Global geothermal industry data collection: A systematic review

• Published in: Geothermics Vol. 104; p. 102457
• Main Authors: Krieger, Margaret, Kurek, Katarzyna A., Brommer, Marit
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2022; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Comparative analysis; Data analysis; Data collection; Data reporting; Energy; Energy transition; Geothermal; Geothermal energy; Geothermal power; Meta-analysis; Metamodels; Misalignment; Renewable energy; Standardization; Statistical analysis; Data collection; Data reporting; Geothermal; Standardization; Meta-analysis
• ISSN: 0375-6505; 1879-3576
• DOI: 10.1016/j.geothermics.2022.102457

•Geothermal power and heat data are reported differently by different organizations.•Various methods and definitions create data inconsistencies.•Geothermal heat data is found the most fragmented globally.•Problem of outliers in the geothermal datasets is found.•Standardized data collection method and coherent terminology are required. Geothermal data collection is subject to fragmented reporting in global energy reviews. This problem arises from discussions about the future of the geothermal energy industry, its trends and how to represent it in the renewable energy transition. The aim of this study is to outline the process of global geothermal data collection and analyse the data reporting systems. A metamodel is proposed to run a comparative analysis between selected entities that report data both for geothermal power and geothermal heat. A complimentary statistical analysis is carried out on these entities. Our findings show considerable data inconsistency, a lack of standardized definitions and a misalignment of collection methodologies. This leads to incomplete geothermal data reporting. Specifically, the revision of geothermal heat data collection should be prioritized.