Geothermal Heating and Cooling

According to the Geothermal Energy Association, about 6 million people in the U.S get their household energy from geothermal power. Roughly half from geothermal power plants, and the other half from home geothermal heating and cooling systems.

The U.S. has about 3,000 MW of geothermal electricity connected to the grid. Geothermal energy generated 14,885 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity in 2007, which accounted for 4% of renewable energy-based electricity consumption in the U.S. (including large hydropower). The U.S. continues to produce more geothermal electricity than any other country, comprising approximately 30 percent of the world total.

Geothermal energy supplies more than 10,000 MW to 24 countries worldwide and now produces enough electricity to meet the needs of 60 million people. The Philippines, which generates 23% of its electricity from geothermal energy, is the world’s second biggest producer behind the U.S.

In the United States, the Geothermal Heat Pump industry has seen continuous growth over the last four years. A February 2009 Energy Information Administration (EIA) report shows that geothermal heat pump shipments increased by 36 percent to 86,396 units in 2007. That same year capacity shipped rose 19 percent to 291,300 tons