Team Explores Potential of Underground Geothermal Energy Storage for All Seasons
Renewable energy storage technologies with long-duration capabilities are essential as the U.S. power grid and wider energy economy move toward decarbonization. To meet these needs, researchers are exploring novel means to capture excess energy production.
A new project led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) aims to address the increasing need by tapping into underground geothermal reservoirs. By storing excess energy as thermal energy underground, energy generated at one time can be captured, stored, and recovered for use after many months or even seasons.
Related Knowledge Center: Energy storage
A key to the adoption of renewable energy is the development of economical ways to store energy, in the form of batteries or other technologies.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: geothermal
Geothermal energy, which exploits heat emanating from the earth’s core, provides a sliver of total energy generation in the U.S.: 0.4 percent of utility-scale generation of electricity was produced by geothermal sources, according to the Energy Information Administration.
But experts see significant opportunity for growth in use of geothermal.