Geoheat Solutions
Geoheat and Aotearoa New Zealand
New Zealand is blessed with abundant high temperature geothermal resources that provide low carbon and renewable electrical energy.
New Zealand is also blessed with abundant low temperature (10°C to 150°C) groundwater and geothermal resources that can provide low carbon and renewable thermal energy.
Less well known, these low temperature, or geoheat sources, are everywhere and can be used either directly (e.g. geothermal pools) or indirectly with a heat pump.
The result is low carbon, energy efficient heating, cooling and hot water to homes, offices, health and educational facilities, aquatic centres as well as district heating and industrial applications such as process heat and greenhouses.
Geoheat Business Guide in Aotearoa
This guide, coauthored by GeoExchange NZ for NZGA and EECA, introduces the ‘What’, ‘Why’, ‘How,’ and ‘Where’ on everything geoheat-related for NZ businesses.
We recommend you download this to fully appreciate what an opportunity Geoheat is across all of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Why use Geothermal?
Renewable and local:
Geoheat is a renewable energy resource that is locally sourced, strengthening energy independence.
Reliable energy:
Provides 24/7 heating and / or cooling, independent of weather or transport.
Sustainable long-term:
With intelligent system design that protects and monitors the natural resource, Geoheat is sustainable and can be used for the long-term.
High operational efficiency:
both direct use of geoheat and ground source heat pumps are cost-competitive, resulting in lower operating costs to alternatives.
Practical co-benefits:
Opting for a ground source heat pump instead of an air source heat pump eliminates the need for outdoor air-handlers, lowers maintenance, extends equipment lifespan, frees roof space of plant equipment, and improves noise and aesthetics. Plus the greater efficiency and lower peak loads reduce electrical upgrade needs compared to air source heat pumps.
Green buildings
Geoheat, in particular the indirect systems that utilise ground source heat pumps (GSHPs), is present in many of the most efficient and greenest buildings in the world. The high efficiencies and thermal storage capabilities of these systems can often double the efficiency of conventional HVAC, while removing the aesthetic and acoustic issues associated with outdoor heat pump units.
Industrial process heat
Geoheat systems can replace carbon intensive fossil fuel boilers in a number of industrial applications. Direct heat examples, often cascaded from geothermal power plants, are already in use in New Zealand within the Taupo Volcanic Zone and Northland. The development of high temperature heat pumps that can utilise low temperature geothermal systems now makes such applications available to the rest of the country.
District heating and cooling
Whereas the original district systems were heating only, often from a geothermal source, modern fifth generation systems provide both heating and cooling. They can utilise a central energy plant or each building can have their own heat pump(s) as best suits the individual application. In either case, each building benefits from an efficient and sustainable operating system. Geoheat enables both types of systems depending on the underlying geological conditions.
