Abstract

GEOCITY is a computer simulation model developed to study the economics of district heating using geothermal energy. GEOCITY calculates the cost of district heating based on climate, population, resource characteristics, and financing conditions. The principal input variables are minimum temperature, heating degree days, population size and density, resource temperature and distance from load center, and the interest rate. From this input data the model designs the transmission and district heating systems. From this design, GEOCITY calculates the capital and operating costs for the entire system, including the production and disposal of the geothermal water. GEOCITY consists of two major submodels: the geothermal reservoir model and the distribution system model. The distribution system model calculates the cost of heat by simulating the design and the operation of the district heating system. The reservoir model calculates the cost of energy by simulating the discovery, development and operation of a geothermal resource and the transmission of this energy to a distribution center. Document type: Report