Industrial engineer Elías Casañas Rodríguez, who at 70 years of age continues to work and read tirelessly about new developments in geothermal energy, explains in an interview with Ekonomus how this technology works, highlights the economic and energy savings it entails, and emphasizes its great potential for Lanzarote, as it does not occupy territory.
The founder of the company Ingeniería Canaria de Ahorro Energético (INCANAE), was born in Gran Canaria, but has lived in Lanzarote for over 50 years. In 2002, he developed the first major geothermal energy utilization project in the Canary Islands for the Arrecife Gran Hotel, which won an award from the Technological Institute of the Canary Islands for its energy efficiency.
In addition, Casañas has been awarded for the geothermal systems installed in the Aqualava Beach Park in Playa Blanca, the Hotel Floresta, and the Hotel Boutique La Isla y el Mar, both in Puerto del Carmen, among others.
High and Medium Temperature Geothermal Energy
"There are several types of geothermal energy, it is a very broad field. The first classification is high temperature or high enthalpy, medium and low, and it refers to the depth that is reached," explains Casañas.
"If we go down to great depths, we have more energy because the Earth, in the Earth's core, like the sun, is a ball of fire, and emits a radial heat current to the surface," explains the engineer.
"Lanzarote hotels with geothermal energy save 60%"
To talk about high enthalpy, the depth can reach up to 10 kilometers. The perforations are very expensive and are done in the same way as to obtain oil. "Each meter drilled costs around 100 euros," illustrates Casañas.
To talk about medium enthalpy, at a shallower depth, "there are some hot areas that usually coincide with thermal waters, or geysers." The temperatures reached are 70 degrees and are usually found at a depth of between 100 and 150 meters, "it is used to get hot water, but it is not usually used industrially."
Low Temperature Geothermal Energy: The System of Hotels and Large Buildings in Lanzarote
Low enthalpy geothermal energy, below 50 degrees, "is what we use and is what they use in hotels for hot water."
"The normal thing is to drill to obtain two wells, one through which the water is extracted, the collection well, and another through which it is poured again to then come out again as a heat vehicle," explains Casañas.
"The hot water in the hotels is at 60 degrees, so if the extracted water is at 30 degrees, it is necessary to increase the temperature, through a heat pump. Thus, the water has seven times more heat than what is spent on heating it," he shares.
The technology is very similar to that of desalination plants, but with geothermal energy, the composition of the water does not change and there is no type of residue.
Biosfera, Rancho Texas, Club La Santa, Congress Palace, Municipal Pool
With geothermal energy, explains Casañas, "you can take heat when you need it and, if you have any left over, you can return it to the current that comes from the earth so that it dissipates later on the earth's surface."
That is why air conditioning can be done with the same installation with which the pools are heated.
In shopping centers, for example, the one in Biosfera, "geothermal energy is used to get air conditioning. Meanwhile, in hotels, it is mainly used to heat water."
"To obtain the same energy with photovoltaics in La Santa, a surface equivalent to three football fields would be needed"
"We have just finished the Rancho Texas project, which has a lot of pools, which are being heated with the heat we have taken from the earth."
"The largest geothermal project in Lanzarote is in Club La Santa, which has Olympic pools and air conditioning. The owners are Danish and are very environmentalist."
"To obtain the same energy with photovoltaics in Club La Santa, a surface equivalent to three football fields would be needed. The advantage of geothermal energy for Lanzarote is that it does not consume territory."
"Lanzarote is like a giant pumice stone, the water circulates perfectly"
"With geothermal energy, there are three manholes of one meter by one meter that can be under a parking lot," illustrates Casañas, who also highlights the economic savings it entails: "hotels save 60% with this technology and recover the investment in a few years."
Casañas' team is also responsible for the geothermal system in the municipal pool of Tías or in the project of the Congress Palace of Lanzarote, among many others.
Geothermal Energy at Home
The founder of INCANAE explains that the technology to have low enthalpy geothermal energy is very mature and is particularly suitable for Lanzarote: "We have permeable terrain conditions, the island is like a giant pumice stone, where the water circulates perfectly, especially on the coasts."
"It can be used in homes and it is fantastic," not so much in homes far from the sea, but in areas close to the coast where with little drilling you can reach the sea water, shares Casañas.
