What is Geothermal Energy and what are the Facts About Geothermal Energy?
There is so much energy in our Earth. Somehow, the Earth was created in a way to support every activity on it. One of these support systems is called Geothermal Energy. In Iceland, this energy source has been maximally employed to generate electricity and domestic heat in the winter. It’s a major eco-friendly energy source.
Well, let’s not ruin the story. Let’s understand Geothermal energy first, shall we?
WHAT IS GEOTHERMAL ENERGY?
Due to the spontaneous decay of radioactive materials beneath the Earth’s surface, massive amounts of heat are continually being produced and stored under our feet. It started at the creation of our planet and hasn’t stopped till now. While it is also responsible for volcanoes, it has turned out to be a major source of energy especially in countries that have been wise enough to harness it.
Like the Sun and wind, it has little to no carbon dioxide emissions. Unlike them, it is not an intermittent energy source. In other words, it is steady and we don’t have to wait for specific seasons or times to harvest it.
Unfortunately, though geothermal energy is low on carbon emissions, it does emit small amounts of sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide which are also detrimental to the environment. However, since these are natural gases, they would have eventually been discharged into the air anyway.
Besides these, it is also responsible for minor tremors in the environments where it is produced.
HOW DOES GEOTHERMAL ENERGY WORK?
Geothermal energy is location-specific. In other words, it can only be utilized by countries found along the tectonic plates of the Earth’s crust like Greenland, India and countries in East Africa, including Kenya. We wouldn’t forget to mention the U.S and Iceland.
To harness it, mile-deep wells are dug into these reservoirs. The steam from these reservoirs is used to power turbines that generate electricity.
Iceland has made the most of this energy source. With five major geothermal power plants existing in Iceland, the country has become the second largest producer after the U.S. much as 303mW of energy are produced by these plants. These geothermal wells are used to generate 26.2% of the nation’s electricity. Apart from electricity, this energy source is also used for domestic heating.
HOW DOES GEOTHERMAL ENERGY PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT?
Research shows that, compared to conventional coal fired plants in the U.S, geothermal electricity fields offset the annual production of 4.1 million tons of carbon dioxide and 80, 000 tons of nitrogen oxides. That’s a lot of environmental saving.
It is also a renewable and sustainable energy source. In other words, we humans have no hope of running it out, no matter how hard we try. This is because the Earth will continue to produce it as long as the Earth remains. This, coupled with its eco-friendliness, means that we can make the most of it without worrying about its harmfulness.
Unfortunately, not all nations have been able to harness this energy source. Only 20 nations in the world have begun to make use it. Most nations in East Africa have barely scratched the surface of understanding it. However, with the drive of the United Nations towards green energy, it’s only a matter of time before this energy source becomes widely used.
