Geothermal Energy
Carson Reddick, Sydney Taylor, Anelise Harris, Chris Davis,
Process of Geothermal Energy Power Plant
1. Uses Heat from deep inside the Earth
2. Then generates steam to make electricity
3. The geothermal heat pumps which tap into heat close to the Earth's surface
4. Uses that to heat water or provide heat for buildings.
2. Then generates steam to make electricity
3. The geothermal heat pumps which tap into heat close to the Earth's surface
4. Uses that to heat water or provide heat for buildings.
Or another process of Geothermal Energy process
1. From production wells
2. flash sepeator
3. turbine generator
4. condenser
5. cooling tower
6. gas removal
7. to injection wells
Development of the Technology
- Bath Houses- In Rome the bath houses are powered by geothermal energy. The Romans use hot mineral springs for bathing heating.
- Using geothermal energy to produce electricity is a relatively new industry. Initiated by a group if Italians, who built an electric generator was powered by the natural steam erupting from the Earth.
- Heat Pumps- Known as "Ground Source heat pumps." Which the pumps use a high temperature heat source to generate electricity. The first heat pump used by geothermal energy started in Portland, Oregon,
Map of Geothermal Energy used in North Carolina.
The red dots conclude the number of geothermal energy processes used in North Carolina. As you can determine, there is only one red dot near the coast of North Carolina.
Map of Geothermal Energy used in USA.
As the appearance of the USA, Geothermal Energy is mainly used near the mid-west and west coast of United States of America.
Concerns for Wildlife and Environment.
With Geothermal Energy there are bad and good things about the processes and energy.
Good Things
- Efficiently (300-500% compared to 90% of the best furnaces.
- Geothermal Energy is a renewable energy resource as long as the Earth exist
- Not a significant source of pollution
- Environmentally friendly compared to as or oil furnaces (no combustion)
- The carbon footprint of a geothermal power plant is minimal, from geothermal resources is considered helpful in fight against global warming
- Electricity is still needed to operate heat pumps
- Geothermal Energy when using requires an incredible usage of water
- Large Scale of geothermal power plants are dangerous to the Earths surface and location
Cost $$$
Starting price of installing into a house is $5000 on average. The price can increase to $8000 to $9000 per ton.
It will cost $20 to $25 thousand to install a Geothermal energy source.
To reduce cost of utilities it would have to be $3400 per kilowatt installed.
(Kilowatt is a measure of 1,000 watts of electrical power)
The cost per kilowatt is 3 cents to 35 cents power is sold.
The cost of of geothermal heat pump is $2,500 per ton.