Direct Use of Geothermal Heat in Nova Scotia

Objectives:
The objective of this study is to help Nova Scotians understand the costs of typical direct-use-of-heat geothermal projects that could be constructed in the province. The work will investigate the economic and technical constraints and opportunities and help identify where more information is needed to realize Nova Scotia’s geothermal potential.

Overview:
Dunsky Energy and project partners Enki GeoSolutions and SQGI will characterize three sample cases that will be used to run 24 geo-economic scenarios, comparing the status quo with deep geothermal systems and typical closed-loop ground-source heat pump systems, for the Cumberland basin, Stellarton basin, and Windsor-Kennetcook basin. The project will identify the technical and financial suitability of deep geothermal systems for all scenarios, and in doing so illustrate the potential for deep geothermal in select locations and applications, how direct use of geothermal energy can reduce GHG emissions for the selected types of facilities, and how deep geothermal systems compare to renewable and other energy sources.

Using the economic model to evaluate additional scenarios, Dunsky will conduct sensitivity analyses on key technical and economic parameters and identify areas where additional research will have the most impact on de-risking potential investments in deep geothermal systems. Parameters with the highest level of uncertainty will be highlighted, and Dunsky will provide recommendations on how to address the knowledge gaps that have a significant impact on project outcomes.

Team

Principal Investigator: Leslie Malone, Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors

Date
August – December 2021