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Geothermal Energy. Geo thermal energy is energy from heat within the earth. It can be in the form of Volcanoes (left), fumaroles, Hot springs (bottom left), and geysers (below). . BY: Matthew L. and Jacob P. How do people use Geothermal energy?.
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Geothermal Energy Geo thermal energy is energy from heat within the earth. It can be in the form of Volcanoes (left), fumaroles, Hot springs (bottom left), and geysers (below). BY: Matthew L. and Jacob P.
How do people use Geothermal energy? People have used hot water from hot springs and geysers since ancient times to heat their homes and to bathe in. Nowadays, people still use the hot water to heat most buildings in Iceland. People also use hot water to run geothermal power plants (California has 33 geothermal power plants) And heat pumps. The world leader in geothermal usage is the Philippines, 28% of there energy is geothermal. U.S. geothermal industry became a $1.5 billion per year business that involved electricity generation and thermal energy in direct use such as indoor heating, greenhouses, food drying, aquaculture, etc. Alaska installed a 200 kW power plant that used low temperature (74º C) geothermal water along with (4º C) cooling water. The red dots on the picture are where geothermal energy is most popular.
Why use geothermal energy? • It is renewable • It doesn’t cause pollution • Owners of buildings using geothermal have cut 25 to 50 percent off their utility bills. • No cooling towers, rooftop units, or individual room air conditioning units are needed, so buildings and schools using geothermal systems look better. • There’s no fire hazard and no outside equipment that could potentially hurt kids • Geothermal systems are quieter, more reliable, more efficient, and more compact compared to regular heating and cooling systems. • Daniel Boone high school saved $33,000 by using geothermal energy. • Geothermal energy costs dropped from $.10 - .16 per kilowatt hour to $.5 - .8 per kilowatt hour. • The earth under our feet stays the same temperature year round, whether it’s blazing hot in summer or freezing cold in winter. In summer the earth is cooler than the air, and in winter it’s warmer. Geothermal heat pumps cleverly put that fact to good use. They use the earth to warm buildings in the winter and keep them cool in the summer. They work so well TVA helps Valley businesses and school systems install them in their buildings.
What can you do? • Can get your energy from geothermal power plants. Move to Iceland and get your home heated by hot water from hot springs and geysers.
What will people do in the future? • In Africa, a few small countries would like to develop there own geothermal power plants. • By the end of the century, 1/3 of the energy in the U.S.A. Will probably be geothermal energy.
