Electrified end-use technologies are reshaping how the global economy consumes energy. In Canada, that shift must be informed by our unique conditions: our climate means winter heating already drives peak demand in most provinces, with the rest soon to follow. How we electrify heating will influence grid investment for decades.
Geothermal heating is a key grid-compatible solution that leverages stable subsurface temperatures to remain efficient through both winter cold snaps and summer heat waves, when grid costs peak. Three structural barriers explain why geothermal is still not being deployed at scale:
- High upfront capital cost: drilling adds a large capital layer not borne by alternatives;
- Delivery complexity: requires expertise outside of most developers’ core competencies;
- Risk aversion: uncertain performance, operating costs, and long-term policy signals.
This white paper explores how the Geothermal-as-a-Service (GaaS) delivery model can address all three of these barriers, shifting upfront capital off the developer’s balance sheet, packaging design and delivery expertise into a single counterparty, and converting uncertain long-term savings into a predictable cost structure.
The barrier to scaling geothermal isn’t the technology. It’s the business model. And GaaS offers a proven alternative.
