What Is Geothermal Energy? Types and Advantages. Why should we care about Geothermal Power Plant?

Geothermal Energy needs an idle resource that holds the potential to meet the electricity and heating demands for the future. Being a renewable and sustainable resource, the harm done to the environment is gradually low. It is carbon-free and provides a perpetual supply of heat. This energy is the affordable solution to reducing dependency on fossils-fuels and global warming.

What is Geothermal Energy?

Geothermal comes from the Greek word, where ‘Geo’ refers to Earth and ‘Therme’ refers to Heat. The heat procures from the beneath of earth’s crust. Generally, it is found distantly far below the earth’s burning molten rock ‘Magma’ and stored in the rocks and vapor in the center of the earth. In the process of producing power from this energy, wells need to be dug 1.6 miles or more deep into an underground reservoir to obtain the steam and hot water there, which can then be utilized to drive turbines connected to electricity generators.

In-dept, the US Energy Information Administration writes that the planet has four parts of the layer.

• An inner core of solid iron is about 1,500 miles in diameter
• Magma is about 1,500 miles thick
• A magma and rock locating in-depth is almost 1,800 miles thick
• A crust of rock that forms continents is 15 to 35 miles thick under the continents and 3 to 5 miles thick under the ocean floors

Likewise, scientists have identified that the earth’s internal central depth is about 10,800° F. And the Mantle of magma ranges the temperature from around 392° to approximately 7230° F. The earth’s crust fragments into parts called tectonic plates. Magma comes close to the boundaries of these plates, which is where many volcanoes happen. The lava that erupts from volcanoes is noticeably magma. Magma has numerous heat underground by which the Water and rocks absorb heat. Hence, that heat is called geothermal energy.

Source: International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

Moreover, Italian scientist Piero Ginori Conti invented a geothermal electric power plant in 1904 and by now over 20 countries produce this energy. Well, people have been using energy for the culture of bathing in mineral spring, cooking, and eating since the millennium. Also, most Icelanders use this energy to heat their building and water. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), this energy has grown steadily from around 10 GW worldwide in 2010 to 13.3 GW in 2018.

Renewable energy is most likely to never end. Relatively, the underground steam and hot water produced by the decay of radioactive elements within the Earth is a natural resource that is generated for an unlimited time. Furthermore, a recent survey tells that once the storage process is constructed successfully, almost 10% of today’s energy needs can be supported. Hence, this energy is a renewable resource.

Where does Geothermal Energy Work best?

Preferably, the suitable place that this energy works best is where extensive heat is produced. Out of that, the “Ring of Fire” is an area in the nearby Pacific Ocean that has more Volcanoes than other usual regions on the Earth. Also believed that it experiences regular earthquakes and the frequent eruption of volcanoes. About 90% of the earthquake occurs and 75% of volcanoes are located at Ring of Fire. Its length is approximately 40,000 kilometers (24,900 meters).

Repeating, Geothermal powers come from the slow decay of radioactive minerals such as Uranium, which causes the rock to become magma. Tectonic plate movement causes the movement of magma up the edges, forming a reservoir in which geothermal steam and hot water can be recovered through wells. These forms of steam or hot water are pressured through a turbine that is connected to a generator that produces electricity.

Source: ThinkGeoEnergy

There is a lot more on Geothermal Energy. Continue reading about Geothermal Energy.

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