plant growth during these periods.
Sizing your GAHT system
One general rule for installing an external GAHT, whether you’ll mostly use it for heating or cooling, is that the excavation footprint of the GAHT system should be similar to the footprint of the greenhouse. For example, a 12×24 greenhouse requires an approximate area of 12×24 for the GAHT. This footprint correlation will ensure that there is a sufficient rate of soil-to-air heat exchange. For cooling applications, performance can be increased by increasing the size of the footprint.
For more information:
Ceres Greenhouse Solutions
1898 S. Flatiron Ct, Ste 125 Boulder,
CO 80301 USA
303-495-5006
info@ceresgs.com
www.ceresgs.com
Publication date: Wed 7 Apr 2021
VIDEO: Geothermal Energy For Greenhouse Application
Mariska Dreschler with GreenTech did an interview with Marit Brommer, passionate about geothermal energy and the Executive Director of the International Geothermal Association
Mariska Dreschler with GreenTech did an interview with Marit Brommer, passionate about geothermal energy and the Executive Director of the International Geothermal Association. In the interview, they talked about:
Why is geothermal energy a logical source for greenhouses
The sustainability factors of sustainable energies such as geothermal usage
What are the goals and missions of the IGA
The misconceptions about geothermal energy
The consequences of energy transition from gas and oil to sustainable energies
What are the basic necessities to implement and apply geothermal energy?
Examples of best practices of geothermal energy in greenhouses
For more information:
GreenTech
www.greentech.nl
Publication date: Fri 25 Sep 2020
Piero Lissoni Designs Conceptual New York Skyscraper To Be "Self-Sufficient Garden-City"
Italian architect Piero Lissoni's studio has designed a conceptual skyscraper in New York as a self-contained community and vertical urban farm that would provide an example of living in the post-Covid era
Eleanor Gibson | 14 August 2020
Italian architect Piero Lissoni's studio has designed a conceptual skyscraper in New York as a self-contained community and vertical urban farm that would provide an example of living in the post-COVID era.
Lissoni Casal Ribeiro, the architecture arm of Lissoni's studio, imagine Skylines to be a self-sufficient skyscraper by providing its own energy and resources as well as facilities for occupants to live, like school, sports facilities and a hospital.
The studio said the idea of self-sufficiency within a building has become even more important in light of the global coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
"Covid-19 has made us reflect on how weak we are in the face of a pandemic and has served as a warning after the whole planet essentially closed down for three months, teaching us that the infrastructures of the future must also be imagined to take account of life in the possible event of another lockdown," said Lissoni Casal Ribeiro.
"The year 2020 and the arrival of a global pandemic have indeed highlighted our weaknesses and shortcomings at a structural level, causing us to devise new ways of thinking the city and the infrastructures."
Designed for an imaginary urban plot in New York City measuring 80 by 130 metres, the scheme uses geothermal energy and photovoltaic panels for power and would use a rainwater recovery system and water use management for water.
A curtain of steel cables would form the tapered structure and would hold up hanging garden platforms that run around a glazed tower in the centre.
According to the studio, the idea is that over time these platforms would be covered with trees and shrubs to create a "vertical urban forest".
"The equilibrium between the external and internal spaces gives life to a sort of self-sufficient garden-city," it said.
"A system that produces, optimises and recycles energy, a perfect microclimate that filters the air, absorbs carbon dioxide, produces humidity, reuses rainwater to irrigate the greenery, in addition to providing protection from the sun’s rays and the noise of the city."
Within the glass tower, the living spaces would be arranged vertically, with public and cultural activities on the lower levels and the soilless vegetable gardens and sports facilities above this.
Next would be the hospital "which is also immersed in greenery and well-equipped to face any health emergency".
Above this, there would be schools and a university and spaces for offices and co-working, which the studio argued would be an important part of the programme post-Covid.
Residences, meanwhile, are placed on the top floors to take advantage of the views.
Lissoni Casal Ribeiro designed Skylines for the international architecture competition Skyhive 2020 Skyscraper Challenge and received an honorable mention.
Lissoni founded his interdisciplinary practice Lissoni Associati in 1986. In recent years, he has become better known for his product design and interiors, working with a host of leading brands like Cappellini, Flos, Kartell, and B&B Italia.
His other architecture projects include a proposal for a submerged circular aquarium, which won a speculative competition for a site on New York's East River, and a curved residential building that will be built in Vancouver's new Oakridge community.
Project credits:
Design team: Piero Lissoni and Joao Silva with Fulvio Capsoni
Read more: Architecture Conceptual architecture Skyscrapers News Conceptual skyscrapers Piero Lissoni New York skyscrapers Coronavirus
Over Thirty Years Ago Leo and Suzette Overgaag Left Santa Barbara For The Beautiful Coachella Valley To Start Their Own Family Farm
Their dream was to raise their family, support the community and grow the freshest living produce on the market
Over thirty years ago Leo and Suzette Overgaag left Santa Barbara for the beautiful Coachella Valley to start their own family farm. From a shoestring budget and borrowed equipment to break ground, our greenhouses have grown into more than 10 acres of hydroponically grown greenhouse space.
Their dream was to raise their family, support the community, and grow the freshest living produce on the market. Originally growing European cucumbers, the Overgaag’s enjoyed cooking with fresh herbs but noticed the cut herbs available at the grocery store often wilted in a day or two. In the mid-1990’s they delivered the first full line of living herbs sold in the refrigerated section of the grocery store lasting up to three times longer than their fresh-cut counterparts.
Delivering a premium culinary experience with our fresh, living herbs from our family farm to your family’s table is our passion. We have spent years creating the ideal environment to grow culinary herbs with detail to tenderness, exquisite flavor, enticing aroma, and enhanced shelf life. From our deliciously sweet peppery basil to our velvety smooth sage, fresh herbs are a simple and healthy way to make any beverage, appetizer, meal or dessert extraordinary. Enjoy some of our family’s mouth-watering recipes shared or add to your favorite recipes at home.
We are proud to be the first culinary herb grower in the United States to be certified as a sustainable grower by a recognized third party certifier. In order to receive this honor, standards on earth-friendly and labor-friendly practices must be met. We utilize renewable resources such as solar power energy to help power our production and geothermal energy to heat our greenhouses on cool winter nights. A hydroponic growing method enables us to use up to 70 percent less water than field grown crops at a time where the current drought in California is top of mind to so many of us. All our employees are treated with respect, have opportunities for growth, and competitive benefits. North Shore offers tuition reimbursement for higher education or language classes as well as an annual college scholarship for the children and grandchildren of our team.
We are passionate about educating children on where their food comes from and how to cook with fresh, healthy ingredients as well as utilizing agriculture to improve test scores.
In our own community we partner with the YMCA and local schools to donate products, provide monetary donations, educate, and provide greenhouse tours.
