Techno-Economic Analysis and Market Potential of Geological Thermal Energy Storage (GeoTES) Charged With Solar Thermal and Heat Pumps Into Depleted Oil/Gas Reservoirs and Shallow Reservoirs: A Technology Overview

Abstract

Depleted oil/gas reservoirs represent a waste of underground resource ad investments of drilling, and also a potential risk to the earth's environment. Geologic thermal energy storage (GeoTES) is proposed as a solution to convert depleted oil/gas reservoirs into long-term seasonal energy storage. GeoTES can be hybridized with other techniques for viable commercial deployment, such as 1) concentration solar power (CSP) collectors and 2) heat pumps with excess renewable energy. Here, a technology overview is given on two GeoTES technologies, which includes system overview, techno-economic models and case study. Both GeoTES are shown a great potential in economics of individual project deployment and applicability across the US.