1. Geothermal Energy Presented by: William Murray March 28, 2007

2. What is Geothermal Energy? Defined: Energy that is generated by converting hot water or steam from deep beneath the Earth’s surface into electricity. Unique renewable Natural Energy Flow –Heat Mining –Enthalpy

3. The Heat Source Tiny quantities of radioactive isotopes liberate heat as they decay Core heat transfer through convection Accessible in locations where heats interior is brought within reach –Lithospheric Plates Significant heat flow Volcanic activity

7. The Heat Source Cont’d High enthalpy systems are divided into two categories –Vapor Dominated Best and most productive Free of liquids –Liquid Dominated Relies on water at boiling point Often results in steam “flash” Two-phase zone

8. Geothermal Potential Nature of the resource –Fluid Temperature –Salinity –Fluid Pressure –Gas Content Economies of Scale Maximum efficiency

9. Four Main Types Dry steam power plant Single flash steam power plant Binary cycle power plant Double flash power plant

10. Dry Steam Power Plant

11. Single/Double Flash Steam

12. Binary Cycle Power Plant

13. Ground Source Heat Pump

14. Global Capacity Worldwide use of geothermal 9.3GW –28 GW used directly for heating –100GWt through ground-source heat pumps Potential for 65-138GW MIT claims 100GWe by 2050 0.3% of US energy consumption

15. Environmental Impact Gaseous emissions –Less than 1/10th of coal-fired carbon emissions –Dissolved gasses Land use Noise Potential ground subsidence

16. Geothermal Usage Iceland generates 26.5% of energy from geothermal –.1% Fossil fuels –73% Hydro In the US –Alaska (1 Plant) –California (4.8% of electrical energy, 2.4GW installed capacity) –Hawaii (30MW on largest island, 20% of electrical energy) –Nevada(15 plants, 254MW) –Utah (reconstructed developing plants)

18. Applications in Belize Belize is the only country in Central America that does not have the potential for geothermal energy according to the US Department of Energy

19. QUESTIONS?!!