IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/rensus/v131y2020ics1364032120303051.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Is geothermal heating environmentally superior than coal fired heating in China?

Author

Listed:
  • Zhang, Ruirui
  • Wang, Guiling
  • Shen, Xiaoxu
  • Wang, Jinfeng
  • Tan, Xianfeng
  • Feng, Shoutao
  • Hong, Jinglan

Abstract

Geothermal energy is considerably encouraged by governments because it offers a low-carbon renewable option to satisfy the long-term heat demand. However, to date research on systematic and scientific evaluations of the environmental benefits of geothermal heating is limited. Therefore, compared with the traditional coal-fired heating system, the cleanliness of geothermal heating is examined by employing the life cycle assessment approach in this study. Results show that the environmental impacts of geothermal heating are considerably less than those of coal-fired heating, and geothermal heating with water reinjection is the most ideal scenario. Environmental benefits linearly increase with the injection rate growth of geothermal water. Compared with coal-fired heating for per GJ of heat generation, geothermal heating can lead to 77%, 76%, and 78% reductions in terms of particulate formation, carbon emission, and fossil energy depletion, respectively. The electricity consumption process is the main contributor to the overall environmental burden of geothermal heating. Instead of coal power for geothermal heating, the actual hybrid electricity of China in 2017 (i.e., 64.7% coal power, 18.6% hydropower, 4.7% wind power, 1.8% solar energy) can lead to 27%, 33%, and 27% reductions in fossil depletion, carbon emission, and particulate formation for per GJ of heat production, respectively. These findings not only indicate the feasibility of using geothermal resources to address carbon emissions, energy crisis, and air quality issues, but also demonstrate benefits for human health and ecosystem quality. Furthermore, the results highlight the importance of generating electricity with clean energy in geothermal heating. Thus, generating electricity with clean energy instead of coal is necessary to further reduce the environmental impact of geothermal heating.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang, Ruirui & Wang, Guiling & Shen, Xiaoxu & Wang, Jinfeng & Tan, Xianfeng & Feng, Shoutao & Hong, Jinglan, 2020. "Is geothermal heating environmentally superior than coal fired heating in China?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:131:y:2020:i:c:s1364032120303051
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2020.110014
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032120303051
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110014?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhang, ZhongXiang, 2010. "China in the transition to a low-carbon economy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(11), pages 6638-6653, November.
    2. Wang, Guiling & Wang, Wanli & Luo, Jin & Zhang, Yuhao, 2019. "Assessment of three types of shallow geothermal resources and ground-source heat-pump applications in provincial capitals in the Yangtze River Basin, China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 392-421.
    3. Ji, Junping & Tang, Hua & Jin, Peng, 2019. "Economic potential to develop concentrating solar power in China: A provincial assessment," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 1-1.
    4. Lee Kwan, Calvin, 2010. "The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region: A major role in China's renewable energy future," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 46-52, March.
    5. Gibon, Thomas & Arvesen, Anders & Hertwich, Edgar G., 2017. "Life cycle assessment demonstrates environmental co-benefits and trade-offs of low-carbon electricity supply options," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 1283-1290.
    6. García-Gusano, Diego & Iribarren, Diego & Dufour, Javier, 2018. "Is coal extension a sensible option for energy planning? A combined energy systems modelling and life cycle assessment approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 413-421.
    7. Greening, Benjamin & Azapagic, Adisa, 2012. "Domestic heat pumps: Life cycle environmental impacts and potential implications for the UK," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 205-217.
    8. Tu, Wubin & Zhang, LingXian & Zhou, Zhongren & Liu, Xue & Fu, Zetian, 2011. "The development of renewable energy in resource-rich region: A case in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 856-860, January.
    9. Day, Creina & Day, Garth, 2017. "Climate change, fossil fuel prices and depletion: The rationale for a falling export tax," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 153-160.
    10. Gao, Mingxue & Wang, Danmeng & Wang, Hui & Wang, Xiaojiao & Feng, Yongzhong, 2019. "Biogas potential, utilization and countermeasures in agricultural provinces: A case study of biogas development in Henan Province, China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 191-200.
    11. Turconi, Roberto & Boldrin, Alessio & Astrup, Thomas, 2013. "Life cycle assessment (LCA) of electricity generation technologies: Overview, comparability and limitations," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 555-565.
