A Resource of Consequence

The earth is a heat engine:4.5 billion years old, life expectancyof another 4.5 billion years.

The Potential is Immense

Building infrastructureconsumes 60% of electricity.

Potential geothermal power:3,000 times current TOTALU.S. electrical consumption

Geothermal Energy Can Transform The Energy Landscape

I. “. . . geothermal energy . . . appear[s] to be poised to become economically comparable, if not superior, to fossil fuels with modest investment.” (Schilling and Esmundo, 2009)

II. “Develop and deploy programs to provide universal access to GHP infrastructure.” (Hughes, 2008)

III. “Today’s GHPs move 3 – 5 times as much energy between the building and the ground than they consume while doing so. [T]heoretically the multiplier could be as high as 14.” (Hughes, 2008)

GIM: Enable the Transformation

I. Accomplishing the vision requires clear answers to three questions:

i. Where are we now?ii. Where do we want to be?iii. What paths can get us from here to there?

II. Answering these questions requires careful and considered, thoughtful discussion, research and analysis - a home.

III. The GIM center will be that home.

GIM: What it Will Be

I. A research center for world class energy study

II. An institution focused on in-depth pedagogical experiences to enable teachers, the public, students and researchers to educate each other.

III. A training center that will provide the skills required to design, engineer and install renewable energy systems.

Example GIM Projects

Geothermal applications for improving water conservation.The potential exists to transform agricultural practices using a combination of deep wells, recirculated water, large-scale greenhouse facilities and ground source heat pumps. GIM will pursue this potential.

Self-sufficient communities.Nearly all communities have sufficient renewable resources to satisfy most of their power needs by innovative combinations of high-performance ground source heat pumps, solar photo-voltaic systems, and distributed power generation. GIM will be a base from which to explore these options.

Low-tech geothermal for the developing world.Fundamental to achieving global stability is economic empowerment, which requires an energy base. GIM will provide a home for research addressing this need, including market analysis to identify the most effective applications, "best practices" for deploying the technologies, and engineering means for improving technology performance.

Long-term Benefits

I. Train the next generation of renewable energy researchers

II. Become one of the worlds “go to” places for energy technology training

III. Establish technology industries for renewable energy management, development and control (software design; technology R&D)