Enhanced geothermal system

An engineered geothermal system that creates or improves underground pathways so injected fluid can circulate through hot rock and carry heat to the surface.

Hydraulic stimulation: An injection technique that raises fluid pressure to open or extend fractures in underground rock. It can create the pathways that let fluid circulate through otherwise impermeable hot rock.
Geothermal energy: Energy derived from heat stored within the Earth. Enhanced systems are one engineered way to access this broad energy resource.
Geothermal power: Electricity generated from heat extracted from within the Earth. Enhanced systems can supply underground heat for electricity where natural steam or hot water is scarce.
Induced seismicity traffic-light protocol: A monitoring and response system that adjusts or stops operations when earthquake activity reaches set thresholds. Projects use such protocols to manage seismic risk during stimulation and circulation.
Geothermal reservoir: An underground volume of hot rock and fluid from which geothermal energy can be extracted. An enhanced system engineers a reservoir where natural permeability or fluid is inadequate.
Rock permeability: A measure of how readily fluid can move through connected pores or fractures in rock. Low natural permeability is a central reason to engineer underground flow paths.
District heating: A system that distributes heat from a central source to multiple buildings through a network. Produced geothermal heat can supply buildings directly without conversion to electricity.
Basel 1 geothermal project: A deep geothermal project in Basel, Switzerland, whose 2006 stimulation triggered felt earthquakes and led to its cancellation. Its cancellation became a prominent case in the public and regulatory debate over induced seismicity.
Geothermal well: A drilled well that provides access to underground heat or geothermal fluids. Injection and production wells connect the engineered reservoir to the surface.
Thermal conductivity: A material property that measures how readily heat passes through a material. It influences how quickly surrounding hot rock can replenish heat carried by circulating fluid.

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