Harnessing geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is available for use in the form of heat energy produced by the earth in its interiors and so s also referred to as earth energy. It is the most dominant in areas where there is high volcanic or seismic activity. The geothermal energy resources available are either in the form of hot water or in the form of steam. In both the forms, geothermal energy resources can be put to several uses. They can be used to produce electricity, heat water or keep buildings warm.

Geothermal power plants convert the geothermal energy to electricity. This electricity that gets generated can be used as an alternative energy source for several purposes. The geothermal energy resources in the form of hot water or steam can be obtained by drilling wells. This steam or hot water can be used to rotate turbines that are connected with generators which then convert the energy of turbines into electricity.

Geothermal heat pumps are devices that use geothermal energy resources to keep buildings warm. A heat exchanger is installed in the ground near buildings and when it comes in contact with geothermal reservoirs, the heat is transferred to the buildings through a delivery pipe, thus keeping the buildings warm.

Geothermal energy resources can also be put to direct use. They can be used for purposes like heating water, bathing and cooking food. Hot springs which are the most widely used geothermal energy resources are known and used for their medicinal value.

Harnessing of geothermal energy resources is important to make use of it effectively.

Geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is the energy that is obtained from deep inside the core of the earth. We know that earth is formed of different layers. The innermost layer is called the solid iron core and is surrounded by the molten core known as magma. Magma is nothing but hot molten rock. The mantle surrounds the core and is made up of magma and rock. Crust is the outermost layer of the earth.

Heat is being continuously generated inside the earth’s core and flows from the core to the mantle and this heat can be used as an alternative energy source. This energy source is called the geothermal energy. The geothermal energy resources can be made available on the surface in three ways. They can come to the surface by the flow of magma through volcanoes in the form of lava. The flow of underground water or steam in a natural manner like in hot springs can form good geothermal energy resources. Human efforts can make the flow of underground water or steam possible and use this hot water or steam as geothermal energy.

But how does water get inside the earth? Rain water trickles down rock fissures when it rains. Once this water gets inside the surface of the earth, it is collected in an underground aquifer and gets heated by the earth’s heat. The hot water being lighter rises up in the form of steam and reaches the earth’s surface to provide us with what is known as geothermal energy or earth energy.

Geothermal heat pumps

The energy obtained from the deep core of the earth is called earth energy or geothermal energy. Geothermal energy can be put to a number of uses. One of the most common applications of geothermal energy resources is a device called geothermal heat pump.

The upper ten feet of the earth’s surface remain at a constant temperature. In winters, this constant temperature is warmer than the air above it and in summers, this temperature is cooler than the air above it. The geothermal heat pumps are devices that take into consideration this fact and operate to heat and cool buildings.

A geothermal heat pump has three components namely heat exchanger, heat pump unit and air delivery system. The heat exchanger has a system of pipes which is called a loop. The heat exchanger is buried in the ground near the building to be used. A fluid flows through the pipes or loop and this fluid then absorbs or releases heat within the ground.

The geothermal heat pump removes the heat from the heat exchanger and pumps it into the air delivery system to keep the buildings warm in winters. In summers, the geothermal heat pump moves the heat from the air delivery system into the heat exchanger thus cooling the building.

Geothermal heat pumps use less energy than the conventional heating systems because the energy is drawn from the ground which is used as a renewable energy source. These devices that use earth energy are not very expensive. They are also easy to use, install and maintain.

Geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is the energy that is obtained from the core of the earth. The earth is formed of different layers. The innermost layer is the solid iron core. This is surrounded by the molten core known as magma which is nothing but hot molten rock. The core in turn is surrounded by mantle which is made up of magma and rock. The outermost layer of the earth is called the crust.

Heat is being continuously generated inside the earth’s core and flows from the core to the mantle. This energy source is the geothermal energy. The geothermal energy comes to the surface in the following three ways:

• The flow of magma through volcanoes in the form of lava.
• The flow of underground water or steam in a natural manner like in hot springs.
• The flow of underground water or steam through human efforts like geothermal plants.

