Geothermal energy is a platform that harnesses the potential energy contained within the Earth. It is an overview of how the process works from a practical perspective.
Energy production from geothermal energy sources.
There are several types of energy used in the world that are environmentally friendly. These types of energy include solar energy, which harnesses the energy of the sun, and hydropower, which uses the energy of water to generate electricity. An often neglected source of environmentally sound energy that must be combined with others is geothermal energy. Geothermal energy involves using the Earth's heat to generate energy and warmth for people to use.
Geothermal energy is so named because it derives from the Greek words meaning “geothermal,” “GEO,” and “therm.” Huge amounts of heat are generated in the Earth's interior, reaching temperatures of up to 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The Earth's core then transfers heat to the mantle, a crust of rock that surrounds the core.
There are three main types of geothermal energy systems:
1. Direct use and district heating system
2. Geothermal power plant
3. Geothermal heat pump
1. Direct use and district heating system:
Direct use and district heating systems use hot water from springs or reservoirs located near the surface of the earth. Ancient Roman, Chinese, and Native American cultures used hot mineral springs for bathing, cooking, and heating.
Through a district heating network, the heat-producing plant pumps heated supply water to consumers, where it is used as room-/floor-heating and to generate domestic hot water. The domestic hot water gets heated in a heat exchanger, in which the heated supply water transfers its heat to the water coming out of the taps.
2. Geothermal power plant:
Geothermal power plants are used in order to generate electricity by the use of geothermal energy (the Earth's internal thermal energy). They essentially work the same as a coal or nuclear power plant, the main difference being the heat source.
Geothermal power plants use steam to produce electricity. The steam comes from reservoirs of hot water found a few miles or more below the earth's surface. The steam rotates a turbine that activates a generator, which produces electricity.
3. Geothermal heat pump:
Geothermal heat pumps use the earth's constant temperature to heat and cool buildings. Geothermal heat pumps transfer heat from the ground (or water) into buildings during the winter and reverse the process in the summer.
How efficient are geothermal heat pumps? For every 1 unit of energy used to power your geothermal system, 4 units of heat energy are supplied. That's about 400% efficient! Geothermal heat pumps can achieve this efficiency because they don't create heat – they just transfer it.
A geothermal heat pump is the greenest, most efficient, and most cost-effective heating & cooling system available. That's because it uses the free renewable solar energy stored in your backyard rather than burning fossil fuels.
There are the main four parts of geothermal energy systems:
1. Hydrothermal
2. Geopressured
3. Hot dry rock and
4. Magma.
Produce geothermal energy:
The most active geothermal resources are usually found along major tectonic plate boundaries, where most volcanoes are located. One of the most active geothermal areas in the world is called the Ring of Fire, which encircles the Pacific Ocean.
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