Low temperature heat utilisation - Tauhara Geothermal Field, Taupo

Report: TR 1988/02

Author: RJ Curtis

The Tauhara Geothermal Field is located immediately east of, and beneath, Taupo township.

Associated with the deep geothermal reservoir is a hot, shallow ground water resource, which is the most intensively used, low temperature hydrothermal resource in new Zealand. Over 400 users, both domestic and commercial, extract heat and mass from the shallow aquifers and springs around Taupo for domestic hot water, heating, spa pools, irrigation, agriculture and industry.

As part of a larger study, this report examines energy consumption by domestic and commercial hot water users in Taupo. No attempt has been made in this report to assess the size of the shallow energy resource, other than to use existing figures, or to assess the size or use of groundwater mass.