Archive for the ‘Geothermal’ tag

Geothermal Energy: Energy from the Earth

The simplest way to get energy is to use what is already there. The heat in the earth is already there and we just need to dig into it to tap it as a source of energy.
On the surface, we can stand the heat of the earth, but deep below, immense power is stored as tremendous heat.
The core of the earth is over 60 times hotter than boiling water. This heat creates pressure that is just below the surface of the earth. In other words, we don’t have to go to the center of the earth to reach this geothermal energy. If we only dig down three miles, the temperature is over 100, enough to produce steam to produce power.
It is a simple concept: we normally use coal or oil to produce energy which is converted to electricity for our everyday use. The superheated fluids in the earth can produce the same energy to convert to electricity.
This heat is extracted in the form of molten rock (magma).
Water seeps into the earth’s core and pools in little lakes.
The hot rock in the earth heat this water and wells are drilled to bring this heated water to the surface to power generators.
As the superheated fluid passes through pipes, any solids are removed and the water is forced through pressure to produce steam. This steam will power turbines which will power generators. Generators store energy and then send it to transformers that in turn send electricity to power lines.
Geothermal energy has been used for a while, but it is not fully exploited as the source of energy it could be. In the United States, geothermal energy remains a lessor source of energy for many reasons:
a. A lot of study and research must be done to find areas that are most conducive to geothermal energy.
b. Some geothermal sites may not produce steam for a long enough time to run generators.
c. It is very expensive to build a geothermal power plant, and the return is not guaranteed.
d. The process of bringing up the heat may also bring up materials that may be hazardous.
These factors make us wonder whether it it worthwhile to develop this source of alternative energy in a location.
Hopefully, these problems can be outweighed by the benefits:
a. Geothermal energy uses natural heat, and therefore does not cause any pollution.
b. You do not have to use energy to get the energy of geothermal heat, which is sometimes the case of other alternative energy sources.
c. We conserve fuel.
d. It does not require as much room as a traditional power station.
We will have to weigh the pros and cons of geothermal energy before it can be decided how feasible it is to use. But constant developments may eventually make it a perfect alternative fuel.

Germany’S Bid For Solar Excellence Scuppered By Geothermal?

