21st Century Geothermal Small Business Workbook: Business and Financing, Regulatory Issues, Aquaculture, Heating, Greenhouses, Power Generation, Resorts, Industry and Agriculture

The Geothermal Small Business Workbook, by the U.S. Department of Energy, was written to give geothermal entrepreneurs, small businesses, and developers the tools they need to understand geothermal applications — both direct use and small-scale power generation — and to write a business and financing plan. The Workbook provides background, market, and regulatory data for direct use and small-scale (less than one megawatt) power generation geothermal projects; refer you to several sources of useful information including owners of existing geothermal businesses, trade associations, and other organizations; break down the complicated and sometimes tedious process of writing a business plan into five easy steps; lead you — the geothermal entrepreneur, small company, or project developer — step-by-step through the process needed to structure a business and financing plan for a small geothermal project; and help you develop a financing plan that can be adapted and taken to potential financing sources.

Contents of this workbook include: Geothermal Projects – Aquaculture; Greenhouses; Industrial or Agricultural Processes; Resorts and Spas; Space and District Heating; Small-scale Power Generation; Hot Contacts; Regulatory and Environmental Issues; Business & Financing Plan - Business Description: Who and why are you? Product or Service: What do you do? Marketing Plan: Market Cubed - The People: Management & Personnel - Show Me the Money. Outline Of A Business Plan - Financial Proposal; Conclusion; Glossary; References; Appendix: Regulatory Information for the Federal Government and Selected States.

Geothermal energy technologies use the heat of the earth for direct-use applications, geothermal heat pumps, and electrical power production. Research in all areas of geothermal development is helping to lower costs and expand its use. In the United States, most geothermal resources are concentrated in the West, but geothermal heat pumps can be used nearly anywhere.

Direct use projects have temperatures between those of heat pumps and electric power generation. They use heat in the water directly for a variety of purposes including to grow flowers, raise fish, heat buildings, or dry vegetables. The current U.S. installed capacity of direct use systems totals 600 MWt, enough to heat 115,000 average-sized houses. Geothermal projects can be "cascaded," e.g., use the same geothermal resource for multiple purposes, thereby increasing the operation's economics. Empire Foods in Nevada uses geothermal resources to generate electricity and dehydrate 26 million pounds of dried onion and garlic annually. Many spas and resorts use geothermal resources for heat, hot water, and pools, not necessarily in that order. And Liskey Farms in Oregon has used its geothermal resource to grow bedding plants and perennials, heat buildings and greenhouses, wash equipment, mix with chopped hay to feed calves, raise tropical fish, and water cattle. There are five basic types of direct use geothermal projects:1.Aquaculture, 2.Greenhouses, 3.Industrial and agricultural processes, 4.Resorts and spas, and 5.Space and district heating. Geothermal heat pumps, or ground-source heat pumps, use the relatively constant temperature of soil or surface water as a heat source and sink for a heat pump, which provides heating and cooling for buildings. Electricity Production - Underground reservoirs of hot water or steam, heated by an upwelling of magma, can be tapped for electrical power production. Advanced technologies will help manage geothermal resources for maximum power production, improve plant operating efficiencies, and develop new resources such as hot dry rock, geopressured brines, and magma. Geothermal technologies release little or no air emissions. Geothermal power production produces much lower air emissions than conventional energy technologies. Resources In the United States, geothermal resources are concentrated in the West, although low-temperature