When someone first told me you can get heat from the ground in February, I told him he was right loony. But I'll be darned if I didn't see it myself over to Edgar's place last winter, and it was right toasty.

Geothermal News

Geothermal Power for Maine

Welcome to Maine's conversation about geothermal heating, also called geo-transfer or geo-exchange.  We invite Maine's experts on geothermal heat to share their knowledge in this blog, and also invite anyone using or considering a geothermal system to share their experiences and questions.  Let's get the conversation rolling.....

GEO Gagnon Tranquility water-to-air ducted geothermal heat system

Photo credit: Water Energy Distributors: water-to-air ducting

 
 
UMaine Farmington Trustees Approve Fourth Geothermal Project
03/05/2013 - 4:19pm

the education center at University of Maine at Farmington boasts a geothermal heating and cooling system.Trustees for the University of Maine at Farmington gave the green light to a $1.5 million project to heat and cool 50,000 square feet of campus building space using geothermal technology. This fourth geothermal system on the campus will help it to meet its Climate Action Plan goal of eliminating its greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 and reducing its GHG output by 20 percent by 2015.

Read more in the Portland Press Herald, in Mainebiz or on UMF's website.

Photo credit: University of Maine Farmington.

All Education Posts, All Geothermal Posts
New Year Brings New Director of Governor's Energy Office
01/03/2013 - 12:57pm

Patrick Woodcock, the Director of Maine's Governor's Energy OfficeKenneth Fletcher has resigned his post as the Director of the Governor's Energy Office and Patrick Woodcock of Hampden, who most recently served as Senator Snowe's senior adviser for energy and environment issues will succeed him on January 7, 2013.

Woodcock, a 2004 graduate of Bowdoin College, faces an uphill challenge to fill Fletcher's shoes, as reported in the Portland Press Herald.

All Biological Power Posts, All Education Posts, All Efficiency / Conservation Posts, All Financial Posts, All Geothermal Posts, All Green Grid Power Posts, All Professional Services Posts, All Solar Power Posts, All Transportation Posts, All Waste to Energy Posts, All Water Power Posts, All Wind Power Posts, All Wood Heat Posts
Portland Jetport Earns LEED Gold Certification
06/28/2012 - 12:13pm

The Portland International Jetport announced on June 27, 2012 that it has earned the gold status under the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating program for building efficiencies.  A new geothermal heating and cooling system contributed to the building's score to help it reach the gold rating under the program.

Read more in Mainebiz.

All Efficiency / Conservation Posts, All Geothermal Posts
Fracking Wells Closed in Wake of Earthquake
01/04/2012 - 1:09pm

Ohio's Natural Resources Department has ordered the indefinite closure of four wells used for hydraulic fracturing or fracking, a controversial process for extracting of natural gas, in the wake of a series of small and one magnitude 4.0 earthquake in and around Youngstown in recent weeks. 

"They will (not open) until we are satisfied that the process can be safely resumed," said Andy Ware, a spokesman for the department.

Over 44% of Maine's electricity is generated from natural gas, so we may be complicit in causing these quakes. See the full article on CNN.

All Biological Power Posts, All Carbon Offsets / REC's Posts, All Efficiency / Conservation Posts, All Geothermal Posts, All Green Grid Power Posts, All Hydrogen Posts, All Solar Power Posts, All Waste to Energy Posts, All Water Power Posts, All Wind Power Posts
Maine Citizens for Clean Energy Forms to Float 2012 Ballot Initiative
10/28/2011 - 12:26pm

A coalition of businesses and organizations gathered in Bangor on October 27, 2011 to launch a petition drive to put a ballot initiative on the 2012 ballot that would require Maine’s utilities to get 20 percent of their power from renewable energy sources by 2020.

“In Maine, as in much of the country, construction work has taken the brunt of this Great Recession,” said Hermon resident Scott Cuddy, a journeyman electrician. “We need help now. We do not want a handout, we want a job. Our jobs come from projects. When a new area of development is identified, we need to exploit that area as soon as we can. Alternative energy generation is just such a field.”

Read all about it in the Bangor Daily News or in Mainebiz.

All Biological Power Posts, All Efficiency / Conservation Posts, All Energy Storage Posts, All Financial Posts, All Geothermal Posts, All Green Grid Power Posts, All Hydrogen Posts, All Professional Services Posts, All Solar Power Posts, All Transportation Posts, All Waste to Energy Posts, All Water Power Posts, All Wind Power Posts, All Wood Heat Posts
DOE Invests in Geothermal Technology
06/09/2011 - 11:42am

On June 8, 2011, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the availability of up to $70 million in new funding over three years for technology advancements in geothermal energy to accelerate development of this energy resource. By funding research to develop innovative technologies to locate geothermal energy resources and improvements in resource characterization, drilling, and reservoir engineering techniques, the DOE aims to reduce the upfront cost of geothermal energy systems, expand their use, and enable the United States to tap the huge potential of this renewable energy resource.

 Read the press release on the DOE website. This is a competitive funding opportunity.  See the solicitation and application instructions on the Funding Opportunity Exchange.

All Financial Posts, All Geothermal Posts
Heat Pump Maker Hallowell Out of Business
05/28/2011 - 6:10pm

Bangor heat pump manufacturer Hallowell International has gone out of business, and its assets will be auctioned off next month.  Hallowell's high-efficiency heating and cooling system, the Acadia, was recognized as a top green product by trade publications, and the company received a state business award in 2009. Since then, however, sales have fallen and customer complaints increased, the paper reported. In February, the company said it cut its full-time staff of 40 to just three, and President Duane Hallowell told the paper he was seeking an investor. The company has not filed for bankruptcy, and McKay told the paper that Hallowell may still attempt to sell the business. Hallowell did not return calls to the paper seeking comment.Northeast Bank requested the auction to liquidate its assets and recover outstanding debt. Hallowell International also owes the city more than $170,000 related to two community development loans of $100,000 awarded to the company in 2006. The company also leased its office space on Hildreth Street from the city.
 
For the full article please click here.

All Geothermal Posts, All Heat Pump Posts
Maine’s Governor Endorses Geothermal Heat Pumps
05/28/2011 - 6:03pm

 
The Governor’s Office of Energy Independence and Security (OEIS) has submitted its findings and recommendations to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. “Residential Geothermal Heating & Cooling Systems in Maine.”
 
For the full report please click here.

All Geothermal Posts, All Heat Pump Posts
New Funding Opportunity for Geothermal Resource Development
05/07/2011 - 3:19pm

In early June 2011, the U.S. Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies Program (GTP) intends to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement to expand its partnership with the geothermal community on geothermal systems research and development throughout the United States in order to support GTP's goal of lowering the cost of geothermal energy to 6 ¢/kWh. This Notice of Intent is designed to provide an opportunity for potential applicants to begin developing partnerships and begin the process of gathering data to prepare their application.
 
GTP's goal is to address the high exploration and drilling risks and costs for geothermal development and key technical barriers for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) in reservoir creation and sustainability. GTP hopes to achieve this goal by obtaining ideas to advance current drilling, reservoir engineering, and characterization technologies in order to identify and develop sustainable reservoirs at lower cost in the following Topic Areas:
 
-Advanced Exploratory Drilling Technologies
-Advanced Well Completion Technologies
-Zonal Isolation
-Observation Tools and Data Collection System for Reservoir Stimulation
-Geophysical Exploration Technologies
-Geochemistry/Rock-Fluid Interactions
 
For more information, see the notice of intent at FedConnect.

All Financial Posts, All Geothermal Posts