Franklin Geothermal

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technologies Program (GTP) is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for The National Geothermal Academy.

This 8-week intensive summer course for undergraduate and graduate students covers all aspects of geothermal energy development from resource recovery to utilization. Classes being offered include: Resource Assessment and Exploration; Drilling Engineering, Power Plant Design and Construction; and Public Policy, Permitting and Environmental Issues.

The course is a collaborative effort by the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), Stanford University, Cornell University, Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT), University of Utah, Southern Methodist University, University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth, West Virginia University and industry experts. Individual modules will also be offered for professional development through UNR’s Continuing Education program.  DOE will provide merit-based financial assistance for up to 20 students from across the nation.

Please find full course information and application materials posted at http://www.unr.edu/geothermal/NGA.htm. Applications are due by midnight on February 15, 2011.

Post courtesy of Rachel Bilyk

Geothermal Technologies Blog

The California Energy Commission is opening a new funding opportunity through its Geothermal Resources Development Account (GRDA) Program. The overall purpose of this solicitation is to promote the development of geothermal resources and technologies.

Funding: Up to $ 6.8 million total is available to fund GRDA grants and loans. There are no minimum or maximum funding levels. Match share contributions are required.

Eligibility: Private entities and local jurisdictions may apply. Eligible private entities include individuals and organizations engaged in the exploration and development of geothermal energy for profit.

Three distinct project categories will be funded: resource development projects, planning projects, and mitigation projects.

Most aspects of geothermal research, resource development, demonstration, commercialization, planning, environmental enhancement, and impact mitigation are eligible for funding.

Project durations cannot exceed 36 months from date of funding. Projects must be located in California or be sponsored by California-based companies.

Selection of Projects: This is a competitive solicitation and projects will be funded based on their overall average total score within each of the three project categories.

Application Deadlines: Applicants are required to submit both a pre-application and final application to be eligible for funding. The application due dates are:  

                     • Pre-Application: February 22, 2011, 4:00 p.m.

                     • Final Application: April 6, 2011, 4:00 p.m.

Availability of Solicitation Documents: Electronic copies of documents and forms related to this solicitation can be accessed at www.energy.ca.gov/contracts.

Geothermal Technologies Blog

U.S. Geological Survey Geophysicist Dr. Colin Williams and GTP Lead Analyst Arlene Anderson presented a technical paper entitled “Updating the Classification of Geothermal Resources” on February 1 at Stanford University’s 36th Geothermal Reservoir Engineering Workshop.

Stakeholders may submit comments on the provisional updated classification of geothermal resources through April 1 by clicking here.

Geothermal Technologies Blog

Advancements in geothermal technology development – including recovering commercial-quality silica from geothermal brine and the development of a low-temperature power conversion system – are winners of the prestigious R&D 100 Awards.

Nominations for R&D 100 – the “Oscars of innovation” – are being accepted through February 28, 2011.

Technologies introduced in the calendar year 2010 are eligible for the 2011 awards. For more information, visit R&D magazine. 

To read about the R&D 100 Awards presented to DOE-funded geothermal technology advancements, go to the GTP innovation award page.

Neither the Department of Energy nor the Geothermal Technologies Program are sponsors of this award.

Geothermal Technologies Blog

NORDIC® Commercial W Series-Large Capacity Water-to-Water Geothermal Heat Pumps with Hot or Chilled Water Output
R407c / R410a Refrigerant (depending on model size) Model Sizes 100-800 (9 – 65 Nominal Ton)
Maritime Geothermal Products

NORDIC® DXTF- Direct Expansion,Triple Function Two-Stage Geothermal Heat Pump
R410a Refrigerant, Model Sizes 45-75 (3-6 Nominal Ton)
Maritime Geothermal Products

NORDIC® DXTF- Direct Expansion,Triple Function Two-Stage Geothermal Heat Pump
R410a Refrigerant, Model Sizes 45-75 (3-6 Nominal Ton)
Maritime Geothermal Products

The International Partnership for Geothermal Technology (IPGT) is a forum for government and industry leaders to coordinate their efforts and to share information on results and best practices in geothermal development to avoid blind alleys, limit unnecessary duplication, and efficiently accelerate the advancement of geothermal technologies.

The IPGT High Temperature Tools Working Group has prepared a draft white paper to outline relevant issues surrounding high temperature tools for advanced geothermal systems. The paper will help the IPGT determine critical R&D needs.

