Geothermal+Power

Geothermal Power Basic Definition: Generates electricity from steam produced by water heated within the earth.

How the energy is obtained: Heat may come from co-generation with a geothermal electrical plant or from smaller wells or heat exchangers buried in shallow ground. As a result, geothermal heating is economic over a much greater geographical range than geothermal electricity. Where natural hot springs are available, the heated water can be piped directly into radiators. If the ground is hot but dry, earth tubes or downhole heat exchangers can collect the heat. But even in areas where the ground is colder than room temperature, heat can still be extracted with a geothermal heat pump more cost-effectively and cleanly than it can be produced by conventional furnaces. These devices draw on much shallower and colder resources than traditional geothermal techniques, and they frequently combine a variety of other functions, including air conditioning, seasonal energy storage, solar energy collection, and electric heating.

How it is used: It has been used for bathing since Paleolithic times and for space heating since ancient Roman times, but is now better known for generating electricity. Nowadays, it is installed for district heating, space heating, spas, industrial processes, desalination and agricultural applications. The Earth's geothermal resources are theoretically more than adequate to supply humanity's energy needs, but only a very small fraction of it may be profitably exploited. Drilling and exploration for deep resources costs tens of millions of dollars, and success is not guaranteed. Forecasts for the future penetration of geothermal power depend on assumptions about technology growth, the price of energy, subsidies, and interest rates.

Source Material: []