43
Energy Recovery by Benign Hydrothermal Processes
taBle 3.3
Current Commercial eGs Projects under development
Project
Country
size (mW)
Plant type
depth (km)
Landau a
Germany (EU)
3
Binary
3.3
Aardwarmte Den Haag a
Netherland (EU)
6
Thermal
2.0
Paralana (phase 1)
Australia
7–30
Binary
4.1
Cooper Basin
Australia
25–50
Kalina
4.3
United Downs, Redruth
United Kingdom
10
Binary
4.5
Eden project
United Kingdom
3
Binary
3.0–4.0
Source: “Enhanced geothermal systems,” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 1–9, 2012.
a These projects are operational.
the US base load electricity by that year. Besides conventional oil and gas wells,
horizontal wells created in deep oil shale rocks to recover shale gas by “fracking
process” can also be helpful in recovering geothermal energy in oil shale rocks. The
horizontal wells created for deep and tight gas as well as gas in geopressurized zones
and coal bed methane reservoirs can also be useful for the recovery of geothermal
energy along with the recovery of unconventional gas. Water and steam play a very
critical role in these advanced geothermal systems [5,9,17,18].
3.4 rOle OF Water in stOraGe OF sOlar enerGy
The use of solar energy for home heating has been in existence for a long time
[21–35]. In this method, solar panels installed on the top of the roof of the houses or
buildings can absorb solar heat and this heat is stored in water and steam circulating
under the solar panels. This heat can be stored and used continuously for the environmental control in residential houses and industrial buildings.
While solar energy can be stored and used in a number of different ways, water
plays an important role in harnessing solar energy. Solar hot water systems use sunlight to heat water. In low geographical latitudes, domestic hot water use at moderate
temperatures can be provided by solar water heating systems [21]. There are at least
three types of solar heaters: evacuated tube collectors (most widely used), glazed
flat plate collectors (used for domestic water heating), and unglazed plastic collectors (mainly used for the swimming pools in the United States) [22–24]. In 2007,
the capacity of solar water heater systems installed worldwide was 154 GW, led by
China (70 GW), Israel, and Cyprus [21–25].
Water is also heavily used in solar energy-driven heating, ventilation, and airconditioning (HVAC) systems in residential home as well as in industrial building.
Water can be a good solar energy storage device that can be used to provide heating
and cooling on a needed basis for daily and seasonal durations. Solar distillation
can be used to make saline and brackish water potable. Solar energy can be used for
water disinfection and water stabilization pond to treat wastewater. Solar concentrating technologies such as parabolic dish, trough, and Scheffler reflectors can provide
Energy Recovery by Benign Hydrothermal Processes
taBle 3.3
Current Commercial eGs Projects under development
Project
Country
size (mW)
Plant type
depth (km)
Landau a
Germany (EU)
3
Binary
3.3
Aardwarmte Den Haag a
Netherland (EU)
6
Thermal
2.0
Paralana (phase 1)
Australia
7–30
Binary
4.1
Cooper Basin
Australia
25–50
Kalina
4.3
United Downs, Redruth
United Kingdom
10
Binary
4.5
Eden project
United Kingdom
3
Binary
3.0–4.0
Source: “Enhanced geothermal systems,” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 1–9, 2012.
a These projects are operational.
the US base load electricity by that year. Besides conventional oil and gas wells,
horizontal wells created in deep oil shale rocks to recover shale gas by “fracking
process” can also be helpful in recovering geothermal energy in oil shale rocks. The
horizontal wells created for deep and tight gas as well as gas in geopressurized zones
and coal bed methane reservoirs can also be useful for the recovery of geothermal
energy along with the recovery of unconventional gas. Water and steam play a very
critical role in these advanced geothermal systems [5,9,17,18].
3.4 rOle OF Water in stOraGe OF sOlar enerGy
The use of solar energy for home heating has been in existence for a long time
[21–35]. In this method, solar panels installed on the top of the roof of the houses or
buildings can absorb solar heat and this heat is stored in water and steam circulating
under the solar panels. This heat can be stored and used continuously for the environmental control in residential houses and industrial buildings.
While solar energy can be stored and used in a number of different ways, water
plays an important role in harnessing solar energy. Solar hot water systems use sunlight to heat water. In low geographical latitudes, domestic hot water use at moderate
temperatures can be provided by solar water heating systems [21]. There are at least
three types of solar heaters: evacuated tube collectors (most widely used), glazed
flat plate collectors (used for domestic water heating), and unglazed plastic collectors (mainly used for the swimming pools in the United States) [22–24]. In 2007,
the capacity of solar water heater systems installed worldwide was 154 GW, led by
China (70 GW), Israel, and Cyprus [21–25].
Water is also heavily used in solar energy-driven heating, ventilation, and airconditioning (HVAC) systems in residential home as well as in industrial building.
Water can be a good solar energy storage device that can be used to provide heating
and cooling on a needed basis for daily and seasonal durations. Solar distillation
can be used to make saline and brackish water potable. Solar energy can be used for
water disinfection and water stabilization pond to treat wastewater. Solar concentrating technologies such as parabolic dish, trough, and Scheffler reflectors can provide