Ground Source Heat Pumps: Realizing the Potential of Geothermal Resources

To support various countries to realize the underutilized geothermal potential and promote the widespread deployment of geothermal energy, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) established the Global Geothermal Alliance (GGA) in 2015, as a platform for enhanced dialogue, cooperation and coordinated actions and strive to increase the share of geothermal power generation and heating globally.

As economic growth drives an increasing demand for electricity, there is also a rising global demand for sustainable heating. This demand has led to a growing trend towards the use of geothermal resources for heating and cooling where it is technically and economically viable. Between 2015 and 2020, there was a growth rate of approximately 9%, reaching a capacity of around 107 GW by 2020, accounting for about 3% of the installed capacity of global renewable energy for heating and cooling.

At the same time, ground source heat pumps are being increasingly used for heating and cooling in various sectors, including industry and household. Driven by decarbonization target and ensuring domestic energy demand, countries are likely to increase the development and utilization of low- and medium-temperature geothermal resources, further promoting the use of ground source heat pumps.