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facts on geothermal energyHere are basic facts on geothermal energy - an overview to serve by way of introduction to this, the third most prevalent of renewable energy sources being exploited today. First off, what is it? Simply put, the most basic of facts on geothermal energy is that it's simply the energy stored in the ground - the background heat of the earth if you will. Strictly speaking, geothermal energy is the heat from the earth's crust, deriving from the molten core. However in renewable energy terms, geothermal energy refers to any energy derived from the earth. One of the reason facts on geothermal energy are so sought after just now is that it has implications both for the domestic consumer and for those on a commercial footing. While most people's expreience of harnesing geothermal energy will be limited to an environmentally sound, reliable method of providing heating and cooling to their houses, geothermal energy has the potential to power much larger operations. Geothermal energy is used to generate electricity in both civil and commericla applications. Use in this context though, tends to need an 'industrial strength' geothermal energy source. There are various geothermal energy rich regions around the world, so determined by particular formation of tectonic plates and the earth's crust. These areas contain geothermal reservoirs of very hot water heated by the hot rock of the earth's crust. They offer access to serious energy potential and can be found in: Geothermal energy is safe and renewable. It is believed that much of the heat outside the hotspots mentioned above is generated by radioactive decay in the earth's core. As such, it's ana energy that will effectively be here as long as we are. Another of the facts on geothermal energy is that there are various ways of tapping it. Scandinavia is well known for its use of renewable energies and geothermal ebergy is a popular source of heat in that region, despite it not having the shallow geothermal resources found in some areas. They do tend to have hot geysers though and a combination of this heat and deep vertically-configured ground-srouce heat systems mean geothermal is a reliable and relatively plentiful resource there. For the domestic user, the low temperature resources edging the geothermal hot spots provide the potential for both ground-source heat pump and open system heating units. Open system uses, as the name implies, the hot water directly, while ground source heat pumps use a series of pipework configurations to draw the heat energy from the ground into a closed system which transfers the heat back into the target building. While geothermal energy can be tapped more or less anywhere on the planet given the right system and sufficient determination, one of the unavoidbale facts on geothermal energy is that it's much more easily tapped in areas around the hot spots listed above. Not only is it more easily tapped, but the heat differential is usueally of a degree such that more can be done with the energy once exploited. In cooler climates, such as the UK, the temperatures supplied from the basic ground loop system will need to be raised by heat pump systems, though doing so is still a more efficient way of generating sufficiently heated water than most other methods. One of the best pub-debate facts on geothermal energy is that electricity from geothermal energy was first produced way back in 1904, in Italy. Today, from its start in Lardello, electricty from geothermal energy is now produced in more than 20 countries around the world, accounting for more than 7,000 megawatts of our global electricity provision. Another of the pub-debate facts on geothermal energy is that it was used as long ago as in the heyday of the Roman empire. The Romans used geothermally heated water to treat certain ilnesses and for underfloor heating. They were a pretty forward-thinking bunch. The first nations or native americans are known to have used geothermal energy as far back as 8,000BC! Some of the more current facts on geothermal energy include the fact that it is a vital source of cheap, sustainable and clean energy upon with which to support the economies of developing nations. While there's a great amount of untapped geothermal energy which we could exploit using currently available means, new technologies are constantly being researched, one of the leading areas being that of 'hot dry rock'. This refers to geothermal energy stored some 5 miles underground. more facts on geothermal energyBjörk leads power protest in Iceland - Financial Times What Renewable Projects Would you Purchase Electricity From if you Were a ... - OilPrice.com Rick Rule's Enthusiastic on Energy - IBTimes Ram Power continues geothermal acquisition drive - Business Green Ford, LG Electronics, Tupperware, 3M, and Others Demonstrate Future of Eco ... - Earthtimes (press release) Funding cuts will finish Britain's clean energy race - The Guardian |
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