Geothermal Energy By: Brianna Dixon, Josh Bannon, Molly Weisner, Samantha Jones, and Vanessa Perdomo

#1 Usage How is the Source Used? It uses turbines, generators and transformers in a process like drilling for oil. (You are actually drilling water or steam wells).

#2 Advantage / #3Disadvantages 70% more efficient than traditional furnaces and air conditioners. “It provides reliable electricity at a stable price”. Quiet operation. “ It helps Diversify the mix of flues they use to produce electricity”. “ It Generates electricity in a manner that produces minimal environmental impacts and emissions”. This helps the state meet renewable portfolio standards. Helps develop the economy and opportunities. (Especially in rural areas). “ Provides heat for agricultural, industrial, and space heating applications” Not Widespread Source of Energy “Unavailability of equipment, staff, infrastructure, training pose hindrance to the installation of geothermal plants across the globe”. “Not enough skilled manpower and availability of suitable build location pose serious problem in adopting geothermal energy globally”. High Installation Costs Can Run Out Of Steam Suited To Particular Region May Release Harmful Gases Transportation (: Geothermal Energy can not be easily transported. Once the tapped energy is extracted, it can be only used in the surrounding areas).

#4 Geothermal energy in use

#5 Data to support energy usage The U.S. Environmental protection agency says that “Geothermal heating and cooling systems are considered the most efficient ways to heat and cool homes”. “ 70% more efficient then traditional furnaces and air conditioners”. Safe and has no carbon monoxide gasses.

#6 Impact on Public Lands Geothermal sites are built. Rocks are injected with water. Land is researched and dug up. removes heat from natural reservoirs at over 10 times their rate of replenishment. “Natural features such as hot springs, mud pools, sinter terraces, geysers, fumaroles (steam vents) and steaming ground can be easily, and irreparably, damaged by geothermal development”. “Reduce the pressure in underground reservoirs and cause the land to sink”. “If waste is released into rivers or lakes instead of being injected into the geothermal field, these pollutants can damage aquatic life and make the water unsafe for drinking or irrigation”. Geothermal fluids contain dissolved gases which are released into the atmosphere. The main toxic gases are carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S).

#7 Effectiveness of Energy Production Geothermal energy uses of a geothermal heat pump technology to tap the energy in the earth's surface and drive a heating and air conditioning system for both residential and commercial uses. Very few places have the nessasary environment/ resources for geothermal energy production. Anywhere that has the resources nessasary for geothermal production to occur get their heat and cooling from earth! (they don’t need to make it themselves). It is renewable so it can never run out! Very reliable!

#8 Comparison to Fossil Fuels Geothermal Energy Fossil Fuels Clean. More efficient. Cost effective. Rescues dependence of foreign oils. Very little sulfur gasses. Saves transportation cost. More reliable than fossil fuels. Most power plants are open 24/7. Hard to transport. Need some kind of organic remain. Not good for the environment. Not very reliable. Costly. Limited resource. Dirty. Very large amounts of electricity can be generated in one place using coal, fairly cheaply. Transporting oil and gas to the power stations is easy. Gas-fired power stations are very efficient. “A fossil-fuelled power station can be built almost anywhere, so long as you can get large quantities of fuel to it. Didcot power station, in Oxfordshire, has a dedicated rail link to supply the coal”.

#9 Usage outside the U.S. Country GWh electric United States 17,917 China 12,605 Philippines 9,253 Sweden 10,001 Mexico 6,282 8,678 Indonesia 6,085 Turkey 6,901 Italy 5,340 Iceland 6,806 Japan 3,467 Hungary 2,206 New Zealand 2,774 Brazil 1,840 Around the world people use Geothermal energy for many things. In the circle graph above, it shows the many ways it is used in everyday life around the world. This chart shows Geothermal Energy Production: The top 10 countries in geothermal energy utilization.

Current use in U.S./ creation, usage, and consumption The unites states currently uses Geothermal energy in mostly hotter regions. These pictures and graph show who, how, and for what geothermal energy is used for in the United States. Historical consumption

Technology in use In all of the pictures to the left, geothermal energy is being used. The heat is being removed from the earth and water is put into some rocks. Once the heat is removed into the earth it can be used as a heater. You can also make a cooling system out of the geothermal process and a good source of ground water. In the pictures on the left, steam is being shot out of the ground like springs. This hot water is used to heat things up. This process provides a good, renewable, reliable source for humans to use.

Current Research “Geothermal energy is harnessed from the natural heat of the Earth. In some cases, this means tapping extremely hot temperatures via steam at great depths. In others, it involves the use of moderate temperatures at shallow depths. These are known as “heat sinks” and are valuable for their use in creating energy”. Geothermal energy is safe overall. It has no carbon monoxide gasses. Helps out everyday citizens. It is a reliable source. It is not commonly used because there has to be certain resources in order to function. (usually around a volcano area).

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