Geothermal Facts and Stats #5
Baseload Power. A baseload power plant produces power at a constant rate. Because the energy is constant, its power output can remain consistent nearly 24 hours a day, giving geothermal energy a higher capacity factor than solar or wind power.
Read this article written by Leslie Blodget, published on Renewable Energy World that looks at Geothermal Energy and whether or not it’s the only “baseload power” that makes sense.
Domenic Falcone, President, Domenic J. Falcone Associates, Inc. is quoted throughout the article with points that substantiate geothermal as the ideal baseload power options. For reasons such as:
“It assures a steady revenue stream which is much better for financing.”For a nation that’s thinking to the long-term, geo plants are:
- Firm. They can run 24 hours a day regardless of extraneous conditions.
- Flexible. Geothermal’s flow can be load following or allow for imbalance, can provide a spinning reserve or a non-spinning reserve, and works well as replacement or supplemental reserve.
and…
The additional long-term analysis shows geothermal plants are:
- Small. Geothermal-impacted land in 2030 is expected to be around 7.5 km2/TW-hr/yr, as opposed to 9.7 .5 km2/TW-hr/yr for a coal plant.
- Hardy. Long-lasting geothermal plants include those at The Geysers in California (since the 1960s) and at the Lardarello field in Italy (since 1904).
Essentially, baseload geothermal power is producing 24/7, can be flexible based on need, takes up a much smaller footprint, and are extremely durable in comparison to coal plants, solar plants or wind farms.
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