Geothermal energy

Geothermal Energy

Created by Corey Boisvert & Courtney O’Keefe

This form of renewable energy comes from the Earths core. It produces

thermal energy from regions that have

temperature extremes such as volcanically active

regions, steam beds or hot springs. Geothermal energy

is considered one of the best sustainable energy

sources because it is natural and available in

most places

Convenience is the best!• It is very easy for

the average homeowner to invest in Geothermal Energy because it drills down from most areas on the earth’s surface to the core then converts dry steam to electricity.

• When a homeowner invests in this product, costs on electricity go down as opposed to purchasing fossil fuels, also leading to less global warming.

The diagram above shows two lines out and in of the house, the blue is the dry steam gained from the part underground while the orange is the cooled water that is returned to the ground.

Cost of running• Despite the helpful

impact power plants have on the environment, cost is high and the work is risky.

• It can cost the government an average of $10 million to build a power plant (Or drilling) and has only a 80% success rate of retracting magma from the earth’s crust.

• It has about a capitol cost of $4 million per year to run the power plant.

Seeking heat under Bow: “Take down the Fossil Fools!”

• Officials have agreed to begin construction of a Geothermal Energy Plant in Bow, NH. The project is underway currently and recently started after a few Massachusetts scientists agreed that the geological factors in Bow could have magma levels high enough to make a drill. Atlantic Geothermal LLC is responsible for the production and the capitol cost is believed to be around $786 million due to extensive digging. If plant is successful it could produce up to 330 megawatt.

People gather outside to show support for the construction of the plant

Economics Geothermal heat

pumps save money. Schools now using geothermal heat pump systems save more than $25 million in energy costs - meaning more money for books, equipment and teachers. Homeowners can save 25 to 50 percent on home electric bills compared to conventional heating and cooling systems. Electric bills for a 2,000 sq. ft. home can be reduced to as low as $1 a day, using a geo-exchange system.

The chart above shows how much the average NH 2,000 square foot home

owner pays for heating and what they could pay with other alternatives such as

geothermal sourcesNon-hydroelectric Renewable Generation has about an average cost of 87 Billion Kilowatt hours

Pros and cons• PROS• An EPA study of energy

efficiency concluded geothermal energy is the most environmentally friendly heating/cooling system.

• The United States National Renewable Energy Laboratory concluded that geothermal energy is more efficient and cost-effective compared with conventional residential systems.

• Available everywhere in the United States, geothermal energy can be found underground virtually anywhere.

• Geothermal cost savings can be increased by geothermal energy incentives, available from federal, state, local, and utility sources

• CONS• Geothermal Energy is very

costly, and there for not available to some US citizens

• Geothermal Energy pumps are useful, but only gradually.

The buyer pays a lot of money for his/her product

and only gradually makes the money back by less money on

electricity• Geothermal Energy can lead

to the leaking of gasses from underground wells into

the earths atmosphere leading to addition of

greenhouse gasses in global warming.

• Geothermal energy only makes up about .37% of the US energy

sources, as opposed to in Iceland, where it makes up about

30%

Use of Geothermal Energy as opposed to other sources

Coal

Nuclear

Biomass

Geothermal

Nat. Gas

Oil

Hydroelectric

Non-Hydrorenewables

Corey:I’m really proud,I made this chart myself!

Contribution to ‘GW’

Though Geothermal Energy is a minor energy source in the world, it still contributes to

Global Warming. When drills are set

into the ground they emit gasses from under the

earths crust into the atmosphere

that are potentially hazardous to the

ozone layer.

Though most of the emissions in these pictures are steam, some can be harmful chemicals.

Relationship to conservation of energy• The law of conservation of energy states that “Energy can neither be

created nor destroyed, but converted from one form to another” This concept applies to Geothermal Energy because the

harvested dry steam and thermal heat from the magma in the earth’s core is thermal energy, this is then transferred to a cooling or condensation tower, which turns the water vapour left cool enough to be returned back into the earth’s surface. The steam is converted from thermal energy into heat or possibly electricity.

Pleas for exploration into Geothermal Energy Plant

• Plans in Adelade, Australia.

• Despite the promising chance to cut back on burning of fossil fuels in Australia, officials are not as excited for this new chance at exploration as comparison to in Europe. Officials are leaning more towards not approving the operation.

"Finding the resource; that's the main risk in our industry. So we argue that the government should be contributing to the risk of finding the resource," Says Susan Jeans (Founder of AGEA)

Fun Facts• About 10.000 years ago, Paleo-Indians used hot

springs in North America for cooking. Areas around hot springs were neutral zones. Warriors of fighting tribes would bathe together in peace.

• There are over 140 schools and over 10,000 homes with geothermal heat pump systems in Texas.

• The hottest Geothermal well recorded is 510°F @ 23,800 ft (-96.86 Longitude, 28.79 Latitude) east of Victoria, Texas

Sources

• Information:• http://www.consumerenergycenter.org• http://www.cathylaw.com• http://en.wikipedia.org• http://www.concordmonitor.com/article• http://www.industcards.com• Main Source• http://www1.eere.energy.gov• Pictures:• http://www.cathylaw.com• http://cdn.physorg.com• http://images.google.com• http://www.renewableenergyworld.com