TOPIC 'Geothermal Energy' on Oct 21, 2008 (CEST)
What Can Geothermal Do For You?
Geothermal energy is getting a larger and larger piece of the pie when talk turns to renewable and alternative energy sources. The more that is learned and discovered about this resource, the more attractive it becomes. It stands to play a very important role in the mix of energy technologies as the world turns toward more environmentally friendly solutions.
One exceptional quality about the use of geothermal energy is that it is available, without question and without fail, 24 hours per day. Solar energy needs the sun (and storage units) and wind power needs, of course, the wind to constantly turn. Geothermal energy is used to heat water and provide a heating source for your home or business. It is also used to produce electricity. As well, another favourable point for geothermal energy is you can’t “see” it as much as some of the other alternative energy blends. The needed infrastructure to harvest geothermal energy is, for the most part, hidden underground – there is no “environmental footprint” as they say.
The estimated world resources from geothermal energy have been approximated at 70 gigawatts. If the technology continues to develop where deeper resources can be reached through water pumps to manufacture steam, it is believed that number could double.
Geothermal energy production is currently active in over 70 of the world’s countries and 24 of those countries utilize geothermal energy for electricity, according to Oxford Analytica. Geothermal “direct” use combines heat pumps to increase capacity. China is a leader in direct geothermal use and has partnered with Iceland to replace coal-fired technology with the more advanced and eco-friendly geothermal heating method. This type of system evokes a high capacity for worldwide use and acceptance.
Along with all these good points and merits of geothermal energy, there comes the case for economic good sense. This type of alternative energy will also grow in popularity due to the fact that it has one of the more competitive cost structures of renewable energy technologies available today.
Sherry Irvin
on behalf of the
BascoTec Internet Limited
Technologie Park 13
33100 Paderborn
Germany
