Underground Heat, Urban Cool: The Physics & Promise of Geothermal Cooling - CleanTechnica

The article discusses the innovative geothermal cooling project, G2COOL, in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, which addresses the extreme energy demands of air conditioning in the Persian Gulf region. Air conditioning consumes up to 70% of the UAE’s electricity, making efficient cooling solutions critical. Unlike conventional geothermal power plants that generate electricity, G2COOL uses moderate-temperature geothermal water (80° to 100°C) from an underground aquifer directly to produce chilled water for district cooling through an absorption chiller system. This system leverages the absorption cooling cycle, where heat from geothermal water drives a lithium bromide-water solution to produce chilled water, which then cools buildings. Currently, G2COOL supplies about 10% of Masdar City’s cooling needs. The absorption cooling cycle involves heating a lithium bromide solution to release water vapor, which condenses and evaporates at low pressure to absorb heat from building cooling loops, effectively producing chilled water. Although the system’s coefficient of performance (