Exploring Geothermal Energy

What is Geothermal Energy? A lot of people wonder about this alternative energy source since it is not visible to us as it is installed under the ground. However, it is emerging as one of the most viable renewable energy source. In fact, United States leads the world (approx. 3000 MW) in tapping into this energy source followed by Philippines, and Indonesia.

The other question people have is whether geothermal energy is a renewable energy source? Yes, this energy source is considered renewable because the electricity producing geothermal plants emit about one-eight of the carbon-di-oxide (CO2) compared to a conventional coal-fired plan.

And there is the question of defining geothermal energy? In terms of defining this energy source it will be helpful to understand how this alternative energy source is produced.

This energy is produced by tapped the earth’s internal heat so the energy comes from the core of the earth. This is baffling to a lot of people as we are not very familiar with the technology that can tap the earth’s heat and convert it to electricity for everyday use.

Click here for information on how geothermal energy works?

Just like any other alternative energy source such as solar energy, wind energy and biomass energy, we have to understand that there are geothermal advantage and disadvantages:

Here are some geothermal energy advantages:

1)This renewable energy source is free (tapping earth’s heat) and safe (no pollution or carbon foot-prints);

2) No external installation compared to solar and wind energy. Therefore, once installed this energy source can provide quite and clean energy to power your residential and/or commercial setting.

3) The underground installed unit is invisible to the eye and the energy convertor is similar to the furnace in your house. Therefore, not does it look similar to your existing system but it provides better energy distribution. The installation provides even distribution (no cold or hot spots)in the setting.

4) The new technology is sturdy and resilient. In fact, commercial installations come with approximately 50 yrs. warranty.

5) Unlike wind and solar energy, there are no worries of lack of sun or wind that affects energy generation. If your dwelling is in a good location for tapping this renewable energy then you are set for a long time.

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Here are some geothermal energy disadvantages:

1) One has to do deep drilling to tap this energy source. In the past this could cause minor earthquakes, as the technology used in tapping this energy source was not very developed. However, now with improved technology this risk has been reduced significantly and it has become very safe to use this energy.

2) One needs to have very high temperature to successfully tap this energy source. Therefore, this renewable energy source was available in limited parts of the world. However, with the use of nanotechnology, we can now harvest it from places with lower temperatures.

3) The conversation about this energy being renewable comes from the fact that we still have to lay pipes and create other infrastructure to harvest this energy. Therefore, some people may argue that this may not be much cheaper than the fossil-fuel energy sources.

4) As with any new technology, the geothermal installations suffer from structural challenges such as leaky ducts, variation in airflow, and just not getting enough energy.

Therefore, it is important to understand the geothermal pros and cons before you decide to invest in this renewable energy source. To understand how this alternative energy source would work money-wise, you might want to understand how the geothermal heat pump works and approximately how much it costs.

Click here for more information on geothermal heat pump

You can save money (and contribute to the environmental well-being) by tapping into this energy source but do check out the federal tax credits incentives to take advantages of certain rebates being offered by the federal government.

Click here for an interesting video to see how this energy is developing in emerging societies:

Click here for more information on Federal Tax Credits

In summary, exploring (and installing) geothermal energy is totally worth your time and money. This renewable energy source is becoming a serious player in the green energy industry.

Go to Alternative Energy Sources from Geothermal Energy

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