Geothermal Energy Storage

Geothermal battery energy storage, using geological formations to store energy in the form of thermally heated brine, has been proposed as a solution to balance the increasing and intermittent nature of renewable energy generation and to enhance the stability of U.S. power grids. This concept has already been successfully applied for building heating and data center cooling by storing excess heat or cold during periods of low demand and recovering it during peak demand. This research aims to:

• Identify suitable subsurface formations for geothermal energy storage,
• Quantify storage efficiency within an integrated energy storage framework,
• Develop strategies to mitigate risks associated with subsurface system failures.

Related publications

1. Jin, W., Atkinson, T., Doughty, C., Neupane, G., Spycher, N., McLing, T., … & Podgorney, R. (2022). Machine-learning-assisted high-temperature reservoir thermal energy storage optimization. Renewable Energy, 197, 384-397
2. Jin, W., Atkinson, T., Neupane, G., McLing, T., Doughty, C., Spycher, N., … & Smith, R. (2022, June). Influence of mechanical deformation and mineral dissolution/precipitation on reservoir thermal energy storage. In ARMA US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium (pp. ARMA-2022). ARMA.
3. Oh, H., Jin, W., Peng, P., Winick, J. A., Sickinger, D., Sartor, D., … & Dobson, P. (2025). Techno-economic performance of reservoir thermal energy storage for data center cooling system. Applied Energy, 391, 125858.