TOPIC 'Geothermal Energy' on Dec 02, 2008 (CET)
Geothermal is a Positive Answer to Heating Homes and Businesses
Scotland is among the many countries discovering how useful geothermal energy to heat structures can be. New houses being built in regions of Scotland, such as Hawick in the southeast portion of the country, are incorporating geothermal energy in their construction. A recently built primary school in Denholm is also utilizing geothermal sources as part of its combined energy answer.
Geothermal energy is getting more widespread attention all the time. It is a wonderful resource for those who have access to it. It is a clean energy source, it is renewable, sustainable, and it is virtually free, except for the cost to tap into it.
In some parts of the world, geothermal energy sources are closer to the surface than others. In some areas, geothermal heating effects extend to profound depths of underground aquifers. In these cases, the heat energy can appear at the Earth’s surface in the form of hot springs and geysers. This is the situation in Iceland where geothermal energy reserves are plentiful. Iceland has the advantage of being able to fully utilize that energy to heat water which, in turn, can be used to heat space, or living areas, and also to generate electricity.
Not every country or region of the Earth has the same amount of geothermal potential as another. It is not evenly distributed across the planet. In those cases, the Earth’s heat is still abundant but at a lower grade. About one and one-half metres below the Earth’s surface, temperatures average 12 degrees Celsius (C) and this is fairly consistent throughout the planet. The heat energy drawn from this section of Earth can heat a building to approximately 50 degrees Fahrenheit (F). This is great for heating under the floors, but it is not warm enough for radiator use. However, combining this type of lower grade heat energy with superior insulation will be sufficient to adequately warm a structure.
To produce such an endeavor, you must either drill a hole beneath the structure, with an assemblage of pipes going down and back, or you may zigzag a pipe network, say, underneath a garden area to a depth of four or five feet. These pipes will necessarily contain a fluid that will be warmed to the temperature underground. The pipes connect to an adjoining heat pump, which removes the heated energy from the fluid and distributes it throughout the structure (under the flooring).
The carbon footprint from this exercise is one of neutrality. It is also free except for installation costs, which can be a bit expensive at first, but the process should be cost-efficient in the long term. Also, if you have a renewable energy source powering the heat pump, you add to the positive side of the environmental balance.
Sherry Irvin
on behalf of the
BascoTec Internet Limited
Technologie Park 13
33100 Paderborn
Germany