The question that arises here is how does water get inside the earth? Water trickles down rock fissures when it rains. This water gets collected in an underground aquifer and gets heated by the earth’s heat. This is how water rises and flows either in the form of water or steam to the earth’s surface and hence provides us with what is known as geothermal energy.

Geothermal energy thus obtained can be used either to generate electricity or can be used for heating water, keeping buildings warm or cool and the hot water can also be used directly for cooking, bathing or for its medicinal values.

Uses of Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is the heat energy within the earth. The steam and hot water within the earth’s surface can be used to heat buildings or to generate electricity. Geothermal energy is used by people around the world to heat their homes, produce electricity and to heat and cool buildings.

The main uses of geothermal energy are explained below.

1. Direct use of geothermal energy- Water from hot springs is used for bathing, cooking and heating. The direct use of geothermal energy has been happening since ancient times when people used hot mineral springs and hot water as a source of energy. Hot springs are mainly used for bathing and are believed to have natural healing powers.
2. District heating systems- Geothermal energy can be used for heating buildings by using district heating systems. In these systems, hot water from near the earth’s surface can be directly piped into buildings and industries for heat.
3. Geothermal power plants- Geothermal energy is used to generate electricity in geothermal power plants. Geothermal energy in the form of hot water or steam is used to run turbines which generate electricity in a geothermal plant.
4. Geothermal heat pumps- Geothermal heat pumps use the constant temperature of the earth to heat and cool buildings. They transfer heat from within the earth into buildings during winters and in summers, the process gets reversed.

Geothermal energy finds so many uses because it is an environmentally clean and cost effective source of energy. Also because it is a renewable source of energy, the use of geothermal energy is the best solution to a large number of problems.

Using geothermal energy for homes

The conventional and non conventional sources of energy are used at homes for purposes like cooking, bathing and keeping homes warm. The traditional sources of energy like coal and wood if used for heating homes present a few problems. These problems are related to environmental pollution and rising costs of the fossil fuels used. We, therefore, need to use alternative energy sources like solar energy and geothermal energy for heating homes.

The use of geothermal energy for heating homes is becoming more and more popular because it is easy to use and maintain and also economical. For heating homes, a simple configuration of geothermal energy is required. A loop of pipes is put below the earth’s surface. The pipes get in contact with the high temperatures inside the earth’s crust. This high temperature heats the water that is released through pipes. The heated water in the form of steam is returned back to the homes through a heat pump. This energy can be used to generate electricity, power a water heater or keep the homes warm.

The use of geothermal energy for heating homes is a viable option because it reduces the dependence on fossil fuels. It is also easy to use and install a geothermal system that can heat homes. In addition, geothermal energy is a renewable source that will always be available for use as opposed to fossil fuels. Geothermal energy also does not cause pollution or emit harmful particles into the atmosphere that degrade the environment. Geothermal energy is not expensive and is a very reliable source of energy.

The renewable Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy has been a part of our lives from past hundreds of years. People have been using geothermal energy in the form of hot geysers for various purposes like cooking, bathing, preservations and lots more. The hot springs that were naturally available were referred to as mineral springs as people used these springs to cook healthy food.

Actually Geothermal Energy is the natural heat that is constantly produced under the surface of the earth. The temperature of the earth keeps on varying constantly and therefore people make use of the geothermal energy that is available at different temperatures. Being available at varying temperatures ranging from room temperature to 300oF, geothermal energy can be used for several purposes. These days most of the organizations are making use of the electricity that is produced by geothermal energy.

There are numerous geothermal systems available namely, Northern California, Yellowstone region in Idaho and Imperial Valley in Southern California to name a few. Geothermal energy is a renewable source of energy as the energy is consumed from the magma that is present in the volcanoes. Because of high pressure and resistance, the temperature of the magma gets extremely high. This high temperature of magma facilitates people to carry out various industrial processes.

