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Is it hot in here? Or is it just Geothermal Energy?!
About Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy is a natural form of renewable energy generated from the heat in the Earths Core, about 4,000 miles below the surface and has an estimated temperature of 6,000 degrees Celsius. This clean and sustainable heat from the Earth has ranged from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock a few miles beneath the Earth’s surface, making its way down even deeper to the high temperatures of magma. Geothermal energy is one of the hottest alternative energy commodities around. It can easily produce energy on par without the output of other types of energy production such as nuclear reactors. In the United States, most geothermal reservoirs of hot water are located in Western States. Wells can be drilled underground reservoirs for the generation of electricity, while some geothermal power plants use the steam from a reservoir to power a generator. Others use the hot water to boil a working fluid that vaporizes and then turns a turbine. Hot water near the surface of Earth can be used directly for heat. Direct-use applications include heating buildings, growing plants in greenhouses, drying crops, heating water at fish farms, and several industrial processes such as pasteurizing milk.
Advantages
- No wastage or generation of by-products
- · Significant cost saving– saves 80% costs over fossil fuels and no fuel is used to generate the power
- Maintanence costs of geothermal power plants is very less
- · Reduce reliance on fossil fuels– burning of fossil fuels release greenhouse gasses which is responsible for global warming
- It is not dependent of weather conditions
- · No pollution
- Geothermal power plants do not occupy too much space, which helps protect the natural environment
- · Job creation/ economic benefits– government of various countries are investing largely
Disadvantages
- Only few sites have the potential of Geothermal Energy
- · Not a Widespread Source of Energy
- It may release some harmful posionus gases that can escape through the holes drilled during construction
- · High Installation Costs
- No guaranrtee that the amount of energy which is produced
- · Can run out of steam
- there is always a danger of eruption of volcanoe
- · Transportation
Geothermal Energy provides health, environmental benefits
On April 26, 2013, Editors of Electric Light & Power published an article about how Geothermal energy provides benefits to public health and the environment. According to Geothermal energy Association, geothermal energy is one of the least-polluting forms of energy. The Geothermal Energy Association released an air emissions comparison and externality analysis to support the benefits geothermal energy has on the environment. The analysis found that binary geothermal plants produce virtually no greenhouse gasses. The analysis also found that dry steam and flash geothermal plants emit about 5 percent of the carbon dioxide, 1 percent of the sulfur dioxide, as well as less than 1 percent of the nitrous oxide emitted by a coal- fired plant of equal size. This gives adanantages to public health, as well as less land degradation, less air emissions and environmental harm, greater fuel diversity, and secured national security. GEA estimates geothermal energy provides about $88 million in externality benefits per year to California and $29 million to Nevadans by avoiding fossil fuel emissions.
2013 Geothermal: Last- Minute PTC Revision Sparks a New Hope
On January 03, 2013, Meg Cichon, Associate Editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com, published an article about the PTC extensions, which included a provision that could be huge for geothermal development. Karl Gawell expects this provision to significantly boost geothermal development in 2013. Also, the rest of the Geothermal Energy association estimate that new geothermal power in as many dozen states could be stimulated to move forward this year as the result of the PTC change. They also claim that consumers and utilities will benefit because developers will have greater certainity about whether the credit will be available for their project. Many states like Nevada are starting to consider removing compliance mechanisms such as energy effieciency in order to create more demand for renwable enery. The geothermal inudtsry believe the states that have brought of wind and solar to fill the RPS will start to have intermittency issues, while geothermal energy can be brought on a baseload power to help stabalize the grid. Since the U.S geothermal energy struggles with incentives, many in the industry have recommeneded shifting some business focus overseas in 2013.
Our Opinion?!
As you can see, there has been many advatages to using Geothermal energy around the world, therefore Geothermal energy should be used as an energy source. Geothermal has many benefits to the public health, as well as the environment. It is considered to be one of the most "environmental friendly" out of all the energies. It adds to the economy by paying substantial property taxes and providing significant long-term employment. It is one of the more renerwable of energy sources and it is also a cleaner power plant. Geothermal Energy is also considered to be a reliable energy source. It holds its ground compared to other forms of alternative energies and doesnt grapple with "dispatachbility."
Need some more interesting facts?
- Geothermal energy supplies less than 10 % of the worlds energy
- It is very important in volcanically active places
- Can be found in the form of volcanoes, hot springs, and geysers
- Has very low emissiones of greenhouse gasses to about three percent of carbon dioxide emissions of a fossil power station
- Geothermal energy is giving 18 % of Icelands total energy
Citations
2013 Geothermal: Last-Minute PTC Revision Sparks a New Hope Meg Cichon, Associate Editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com
Geothermal energy provides health, environmental benefits . April 26, 2013 .By Editors of Electric Light & Power/ POWERGRID International
How Geothermal Energy Works. by Stephanie Watson. How Stuff Works