Geospatial Cost Comparison of Thermal Energy Technologies for Direct Air Capture in the US

A geospatial analysis compares the levelized cost of heat and carbon removal for three decarbonized thermal energy sources across the United States. The study uses detailed process models for sedimentary basin geothermal, concentrated solar, and heat pump technologies, with sorbent-based direct air capture as a case study. The dataset was authored by Caleb H. Geissler and last updated on April 28, 2026.

Use Cases

• Compare the levelized cost of heat (LCOH) for geothermal, concentrated solar, and heat pump technologies based on the geospatial results described.
• Assess the levelized cost of carbon removal (LCOR) for sorbent-based direct air capture systems based on the case study methodology.
• Identify preferred thermal energy sources for specific US locations based on the key parameters of depth, temperature, and transmissivity mentioned in the results.
• Model the impact of electricity carbon intensity and cost on heat decarbonization pathways based on the findings discussed.

Strengths

• Provides specific cost figures, such as a geothermal LCOH as low as $16/MWh and median LCOH of $47/MWh for concentrated solar.
• Analysis is geospatial, covering locations across the United States.
• Uses detailed process models for the three thermal energy technologies, as stated in the methods.

Limitations

• The dataset is a 4.9 MB DOCX file, which is a small document format not optimized for direct data analysis.
• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown, requiring manual inspection after download.
• The description does not specify the exact geospatial resolution or the number of data points modeled.

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Generated from detailed process models for geothermal, concentrated solar, and heat pump technologies.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-28 10:04:05; freshness should be verified.

Geography

United States