A review of Geological Thermal Energy Storage for seasonal, grid-scale dispatching

Witter, Erik; Dobson, Patrick; Akindipe, Dayo; McTigue, Joshua; Atkinson, Trevor; Kumar, Ram; Sonnenthal, Eric; Zhu, Guangdong

doi:10.1016/j.rser.2025.115761

A review of Geological Thermal Energy Storage for seasonal, grid-scale dispatching

Journal Article · Wed Apr 30 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2025.115761· OSTI ID:2563633

^[1]; ^[2]; ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[3]; ^[4]; Sonnenthal, Eric ^[2]; ^[1]

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Energy storage is essential for the decarbonization of the U.S. energy grid, especially with the increasing deployment of variable renewable energy sources like solar and wind. Geological thermal energy storage (GeoTES) has emerged as a promising long duration, grid scale solution, providing stability and security through flexible operations and valuable grid services. GeoTES utilizes subsurface reservoirs to store thermal energy for power generation and direct-use heating and cooling. This approach significantly enhances the use of low-temperature reservoirs, which would otherwise be unsuitable for geothermal power plants. It also aligns well with depleted oil and gas reservoirs, concentrating solar power, non-flexible renewables (photovoltaic and wind), and geothermal-related power cycles. Given the favorable marginal costs of GeoTES as storage duration increases, it becomes particularly competitive for seasonal, grid-scale dispatch, where few technologies are viable. This paper provides a comprehensive review of GeoTES systems and the research underpinning itsr development. This analysis begins by defining and categorizing the unique characteristics of thermal energy storage techniques, setting GeoTES apart from other technologies. The various components, configurations, subsurface characteristics, and modeling efforts that guide GeoTES development are then explored. Finally, challenges in GeoTES research, development, and deployment are discussed, along with mitigation strategies and lessons from related technologies. Beyond their economic benefits, GeoTES systems support grid resilience and decarbonize industrial processes. Their scalability, broad distribution, seasonal storage potential, and flexible dispatch capacity make GeoTES a valuable tool for expanding renewable energy deployment and addressing climate change.

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Research Organization:: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: US Department of Energy; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Geothermal Technologies Office; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23), Climate and Environmental Sciences Division (SC-23.1 ); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER). Earth & Environmental Systems Science (EESS)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231; AC07-05ID14517; AC36-08GO28308

OSTI ID:: 2563633

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2583271
OSTI ID: 2566777
OSTI ID: 3004767

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU--25-83024-Rev000; NREL/JA--5700-94713; MainId:96495; UUID:8b7769d5-f9de-4730-aea0-4651c9a0a5a8; MainAdminId:76925; ark:/13030/qt0x13006x; https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0x13006x

Journal Information:: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Journal Name: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews Vol. 218; ISSN 1364-0321

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
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A review of Geological Thermal Energy Storage for seasonal, grid-scale dispatching

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