Geothermal Data and Tools

NREL provides data and tools related to geothermal research and technologies to advance the use and integration of geothermal energy.

Data

GDR: Geothermal Data Repository

The Geothermal Data Repository is a submission-based directory of data collected from researchers. The Geothermal Data Repository allows users to search for data related to geothermal technology.

Geothermal Prospector

The Geothermal Prospector is a visual map tool that brings together geospatial data sets that were spread across universities and government agencies. The tool allows users to see data in a new way for exploration and research into geothermal data.

RE Explorer

RE Explorer provides renewable energy data, analytical tools, and technical assistance to developers, policymakers, and decision makers in developing countries. RE Explorer enables users to make meaningful decisions that support low-emission development and ultimately reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Policy and Permitting

RAPID Toolkit: Regulatory and Permitting Information Desktop Toolkit

The Regulatory and Permitting Information Desktop Toolkit helps users understand federal and state regulations necessary to secure project approval. This tool provides access to permitting information, best practices, and reference material at the federal and state levels for bulk transmission, geothermal, hydropower, and solar energy installations.

Geothermal Policymakers' Guidebook

This document serves as a guide for increased development of geothermal electricity generation. It identifies and describes five steps for implementing geothermal policies that may reduce barriers and result in deployment and implementation of geothermal technologies that can be used for electricity generation, such as conventional hydrothermal, enhanced geothermal systems, geopressured, co-production, and low temperature geothermal resources.

Project Development

GeoRePORT: Geothermal Resource Portfolio Optimization and Reporting Technique System

The Geothermal Resource Portfolio Optimization and Reporting Technique Protocol can assist in evaluating project risk and return, identifying gaps in reported data, evaluating research and design impacts, and gathering insights on successes and failures. It helps to more objectively and quantitatively compare project potential in geological, technical, and socio-economic areas.

Techno-Economics and Impact

GEOPHIRES

GEOPHIRES is an open-source, Python-based simulator to perform techno-economic simulations of geothermal systems. GEOPHIRES combines reservoir, wellbore, surface plant, and economic models to estimate output temperatures and heat or electricity production over plant lifetime, as well as capital and operation and maintenance costs, and overall levelized cost of heat or electricity. The tool can simulate both hydrothermal and enhanced geothermal systems, and electricity production and direct-use heat as surface application. GEOPHIRES can be coupled to external reservoir simulators such as TOUGH2, and, given its modular code design, users can easily build on the framework and implement their own correlations or models.

GETEM: Geothermal Electricity Technology Evaluation Model

The Geothermal Electricity Technology Evaluation Model is a downloadable document that estimates the levelized cost of electricity using user-input data and a set of default information that is based on several resource scenarios that the Department of Energy Geothermal Technologies Office has defined and evaluated.

SAM: System Advisor Model

The System Advisor Model is a performance and financial tool designed to facilitate decision making for people involved in the renewable energy industry. This includes project managers and engineers, policy analysts, technology developers, and researchers.

CREST: Cost of Renewable Energy Spreadsheet Tool

The Cost of Renewable Energy Spreadsheet Tool is an economic cash flow model designed to allow policymakers, regulators, and the renewable energy community to assess project economics, design cost-based incentives, and evaluate the impact of various state and federal support structures. It is a suite of four analytic tools, for solar, wind, geothermal, and anaerobic digestion technologies.

JEDI: Jobs and Economic Development Impacts Geothermal Model

The Jobs and Economic Development Impacts Geothermal Model allows users to estimate economic development impacts from geothermal projects based on industry averages and includes information that can be used to run an impact analysis on a generic level.