In 1991, a quiet but effective revolution began in Germany. It consisted of 5 paragraphs and didn’t even provide any future promises (or funding), but it gave something to the average citizen that he didn’t have before. . . commercial access to the grid. The law was entitled Stromeinspeisungsgesetz (commonly known in the U. S. as the Energy Feed-in Law). From 1991, all suppliers of electricity, including private citizens, were granted access to the electrical grid and, by law, would be compensated at an unprecedented premium for all energy sent into the network. By far, the highest commissions were paid to the suppliers of solar power, starting a race to go solar in Deutschland. ? The law was revised in 2000 and now called the Renewable Energy Sources Act to include energy supplied by geothermal derivations such as geysers, natural steam, geopressurized reservoirs, etc. Perhaps not something the average person has access to, but certainly of interest on a corporate level. Ironically, most geothermal energy is not very “renewable” as it is mined faster that it can regenerate, but it is clean and efficient. There is no mistaking that this addition was added, in fact, to attract new business to the clean energy market. More importantly, the 2000 version set a time frame for new investors to 20 years. What that achieved was the insurance and reassurance that people needed before such a huge commitment to their individual projects. On the negative side, the 20 years came with decreased tariffs over time. Why decrease the tariffs? Simply put, the government had set a ceiling of 5% total energy production by the methods outlined in the original Stromeinspeisungsgesetz. Solar panels were going up all over Germany faster that you can say “sauerbraten”. Although not funded directly by the government, budget considerations still had to be weighed as the electricity consumer picked up the tab for the subsidies. The tariff reductions simply mitigated the government’s set budget for the project. In addition, the newer law put Germany in line with the EU’s energy regulations requiring frequent review, rates reflective of overall cost, different rates based on type, different rates based on size of facility, and a generally degressively mobile payment structure. The goal of this bill was to reduce carbon emissions by 3% by 2010 and enable green electricity to become 10% of the overall energy supply by the same year. This goal was surpassed in 2007, at which point 12. 5% of total energy was green energy. ? In keeping with the EU’s standard of “frequent performance review,” the law was once again revised in 2004. This time, no great name change. It became the 2004 Renewable Energy Sources Act. Since reaching goals set in 2000 so early, this revision raises to bar to 27% by 2020. These enterprising ambitions and the tools implemented to achieve these agendas have put Germany forward as a renewable energy pioneer in terms of sheer scale. The newer law accounted for up and coming market developments and rewards for innovation in sustainable sources of power. Since the initiation of the Renewable Energy Sources Act, tariffs paid out to suppliers have been more finely tuned, promoting photovoltaic, geothermal, and biomass overall. However, payouts under this bill were dynamic with new developments and technologies. Wind power payments under the 2004 act, for example, were reduced due to a reduction in overall costs secondary to technological advances. By degressing fees paid to suppliers, the government hopes to ignite creative stream-lining innovations, which, based on fluctuating payments, rewards the design model, but saves on the long term. Another aspect of the 2004 legislation is the fixed tariff scheme. Suppliers could “lock in” a rate based on the year of initiation. The rate would be good for 20 years plus the year of commencement. Once again, this is a call to action. The sooner you’re in, the more profit you can extract. Producers of electricity are protected from future changes to the law by this key piece of the legislation. ? As of 2008, amendments in the Energy Act, or EEG (Erneubare Energien Gesetz) lessen the focus on solar production by reducing the tariff for rooftop solar panels by 8% in 2009 and 2010 and then 9% annually after that. Ground level solar parks will suffer a 10% reduction in compensation in 2009 and 2010 (a decrease of 3. 5%). Wind energy promotion is the focus of the latest revisions set forth by the governing body. So, is wind the new King of Renewables? Solar power is perhaps less heavily promoted than in the past, but one must see that as a sign of success of the program. Falling subsidies indicate that the industry is healthy and has less need for gross promotion. Is wind the next “big thing” in Germany? Don’t count out geothermals just yet. Although the “renewability” of geothermal power is in debate, geothermal drilling goes on and was given an early boost in 2000 and further support in 2004. There are currently 150 geothermal plants in the development stage held back at the moment due to the cost of the drilling equipment necessary. Not to be daunted, German manufacturing plants are expanding drill production for the sector. Six geothermal plants are in the process of opening this year (2009) and into 2010. So, what does this mean for the rest of us? Well, look at it this way. A country with relatively moderate sun exposure and no volcanic activity in 7,500 years is actually a leader in producing solar power and geothermal energy. To say that Germany is inspiring is a vast understatement. If the U. S. made a serious attempt to duplicate Germany’s success, the impact on the environment would be staggering. U. S. representative Jay Inslee from Washington state introduced the Renewable Energy Jobs and Security Act in June of 2008, but it stalled. On a brighter note, Gainesville, FL just passed a law (March 2009) to compensate providers of solar electricity at a premium rate through net metering. City officials passed this bill unanimously after studying the success in Germany. Hawaii isn’t far behind and will likely have a similar plan in effect by the end of the year. I think that this is how we are going to achieve results in the U. S. : one state at a time until the job is done. 15-Mar-09 ?

