The Green Impact Report Quick take: Quick take: Hamed Soroush reveals how subsurface thermal energy storage can cut data center cooling power by 80% while creating 6-month energy batteries from underground rocks—plus the mindset shift that transformed his oil & gas expertise into breakthrough clean energy solutions.
Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion
Hamed Soroush is a subsurface engineering expert and entrepreneur who has led over 350 consulting projects across seven countries. As founder of Teverra, he’s pioneering technologies that transform underground formations into long-term energy storage systems.
A former SPE Distinguished Lecturer, Hamed bridges oil & gas innovation with clean energy solutions, focusing on geothermal energy, carbon storage, and thermal energy systems that can store energy for months without significant loss.
Breaking Ground on Better Building
In this episode, Hamed revolutionizes traditional energy approaches:
Key Insight #1: Subsurface Rocks Are Nature’s Ultimate Batteries
The Challenge: Current battery technologies offer only 4-10 hour storage while renewable energy needs long-term solutions
The Solution: Heat rocks underground using excess renewable energy, storing thermal energy for 6+ months with only 5-6% loss
ROI: Creates “artificial geothermal reservoirs” that provide baseload renewable energy without the limitations of traditional batteries
Key Insight #2: Data Centers Can Cut Cooling Power by 80%
The Challenge: 40% of data center power consumption goes to cooling, limiting Georgia’s ability to add new facilities
The Solution: Use subsurface formations and groundwater for district cooling systems
ROI: 80% reduction in cooling power consumption plus 70% cut in CO2 emissions, enabling more data centers with existing grid capacity
Key Insight #3: Transfer Oil & Gas Innovation to Clean Energy
The Challenge: Clean energy lacks the advanced subsurface technologies already proven in oil & gas
The Solution: Apply geomechanics, drilling expertise, and reservoir engineering to geothermal, carbon storage, and energy storage
ROI: Accelerates clean energy deployment by leveraging decades of subsurface innovation instead of starting from scratch
Sustainable Soundbite
Your Green Building Action Plan
Transform your next project with these steps:
This Week: Assess your building’s cooling loads and explore subsurface cooling potential for energy efficiency gains
This Quarter: Connect with local geothermal professionals to evaluate thermal energy storage opportunities for your portfolio
This Year: Investigate district-scale thermal systems that can share energy between heating-dominant and cooling-dominant buildings
Connect & Learn More
- 🌿 Learn about Teverra: Teverra.com
- 🔗 Connect with Hamed Soroush: LinkedIn
- 📚 Recommended reading: The Future is Faster Than You Think
- 🗒️ Read the transcript: [Link]
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