    12. Radoslav S. Dimitrov, 2010. "Inside Copenhagen: The State of Climate Governance," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 10(2), pages 18-24, May.
    13. Tu, Qiang & Betz, Regina & Mo, Jianlei & Fan, Ying, 2019. "The profitability of onshore wind and solar PV power projects in China - A comparative study," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 404-417.
    14. Shi, Wenxiao & Lin, Chen & Chen, Wei & Hong, Jinglan & Chang, Jingcai & Dong, Yong & Zhang, Yanlu, 2017. "Environmental effect of current desulfurization technology on fly dust emission in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 1-9.
    15. Cui, Xiaowei & Hong, Jinglan & Gao, Mingming, 2012. "Environmental impact assessment of three coal-based electricity generation scenarios in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 952-959.
    16. Zhao, Xin-gang & Wan, Guan, 2014. "Current situation and prospect of China׳s geothermal resources," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 651-661.
    17. Shen, Xingchi & Lyu, Shoujun, 2019. "Wind power development, government regulation structure, and vested interest groups: Analysis based on panel data of Province of China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 487-494.
    18. Weisser, Daniel, 2007. "A guide to life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from electric supply technologies," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 32(9), pages 1543-1559.
    19. Asdrubali, Francesco & Baldinelli, Giorgio & D’Alessandro, Francesco & Scrucca, Flavio, 2015. "Life cycle assessment of electricity production from renewable energies: Review and results harmonization," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 1113-1122.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gkousis, Spiros & Thomassen, Gwenny & Welkenhuysen, Kris & Compernolle, Tine, 2022. "Dynamic life cycle assessment of geothermal heat production from medium enthalpy hydrothermal resources," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 328(C).
    2. Dardan Klimenta & Marija Mihajlović & Ivan Ristić & Darius Andriukaitis, 2022. "Possible Scenarios for Reduction of Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Serbia by Generating Electricity from Natural Gas," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-33, June.
    3. Ding, Tao & Sun, Yuge & Huang, Can & Mu, Chenlu & Fan, Yuqi & Lin, Jiang & Qin, Yining, 2022. "Pathways of clean energy heating electrification programs for reducing carbon emissions in Northwest China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    4. Guo, Yanlong & Xu, Yishuo & Wang, Huajun & Shen, Jian & Zhao, Sumin, 2023. "Experimental investigation of water-rock reaction for the reinjection of sandstone geothermal reservoirs: A case from Neogene Guantao Formation in Tianjin," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 203-214.
    5. Zhai, Yijie & Bai, Yueyang & Wu, Zhen & Hong, Jinglan & Shen, Xiaoxu & Xie, Fei & Li, Xiangzhi, 2022. "Grain self-sufficiency versus environmental stress: An integration of system dynamics and life cycle assessment," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    6. Zhang, Tiansheng & Liu, Chun & Bayer, Peter & Zhang, Liwei & Gong, Xulong & Gu, Kai & Shi, Bin, 2022. "City-wide monitoring and contributing factors to shallow subsurface temperature variability in Nanjing, China," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 1105-1115.
    7. Lu, Hongfang & Lin, Bin-Le & Campbell, Daniel E. & Wang, Yanjia & Duan, Wenqi & Han, Taotao & Wang, Jun & Ren, Hai, 2022. "Australia-Japan telecoupling of wind power-based green ammonia for passenger transportation: Efficiency, impacts, and sustainability," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    8. Wang, Zengli & Zhou, Hongyang & Hao, Muming & Wang, Jun & Geng, Maofei, 2022. "Thermodynamic analysis and comparative investigation of a novel total flow and Kalina cycle coupled system for fluctuating geothermal energy utilization," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    9. Gkousis, Spiros & Welkenhuysen, Kris & Compernolle, Tine, 2022. "Deep geothermal energy extraction, a review on environmental hotspots with focus on geo-technical site conditions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hosseini, Seyed Mohsen & Kanagaraj, N. & Sadeghi, Shahrbanoo & Yousefi, Hossein, 2022. "Midpoint and endpoint impacts of electricity generation by renewable and nonrenewable technologies: A case study of Alberta, Canada," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 22-39.
