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Geothermal (ground-source) heat pumps are one of the fastest growing applications of renewable energy in the world. They can provide by heating and cooling by using normal ground or ground-water temperatures between 5 and 30oC. Most of the growth has occurred in the United States and Europe, but use has been documented in 33 countries.
The present worldwide installed capacity is estimated at almost 15,400 MWt with an annual energy use of 24,300 GWh in the heating mode from an equivalent 1,500,000 installed 12 kW units. Geothermal heat pumps have been installed in all the Nordic countries, with Sweden, Finland and Denmark being the leaders. At present there are an estimated 438,000 units installed in the Nordic countries with a capacity of 5,330 MWt producing 14,700 GWh per year.
The estimated saving considering both heating and cooling modes from electricity production is 82.4 million barrels of oil annually (12.4 million tonnes), and 11.0 million tonnes of carbon and 40 million tonnes of CO2 annually. For the Nordic countries the savings amount to about 60% of these numbers. Growth should continue at 10 to 15% annually throughout the world.
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