Old Faithful Geyser
Most people don’t know about geothermal energy and some have never heard of the technology. Today we want to talk about geothermal energy in hopes to make people more aware of the technology. Geothermal technology is currently being used to generate a very small amount of the world’s energy, less than 5%. So how does geothermal technology work? And why aren’t we using more of it?
Geothermal technology is somewhat simple, and very innovative. The technology utilizes the heat generated inside the earth to produce energy. There are a few different ways that energy can be produced from the heat below the Earth’s surface:
- Conventional Geothermal Energy Production
- Geothermal Heat Pumps
- Direct Heat From Geothermal Sources
Conventional Geothermal Energy Production – There are a few different conventional methods that utilize the Earth’s interior heat to generate energy. All of them use steam to turn a turbine generating energy in the same method as a fossil fuel power plant would. The most common method uses hot geothermal water from within the Earth to superheat another fluid, using the superheated steam to turn a turbine. Another method pumps water into cavities of hot rock deep below the surface, and collects the steam generated to turn a turbine. Natural steam from within the Earth can also be collected to turn turbines.
Geothermal Heat Pumps – This type of geothermal technology utilizes the heat of the Earth’s crust to heat water. The heated water can then be used to heat homes in the winter. During the summer, heat can be pulled from the home to heat water, providing free hot water heating.
Direct Heat From Geothermal Sources – Heating can be provided to buildings by piping naturally heated water from beneath the Earth’s surface. Generally, the naturally heat water does not hold enough energy to turn a turbine or generate more power, but it does have enough energy to heat a home, building, or greenhouse, and is much cheaper than other conventional methods of heating.
This is geothermal energy in a nut shell. The examples explained here are simplified to provide a general idea of geothermal technology. There are many advantages and disadvantages to geothermal technology which will be explained later this week. Also later this week, N-er-G will talk more about the regions of the world that are currently using geothermal technology to produce energy. Check back for more on geothermal energy…..
