Geothermal energy is a carbon-free, renewable, sustainable energy source that provides a consistent, uninterrupted supply of heat that can be used to heat homes and office buildings and generate electricity.
FREMONT, CA: The heat that comes from the earth’s subsurface is known as geothermal energy. It can be present in the minerals and fluids underneath the earth’s surface and the hot molten lava known as magma. Wells a mile deep are drilled into underwater ponds to access steam and hot water, which can then be used to fuel turbines attached to electricity generators. Dry steam, flash, and binary geothermal power plants are the three types of geothermal power plants.
About 20 countries use geothermal energy. The United States is the world’s leading geothermal energy producer and home to its largest geothermal field. The sector, called ‘The Geysers’ in California, spans 117 square kilometers and comprises 22 power plants with a combined installed capacity of over 1.5GW. In Iceland, where it has been used since 1907, the energy supply is still widely used. Describing itself as a ‘pioneer’ of geothermal power, the nation produces 25 percent of its energy from five geothermal power plants. This is due to the country’s 600 hot springs and 200 volcanoes.
Geothermal energy is a carbon-free, renewable, sustainable energy source that provides a consistent, uninterrupted supply of heat that can be used to heat homes and office buildings and generate electricity, according to a survey. Geothermal energy emits just one-sixth of the CO2 emitted by a natural gas plant, and it is not an unstable energy source like wind or solar. It can produce at least 35GW and as many as 2TW.
The energy source, however, has certain disadvantages. Despite low CO2 emissions, geothermal has been related to sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide emissions. Geothermal power plants, including fracking, have caused minor tremors in the areas where they work and have a high initial construction cost. Owing to its activity around the tectonic plates of the earth’s surface, it is often referred to as the most location-specific energy source known to man. As a result, it is restricted to countries like the United States and Iceland, including Kenya and Indonesia.