These days major part of related industries are utilizing geothermal energy as there are very negligible emissions related to it. This is the biggest advantage to the industries and also there is no pollution involved in it.

So, if you have still not decided to utilize geothermal energy, opt for it and take its complete advantage.

History of geothermal energy

The word geothermal comes from two Greek words, Geo and Therme. Geo means earth and Therme means heat. Thus the literal meaning of geothermal is earth heat. Geothermal energy is the energy obtained from the earth in the form of heat. Geothermal energy comes from reserves of water deep inside the earth. The water inside the earth is heated by the molten rock called magma. The geothermal reservoirs can be drilled to obtain the geothermal energy. Geothermal energy is available in abundance on the earth in the form of hot springs.

The history of geothermal energy can be traced back to at least ten thousand years. The geothermal energy was used by Native Americans in the form of water from hot springs for cooking and for use in medicine. Geothermal energy from hot springs was also used by Romans to heat their homes. The Romans also used geothermal energy for its medicinal value that could treat eye and skin diseases. Geothermal energy was also used for bathing by Romans. France started using geothermal energy in 1960’s. This energy was used for heating homes in France.

However, the potential of geothermal energy has not been realized completely. It can be put to several uses other than heating and bathing.

Scientists are developing and exploring new methods for using geothermal energy. Geothermal energy will become an important energy source in the future. Unlike fossil fuels that will finish one day, geothermal energy will always be available for use like it has been in the past.

Direct use of geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is the heat energy obtained from deep inside the earth in the form of hot water or steam. The geothermal reservoirs found miles beneath the earth’s surface provide heat directly. This heat can be used for several purposes. This is called the direct use of geothermal energy.

The direct use of geothermal energy was made thousands of years ago. The geothermal energy from hot springs was used for purposes like cooking and bathing. Today, geothermal energy can be put to several uses in sophisticated ways by using better and advanced technology.

The direct use of geothermal energy includes the following:

• Heating a single building or multiple buildings at the same time.
• Raising plants in greenhouses.
• Drying crops.
• Heating water at fish farms.
• Pasteurization of milk.
• Generating electricity.
• In industries.

Geothermal energy is being commonly used today. In these systems, a well is drilled into the geothermal reservoir to ensure a steady supply of water. These systems have three components- piping, heat exchanger and a controller. The water is brought up through the well. The components of the direct use system deliver the heated water for direct use. The water after being used generally cools down and is injected back into the well or disposed off at the surface by a disposal system.

The direct use of geothermal energy is very common and with the advancement in technology, better methods and systems can be developed that use this source of energy in a more efficient and cost effective manner.

Geothermal Energy

Most of the people are interested in knowing the advantages associated with Geothermal Energy. Geothermal Energy is widely accredited for its non-polluting nature. There is a lot of heat in the crust of earth and this heat is responsible for producing Geothermal Energy. Using this heat you can boil water, steam turbines can be derived. Most of the countries in the world are using Geothermal Power Stations. According to famous sources, future generations will be using Geothermal Energy for electricity. Geothermal Energy is considered as one of the cleanest forms of energy. The performance of traditional forms of energy can be affected owing to changes in the weather. Geothermal power stations provide flawless supply of electricity irrespective of the conditions of weather.

Environment is full of pollution so, one should resort to Geothermal Energy as this energy does not produces any kind of pollution. The generation of electricity is more in case of geothermal power stations but conventional stations produce less electricity. Efficiency of Geothermal Energy is known to people across the world. During winter season, health Spas make use of Geothermal Energy Resources. Human beings have been using Geothermal Energy since many years and at present times; this energy is gaining more importance. Geothermal Energy is cost effective in comparison to conventional forms of energy. So, Geothermal Energy is one of the most efficient forms of energy and non-polluting nature of this energy is the major reason of popularity of Geothermal Energy.