Geothermal energy is thought to be the cheapest on a global scale. It is very clear and obvious that the way we get energy now is not sustainable and could kill all life on earth.
In this way, it is important to push for a change in energy to stop the temperature around the world from continuing to rise. For this reason, research into the geothermal potential of the earth’s depths should be used to promote both electrical and thermal renewable energies.
What is geothermal energy?
In recent years, many technologies have been made that help protect the environment. Because of this, many governments set up ways to get the energy that are good for the environment.
Geothermal energy is one of the most important ways to get energy now. This type of energy is thought to be a great source of energy that can be used over and over again because it comes from the heat that builds up in the Earth’s crust.
To understand what this kind of energy is, it’s important to look at where the word “energy” comes from. The heat of the Earth is what the word “geothermal” refers to. In other words, this means that heat energy builds up inside the planet.
As you go deeper into the crust, this kind of energy gets much hotter.
Taking this into account, geothermal energy could be thought of as something that uses the heat that comes from the planet’s core. This kind of heat or thermal energy is stored and used by hot rocks that come into contact with fluids inside the planet that are usually very hot.
Geothermal energy is a type of renewable energy that has been studied for many years and is now widely used. When photovoltaic energy and geothermal energy are used together, a building can be 100% self-sufficient.
How does Geothermal Energy Work?
Depending on where the geothermal deposit is, it can be used in different ways. Also, it depends a lot on how the industry wants to use it. Turbines are used to make electricity from steam reservoirs that are located on surfaces that are very hot.
In these high-temperature deposits, it is impossible to turn geothermal energy into electricity without turbines.
Elements that Geothermal Energy Possesses
Geothermal energy is made up of a few different parts, such as the heat pump, which lets the heat in the ground mix with outside heat. This machine is made up of a group of tubes that are buried in the ground so that a hydraulic pump can move water through them.
Geothermal Energy in Domestic Use
From 5 to 10 meters deep, there is no 15oC difference in the temperature of the earth’s depths. After that, they rise 3oC for every 3m they go down.
The 15oC to 20oC found up to 150 meters deep can be used to heat homes in the winter. This is because the temperature of the subsoil is higher than the temperature of the air. In the same way, it can be used to make it cold in the summer.
In order to get the heat, excavations must be done and probes must be put in the subsoil that can pick up the heat.
What is Geothermal?
It is important to have a clear definition of geothermal energy so that you can better understand what it means. Geothermal energy involves studying the heat energy that builds up on the Earth. From what is made in the Earth’s core to what is made in the crust, it is all looked at.
As you get closer to the center, the temperature change is bigger, and vice versa. This kind of temperature change is called a geothermal gradient. For every kilometer of depth, the temperature can go up by 25 to 30 degrees Celsius.
Utility of Geothermal Energy
As has already been said, geothermal energy stands out as being very important because it is a new type of energy that has been found to be useful in many ways. The following are some of the most important utilities:
Generate Electricity
There are two ways to make electricity from reservoirs with high or moderate temperatures: bionary cycle plants or steam turbines. There are three types of geothermal power plants that can make electricity right now:
Dry steam plants: They take advantage of places where there are cracks in the soil and dry steam can come out. This steam starts the turbine moving, which turns a generator to make electricity.
Flash Plants: They are built on the same base as the last plant. In this type of system, though, you need a machine that can divide. This is because the steam that moves is mixed with water, which is not used in this case.
Binary cycle plants: It is used in reservoirs where the water temperature is between 100°C and 150°C. This kind of building doesn’t actually rely on steam like the ones before it. In this case, the thermal fluid causes a second liquid with a lower boiling point to heat up and boil at a higher temperature.
This causes the liquid to boil off at a very high pressure, which turns on the turbines.
Thermal Utility
Large installations that need a lot of energy can use geothermal energy. In this way, they can be broken down into three different types of installations:
Industrial facilities: Geothermal energy is used to heat, treat textiles, get chemicals, sterilize, get salts, dry, and do many other things.
Greenhouses: In this case, the lowest temperature geothermal energy is used to keep the ice from forming in the winter. All of this was done to make the production stage last longer.
Aquaculture: In fish farms, low-temperature geothermal energy is used to keep the water temperature between 20 and 30oC. Some aquatic species can’t grow up unless they have this much heat.
Residential Utility
Low-temperature geothermal energy is the best way to heat and provide hot water for large groups of people. It saves a lot of money because it is a cheap and long-lasting source of energy. But the cost of installing it is much higher than that of natural gas.
Communal heating: This type of energy makes it possible to make heating systems that can heat an entire community. In very cold places, this kind of system is perfect for melting snow on sidewalks.
Individual heating: It is helpful to have different heating systems in homes at different times of the year. To reach this goal, a system that can take heat from the subsoil is built in.
Types of Geothermal Energy
There are different kinds of geothermal energy, just like there are different kinds of wind or sun energy. Next, we’ll talk about each sneak peek:
Hydrothermal Areas
It happens when water and high temperatures are stored in the crust of the Earth. Most of the time, this type of geothermal energy can be shown by a porous rock that is close to a heat source.
Hot Rocks
A heat source is covered by layers of solid stones in this type of system.
Magma
Magma is found in volcanoes, and at high temperatures, it can be used to make geothermal energy. It usually comes out of the ground because of something natural and is often found near hot springs.
Hydrothermal areas are the most important and used type of geothermal energy that we have right now. This is because they have a technology that can deal with the rupture and change the same kind of energy so that it can be used without any problems.
Advantages of Geothermal Energy
This type of energy stands out because it has a lot of good things going for it. Here are some of them:
Allows Energy Saving: Using geothermal energy helps lower electricity bills. It has been shown that you can save up to 60%. On the other hand, compared to other types of energy, the costs to keep this one going are very low.
Reduces the Emission of Carbon Dioxide: This is without a doubt one of the most important benefits of geothermal energy. In addition to being able to keep running all the time, it can also stop CO2 and other harmful gases from getting out.
 It has a Large Number of Uses: Geothermal energy can be used to make hot water for home use, as well as to cool, heat, or run any other system that uses hot water. Most of the time, you can use this in your home to make electricity when the weather is right.
Simple Maintenance: This kind of energy doesn’t need a lot of resources or tools to work.
Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy has a lot of good things about it, but it also has some bad things that need to be thought about. These are the most important:
High Initial Cost: It should be very clear that a geothermal power plant must be built in order to use this type of energy. Most of the time, the cost of installation is quite high at the start.
Cannot be Used Anywhere: Geothermal energy systems can’t be installed in any kind of home. There must be a way to get energy from the ground.
Its Use may be Limited: Even though it is a source of energy that can be used over and over again, it is important to remember that not all types of soil have the right qualities to support this kind of structure.
Cannot be Transported: Another problem with geothermal energy is that it can only be used in the same place where it was made.
Installation of Great Complexity: Before geothermal power plants can be built, the design of the building must be looked at and the conditions of the land must be clearly defined.
It’s important to know that geothermal energy comes from the Earth in many places. In this way, using it and getting it out of the ground could lead to more energy independence.
On the other hand, it doesn’t cause any toxic waste to be released into the environment, which happens when other types of non-renewable energy are used.
But the main problem is that when they turn geothermal energy into something that can be used, they can make things that are bad for the environment, like CO2. But they waste less energy than other ways of making energy that involves burning fossil fuels.
Conclusion
Geothermal energy is the heat stored in the center of the Earth. It is a source of energy that can be used over and over again and never runs out. It can be found in magma, hot rocks, and hydrothermal areas.
At the moment, it is a great way to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are bad for the environment.
