Google's New Geothermal Energy Project is Up and Running (theverge.com) 28
A first-of-its-kind geothermal project is now up and running in Nevada, where it will help power Google's data centers with clean energy. From a report: Google is partnering with startup Fervo, which has developed new technology for harnessing geothermal power. Since they're using different tactics than traditional geothermal plants, it is a relatively small project with the capacity to generate 3.5 MW. For context, one megawatt is enough to meet the demand of roughly 750 homes. The project will feed electricity into the local grid that serves two of Google's data centers outside of Las Vegas and Reno.
It's part of Google's plan to run on carbon pollution-free electricity around the clock by 2030. To reach that goal, it'll have to get more sources of clean energy online. And it sees geothermal as a key part of the future electricity mix that can fill in whenever wind and solar energy wane. "If you think about how much we advanced wind and solar and lithium ion storage, here we are -- this is kind of the next set of stuff and we feel like companies have a huge role to play in advancing these technologies," says Michael Terrell, senior director of energy and climate at Google.
It's part of Google's plan to run on carbon pollution-free electricity around the clock by 2030. To reach that goal, it'll have to get more sources of clean energy online. And it sees geothermal as a key part of the future electricity mix that can fill in whenever wind and solar energy wane. "If you think about how much we advanced wind and solar and lithium ion storage, here we are -- this is kind of the next set of stuff and we feel like companies have a huge role to play in advancing these technologies," says Michael Terrell, senior director of energy and climate at Google.
Geothermal is a great idea, with many pitfalls (Score:1)
Re: Geothermal is a great idea, with many pitfalls (Score:2)
Is it not obvious that if the site is cooled it will stop producing energy? What a noob.
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The interesting thing about this project is that it uses two bore holes with connections between the two fracked -- so the volume from which you can collect energy is the dependent on the the distance between the two. Potentially very large. So, it might run cold eventually, but if it gets 20 or 30 years, then that will offset the cost of the holes; it should, also, be a good candidate for geological energy storage if it does run cold, just by pumping hot water down in the good times.
We will see. I don't th
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This is a pretty standard tactic and not that innovative.
The most innovative design I've seen was a hot dry rock proposal that was entirely closed-loop. The problem with open loop is that it's hard to tell exactly what will happen when you inject the water; oftentimes a lot of it will just bugger off. And oftentimes the strata is such that you know it'll bugger off. The design instead drilled down to the reservoir depth, then turned horizontally and branched out, forming what was effectively a heat sink i
Re: Geothermal is a great idea, with many pitfalls (Score:2)
Since the article was specifically about a "new approach" to geothermal, I wish it actually told us what that new approach is, how it differs from previous approaches, and specifically whether it addresses any of the pitfalls that your link mentioned. (I couldn't figure out any of these answers from the article)
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This new plant uses a closed loop. All other geothermal plants consist of two wells, one which draws up steam, and one which sends the cooled steam condensed into water back down again. This one is instead a loop, where the same water cycles round and round inside a closed pipe.
There are two major advantages. First, it works where there is no underground water. The one they built harvests heat from rocks, so it can be deployed much more widely.
Secondly, because it is a closed cycle, it uses less water. Trad
A pathway that needs more attention (Score:2)
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The grid doesn't need baseload to go with renewables; it needs peaking, or at least load following.
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Basically I see geothermal, hydro and similar solutions, even nuclear in some cases, as an important complements to solar, wind and tidal sources if you want to
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If you're talking about things that "ramp up or down in response to supply or demand changes", you're not talking about baseload. You're talking about... wait for it... peaking or load following. ;)
Baseload is power generation that ramps little up or down. Nuclear is the classic example.
And to move off of terminology issues, the problem with ramping high-capital-cost low-operating-cost generation techs up and down (e.g. using them as peaking or load-following) - if they're even capable of that - is that
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And what they describe isn't at all close loop. They inject water in one well, and then just hope they can get most of it it back at the other well. That's not what close loop means.
Geo is fine, but it's a slow solution. (Score:2)
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Having a dispatchable power source, even at low percentage would make a solar + battery grid significantly easier to manage. So useful even if it is more expensive than solar which it will be.
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Nevada is also full of young and still hot rock. Geothermal will work there unlike say Wisconsin where the rock is over a billion years old.
https://data.nbmg.unr.edu/publ... [unr.edu]
https://data.nbmg.unr.edu/Publ... [unr.edu]
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Multiply by three to deal with winter nights, then by 14 to deal with winter cloud cover. You'll need to recharge those batteries somehow.
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Actual data from the solar panels installed in the BPA service area. Also actual data from my water syatem's solar panel that powers the level transmitter on the water tank.
Right now that tank solar panel is putting out about 5% of capacity at 11 AM on this dark and foggy day in Eastern Washington.
It doesn't matter how many sunny days you get, it's how to keep the lights on when there is a heavy overcast and dead calm.
https://transmission.bpa.gov/b... [bpa.gov]
See the graph? The pretty green line is wind plus solar,
Vegas and Reno, eh? (Score:2)
From way back in 2018, Las Vegas' electric usage:
https://www.generatorsource.co... [generatorsource.com]
Here's some more figures, trying to sell solar power of course:
https://www.energysage.com/loc... [energysage.com]
It's a steam engine ... (Score:2)
... heat is transferred to water, which creates steam, which drives a turbine with an electric generator attached.
The difference between nuclear and thermal is just the heat source. In the second case, water is in a closed system where hot water is cooled and sent back to the heat source. There is no concern regarding radioactive water pollution. While geothermal is, indeed, location-specific, so are nuclear power plants.
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It's the exceptions that are relatively rare. PV Solar is one - it's incredibly elegant. ICE engines with valves and pistons are the opposite of elegant, yet somehow ended up being a good compromise of various properties.
Would It Be Crazy? (Score:2)
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https://www.eaton.com/us/en-us... [eaton.com]
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What happens when Google loses interest? (Score:2)
Some Japanese village did this 15 years ago. (Score:2)
So why is this presented as something revolutionary?