Economic evaluation of geothermal power generation, heating, and cooling

Economic analysis of a typical geothermal resource shows that potential revenues from geothermal heating or cooling can be much larger than those from power generation alone. Geothermal heating may generate up to about 3.1 times and geothermal absorption cooling 2.9 times as much revenue as power generation alone. Similarly, combined power generation and heating may generate about 2.1 times and combined power generation and cooling about 1.2 times as much revenue as power generation alone. Cost and payback period comparisons appear to favor power generation, followed by district heating. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.