A Sustainable Concept for Permafrost Thermal Stabilization

TL;DR

This paper proposes a cost-effective, solar-powered permafrost stabilization system that significantly reduces thawing, enhancing safety and environmental protection while offering potential revenue from heat and electricity sales.

Contribution

It introduces a novel, energy-efficient permafrost stabilization concept combining solar power, outperforming traditional methods in effectiveness and cost.

Findings

The new system maintains minimal thawing layers even at southern permafrost edges.

Estimated implementation cost is comparable to existing thermosyphons.

Potential revenue from heat and electricity sales can reach up to 70 USD/m2 per year.

Abstract

Although permafrost thermal stabilization systems have been used for a long time already, they have always had shortcomings and limitations of performance which have become even more pronounced in the warming climate. Those could be overcome to some extent, but at high cost mainly defined by need in energy supply. We have suggested a novel concept combining improved energy efficiency and solar power to ensure significant reduction of the thawing layer (to 20 cm order). We have performed calculations for the broad range of permafrost conditions to compare traditional methods for thermal stabilization and their combination to the suggested concept. The latter only has ensured minimum thawing layer over summer even at the southern edge of permafrost extent. The importance of minimum thawing layer is discussed in terms of chemical and biological safety in the area of human activities. The layout for glaciers protection has also been considered. Estimated cost of the concept implementation (ca. 180 USD/m2) is just slightly higher than for widely used thermosyphons while providing much better technical performance and unique possibilities for revenue by selling (not wasting) heat and excessive electricity up to 70 USD /(m2yr).