This paper is available for external review until March 4, 2011 and is available for review here.

IPGT Background

Representatives from Australia, Iceland and the United States signed the Charter Agreement for the International Partnership for Geothermal Technology on August 28, 2008 in Keflavik, Iceland. Switzerland signed the IPGT Charter on October 6, 2010 in Reykjavik, Iceland. In order to address critical technology needs, seven working groups were established around high-priority topic areas. These areas include: lower cost drilling, zonal isolation and packers, high temperature tools, stimulation procedures, reservoir modeling, exploration technologies, and induced seismicity.

For more information on the IPGT, please visit http://internationalgeothermal.org/

Geothermal Technologies Blog

Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) finalized a $ 96.8 million Recovery Act supported loan guarantee for U.S. Geothermal, Inc. to construct a 23 megawatt (net) geothermal power project in Malheur County, in southeastern Oregon.

The company estimates that the project, known as Neal Hot Springs, will create approximately 150 construction jobs, more than a dozen permanent jobs and even more supply chain jobs across several states, including Texas, California and Ohio.

“Increasing the supply of renewable energy through projects like U.S. Geothermal’s will help us reach the President’s goal of generating 80 percent of our electricity from clean energy by 2035,” said Secretary Chu. “The Neal Hot Springs project will provide clean renewable energy directly from our nation’s vast natural resources, while simultaneously creating jobs and helping to promote energy independence.”

The project uses an improved technology to extract energy from rock and fluids in the Earth’s crust more efficiently. The technology, referred to as a supercritical binary geothermal cycle, is estimated to be more efficient than traditional geothermal binary systems, allowing lower-temperature geothermal resources to be used for power generation. Unlike coal-fired and natural gas-fired power generation plants, geothermal plants produce virtually no greenhouse gas emissions.

The company anticipates about 95 percent of the power plant’s infrastructure and parts will be supplied by U.S.-based manufacturers. In addition, the project’s total output will be sold to Idaho Power Company under a long-term power purchase agreement. With the 25-year agreement in place, the project is well positioned to accommodate anticipated population growth and renewable energy demand in the region.

To learn more about DOE loan guarantees, visit the DOE Loan Program Office website.

 Photo courtesy: U.S. Geothermal, Inc.  According to the company, drilling during the late 1970s resulted in a discovery of a commercial geothermal resource at a depth of 2,820 feet.

Geothermal Technologies Blog

Far below the Earth’s surface lie networks of fractured rock filled with reservoirs of hot water.

And we’re talking hot. Conventional hydrothermal reservoirs at intermediate depths can house hotter-than-boiling water, and at depths of 10km or below, enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) reservoirs can exceed 300^oC.  In order to develop EGS reservoirs into energy-producing systems, obtaining accurate real-time temperature and other data in extreme conditions is required.  While this has proven to be a challenge, it is a critical need in maintaining the stability and consistent energy output from EGS reservoirs.

So how does one create sensitive electronics that can survive such intense subterranean conditions?  This is where General Electric scientist Vinay Tilak and his team of researchers come in.  Through a $ 1.6 million grant from the Geothermal Technologies Program, Tilak and GE are developing a temperature sensor and electronics platform able to withstand such harsh conditions. 

Tilak’s challenge is to create an integrated circuit and circuit board, active and passive sensor components, and an encasing package that will survive laboratory tests at 300^oC for 1000 hours.  GE is utilizing innovative temperature-hardened materials for sensor components, such as silicon carbide to develop an integrated circuit; ceramic for the circuit board and packaging materials; and alumina, gold film and nickel-plated molybdenum for other parts.

To see a demonstration of this hotter-than-hot research, check out Tilak’s video.

The importance of this technology lies in its capability to support long-term maintenance of EGS reservoirs.  Accurate, predictive reservoir models are required for maintaining constant energy output throughout the lifetime of the EGS reservoir.  To validate these reservoir models, temperature-hardened real-time monitoring sensors and logging tools are essential to generate accurate field data that tracks the development of the reservoir as temperature and fluid conditions evolve. Ultimately, the platform in development will also be able to measure pressure, flow rate, and seismicity of geothermal reservoirs.

To date, incremental stress tests and high-temperature validation have been successful.  GE expects to have an accurately measuring and thermally durable temperature sensor and platform completed by late 2011.

For more information about this and other projects, please see the Geothermal Technologies Program’s project database.

Geothermal Technologies Blog