    2. Menberg, Kathrin & Heberle, Florian & Bott, Christoph & Brüggemann, Dieter & Bayer, Peter, 2021. "Environmental performance of a geothermal power plant using a hydrothermal resource in the Southern German Molasse Basin," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 20-31.
    3. Briones Hidrovo, Andrei & Uche, Javier & Martínez-Gracia, Amaya, 2017. "Accounting for GHG net reservoir emissions of hydropower in Ecuador," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 209-221.
    4. Orfanos, Neoptolemos & Mitzelos, Dimitris & Sagani, Angeliki & Dedoussis, Vassilis, 2019. "Life-cycle environmental performance assessment of electricity generation and transmission systems in Greece," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 1447-1462.
    5. Emblemsvåg, Jan, 2022. "Wind energy is not sustainable when balanced by fossil energy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).
    6. Ozcan, Mustafa, 2016. "Estimation of Turkey׳s GHG emissions from electricity generation by fuel types," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 832-840.
    7. Sokka, L. & Sinkko, T. & Holma, A. & Manninen, K. & Pasanen, K. & Rantala, M. & Leskinen, P., 2016. "Environmental impacts of the national renewable energy targets – A case study from Finland," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 1599-1610.
    8. Xue-Ting Jiang & Rongrong Li, 2017. "Decoupling and Decomposition Analysis of Carbon Emissions from Electric Output in the United States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-13, May.
    9. Jenniches, Simon & Worrell, Ernst & Fumagalli, Elena, 2019. "Regional economic and environmental impacts of wind power developments: A case study of a German region," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 499-514.
    10. Mahmud, M.A. Parvez & Huda, Nazmul & Farjana, Shahjadi Hisan & Lang, Candace, 2020. "Life-cycle impact assessment of renewable electricity generation systems in the United States," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 1028-1045.
    11. Coilín ÓhAiseadha & Gerré Quinn & Ronan Connolly & Michael Connolly & Willie Soon, 2020. "Energy and Climate Policy—An Evaluation of Global Climate Change Expenditure 2011–2018," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-49, September.
    12. Scarlat, Nicolae & Prussi, Matteo & Padella, Monica, 2022. "Quantification of the carbon intensity of electricity produced and used in Europe," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).
    13. Aberilla, Jhud Mikhail & Gallego-Schmid, Alejandro & Stamford, Laurence & Azapagic, Adisa, 2020. "Design and environmental sustainability assessment of small-scale off-grid energy systems for remote rural communities," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    14. Zhou, Yanlai & Guo, Shenglian & Chang, Fi-John & Liu, Pan & Chen, Alexander B., 2018. "Methodology that improves water utilization and hydropower generation without increasing flood risk in mega cascade reservoirs," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 785-796.
    15. Asdrubali, F. & Baggio, P. & Prada, A. & Grazieschi, G. & Guattari, C., 2020. "Dynamic life cycle assessment modelling of a NZEB building," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    16. Ramirez, A.D. & Boero, A. & Rivela, B. & Melendres, A.M. & Espinoza, S. & Salas, D.A., 2020. "Life cycle methods to analyze the environmental sustainability of electricity generation in Ecuador: Is decarbonization the right path?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    17. Besseau, Romain & Sacchi, Romain & Blanc, Isabelle & Pérez-López, Paula, 2019. "Past, present and future environmental footprint of the Danish wind turbine fleet with LCA_WIND_DK, an online interactive platform," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 274-288.
    18. Andrea Aquino & Flavio Scrucca & Emanuele Bonamente, 2021. "Sustainability of Shallow Geothermal Energy for Building Air-Conditioning," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-30, October.
    19. Mahmud, M.A. Parvez & Farjana, Shahjadi Hisan, 2022. "Comparative life cycle environmental impact assessment of renewable electricity generation systems: A practical approach towards Europe, North America and Oceania," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 1106-1120.
    20. Zeng, Bo & Zeng, Ming & Xue, Song & Cheng, Min & Wang, Yuejin & Feng, Junjie, 2014. "Overall review of wind power development in Inner Mongolia: Status quo, barriers and solutions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 614-624.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:131:y:2020:i:c:s1364032120303051. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.