Science – Society – Technology
Table 1 Level of sustainability in dependence of extraction/recharge ratio
From: Sustainable operation of geothermal power plants: why economics matters
Level of sustainability | Extraction/recharge ratio | Operation time (relative values) |
|---|---|---|
Truly sustainable | E ≤ Re | Infinite |
Sustainable manner | E ≤ E0 with E > Re | 100 to 300 years |
Unsustainable | E > E0 with E >> Re | Few decades (< 100 years) |