5.089

The Romans, Chinese, and American Indians used geothermal energy before the technology had a scientific name. These, and other, ancient civilizations were the frontrunners of direct use and district heating systems, using hot water as an energy and heating source. It was common to bathe in hot mineral springs, as well as cook and heat with hot waters from underground pockets or reservoirs. Native North American tribes, for instance, used geothermal vents for “comfort heat” as well as for cooking.

Today, hot water from underground reservoirs is piped directly into buildings to provide hydrothermal energy - heat. District (steam) heating is still common. It provides ninety-five percent of the buildings in Reykjavik, Iceland with heat. Their direct uses of geothermal energy also include growing crops, and drying lumber, fruits, and vegetables. Additionally, steam under pressure is used to operate turbines. Harnessed dry steam also moves turbines.

Unfortunately, as the ancients discovered, geothermal energy is a highly localized resource. That is, there are underground pockets or reservoirs in various sizes, in various locations, and at varying rates of continual replenishment.

The processes used to extract the energy source involve more effort, than the processes that return energy into the geothermal environment. Essentially, this says that you must still be cognizant about depleting the resource, which may contradict the definition of “renewable energy,” making some skeptics question the overall value of geothermal energy as a modern alternative energy resource.

To be clear, just as wind and hydropower depend on air velocity and levels of water, geothermal energy relies upon an area having a certain level of activity. Areas and regions may be stable or unstable. For example, areas near volcanoes and fumaroles are very unstable and unable to support a geothermal plant or project. In other areas, as previously stated, “geothermal activity” must be reasonably high to prevent immediate supply exhaustion.

With the focus on curtailing global warming and finding alternatives to fossil fuels, most geothermal information tout the positives of geothermal technology. However, as our predecessors and ancestors discovered, the type of geothermal method used, determines the impact to the environment and supply. Perhaps to maximize geothermal energy, we should look at some of the historical facts.




Jason Grace
on behalf of the
BascoTec Internet Limited
Technologie Park 13
33100 Paderborn
Germany

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