Using Geothermal Energy

We should be doing everything possible to develop geothermal energy technologies. This is a largely untapped area of tremendous alternative energy potential, as it simply taps the energy being naturally produced by the Earth herself. Vast amounts of power are present below the surface crust on which we move and have our being. All we need do is tap into it and harness it. At the Earths’ core, the temperature is 60 times greater than that of water being boiled. The tremendous heat creates pressures that exert themselves only a couple of miles below us, and these pressures contain huge amounts of energy. Superheated fluids in the form of magma, which we see the power and energy of whenever there is a volcanic eruption, await our tapping. These fluids also trickle to the surface as steam and emerge from vents. We can create our own vents, and we can create out own containment chambers for the magma and convert all of this energy into electricity to light and heat our homes. In the creation of a geothermal power plant, a well would be dug where there is a good source of magma or heated fluid. Piping would be fitted down into the source, and the fluids forced to the surface to produce the needed steam. The steam would turn a turbine engine, which would generate the electricity. There are criticisms of geothermal energy tapping which prevent its being implemented on the large scale which it should be. Critics say that study and research to find a resourceful area is too costly and takes up too much time. Then there is more great expense needed to build a geothermal power plant, and there is no promise of the plant turning a profit. Some geothermal sites, once tapped, might be found to not produce a large enough amount of steam for the power plant to be viable or reliable. And we hear from the environmentalists who worry that bringing up magma can bring up potentially harmful materials along with it. However, the great benefits of geothermal energy would subsume these criticisms if only we would explore it more. The fact that geothermal energy is merely the energy of the Earth herself means it does not produce any pollutants. Geothermal energy is extremely efficient-the efforts needed to channel it are minimal after a site is found and a plant is set up. Geothermal plants, furthermore, do not need to be as large as electrical plants, giant dams, or atomic energy facilities-the environment would thus be less disrupted. And, needless to say, it is an alternative form of energy-using it would mean we become that much less dependent on oil and coal. Perhaps most importantly of all-we are never, ever going to run out of geothermal energy, and it is not a commodity that would continuously become more expensive in terms of real dollars as time passes, since it is ubiquitous. Geothermal energy would be, in the end, very cheap, after investigation and power plant building costs are recouped.

Geothermal Energy: Tapping Into The Earth

When considering the many sources of renewable energy that could help reduce the United States’ dependence on fossil fuels, much consideration must be give to geothermal energy. ? Geothermal energy is entirely clean and does not pose the health risks associated with the harvesting, use, and burning of fossil fuels. ? It is an affordable and sustainable option, something that should be given great consideration as a viable alternative. Geothermal energy is simply the heat given off by the earth itself. ? The core of the earth contains a layer of magma that continually produces heat. ? This heat is produced by the decay of radioactive materials such as uranium, and over fifty thousand times more energy than contained by all of our oil and natural gas resources can be found in only a 33,000 foot radius of the earth’s surface. Currently, the most common method of harvesting geothermal energy is by tapping into geothermal springs. ? In these springs, cooler water seeps into the ground, only to be heated through convection and rise to the surface as steam. ? This steam is collected and used to power electricity generators. ? Many power plants drill into the earth in order to capture steam more effectively and in greater quantities. Many geothermal reservoirs have been discovered across the globe, each with the capacity to produce as much energy as a thousand wind power plants. ? There is currently much research taking part on a global scale to find effective and safe ways to tap into and utilize this energy. ? The biggest hindrance to mass geothermal energy use has been the buildup of silica inside wells at geothermal power plants. ? Because researchers have recently found ways to help control this costly problem that has long been the biggest barrier to widespread use of geothermal energy, there is much hope that this form of energy will finally receive the attention and consideration it deserves. With the discovery of a way to control silica buildup comes the hope that the energy committees will invest more research and money into geothermal energy, which promises to be both inexpensive and one of the cleanest energy sources available. ? Over sixty million people worldwide receive their electricity from geothermal power plants, with over four million of those people residing in the United States. ? Supporters of geothermal industry hope to see that number rise significantly in the coming years, as the process becomes more efficient in regards to both finances and energy production. In short, tapping into the earth to harvest geothermal energy is by far one of the most sustainable methods of acquiring energy available. ? The earth’s core is a constant supply of energy, with no risk of depletion and no harmful emissions. ? Much research should be put into geothermal energy to find the best possible methods of bringing the technology to the greatest number of people, creating energy independence and eliminating the need for fossil fuels in the production of electricity.

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