Renewable resources for heat generation are cheaper, more secure and better for the environment. The costs associated with the technology depend on the size and type of the installation.

Harvesting geothermal energy for heating needs means increased autonomy (geothermal is effectively inexhaustible) and can go hand in hand with improvements in energy efficiency in buildings and heat-consuming processes, which leads to further cost savings. Ground heat pumps (GHP) are also good as a heat-storage device and offer cost savings through reduced primary energy consumption. Geothermal also reduces the impact on the environment through reduced CO2 (per produced unit) emissions.

An International Energy Agency (IEA, 2011) report highlighted the huge untapped potential of geothermal for heating; up to 3.9 % of global heat production by 2050, if a combination of actions and technology are met. The most widely used geothermal application, after ground source heat pumps (49 % of total geothermal heat), is for spa and swimming pool heating (about 25 %), and for district heating (about 12 %). All other applications combined make up less than 15 % of the total. Low-temperature heating technology and heat pumps offer the highest potential (IRENA, 2015).

The IEA expects growth mainly through accelerated deployment of conventional high-temperature hydrothermal, but limited to areas where such resources are available. Deployment of low- and medium-temperature hydrothermal resources in deep aquifers is also expected to grow quickly, reflecting wider availability and increasing interest in their use for both heat and power.