Geothermal Energy

As we continue to rely on oil and natural gas for energy, our supply of these precious resources is constantly decreasing. Now, more than ever, it is critical that we find and utilize new and existing forms of alternate energy. Geothermal energy is one such alternative. Geothermal energy is heat stored in Earth below the surface. It is both sustainable and clean, generating no pollution. It uses no fossil fuels.

Natural hot water at or just below Earth’s surface has been used for thousands of years. Geothermal heat has been used to directly heat buildings for more than one hundred years. Water is pumped through pipes underground, and the heat is then pumped through a building.

In this country, most geothermal hot-water reservoirs are in the western states, Alaska, and Hawaii. The earth is very hot beneath the surface. Deep inside Earth’s core, it is hot enough to melt rock. Some magma rises towards the surface of the earth and heats large pots of water, also under the surface.

There are different ways to use geothermal energy. In direct thermal energy, hot water very near Earth’s surface is piped directly into buildings providing heat. That same water is then pumped back down and reheated. A geothermal heat pump uses cooler water even closer to Earth’s surface. Geothermal power plants use water or steam from deep under the ground. The heat source is brought to the surface, and water vapor is used to turn turbines to generate electricity.

As with most forms of alternative energy, the initial costs are very high. But once in place, it is very efficient to sustain. In fact, a geothermal heat pump in a house will pay for itself within ten years. Given the intensity of the heat within the earth, geothermal energy offers a largely untapped energy source.