Wanna know what are the advantages of geothermal energy? If yes, then you are at the right place at the very right time. But, before going ahead, let me give you a short and crisp review about the fact that what is Geothermal Energy anyway…!!!
By definition, geothermal energy is the energy of the earth’s core that we get in the form of heat. In fact, the word geothermal itself defines its essence. The word geothermal is derived from two Greek words i.e Geo meaning Earth and Thermal meaning Heat. When combined, what we get is the earth’s heat.
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There are so many good things about geothermal energy that you definitely don’t wanna miss. These are the benefits of geothermal energy that I will be discussing with you today. Let’s dive right in…!!!
- Renewable Source of Energy
- Geothermal Energy is Highly Reliable
- Geothermal Energy protects Environment
- No Fuel Required
- Low Production and Maintenance Cost
- Create Jobs and Uplift Economy
Renewable Source of Energy
One of the biggest advantages of geothermal energy is that it comes under the category of renewable energy. By renewable, I mean geothermal energy is replenished or restored by nature over a period of time. In other words, it will last till the arrival of doomsday on earth.
Well, naturally, it will take (theoretically) more than 4 to 5 billion years for the earth to completely annihilate. However, we never know when we humans could kill our mother earth simply with a click of a button.
Coming back to the topic of the hour, if I talk about the other sources of energy, they are already at the brink of their extinction. Here, by other sources of energy, I am specifically referring to non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels.
Geothermal Energy is Highly Reliable
Unlike other renewables, geothermal energy doesn’t rely on external sources. For example, in the case of solar energy, the sun (external source) only shines during the daytime. Therefore, as a result, we cannot extract solar energy during night hours.
On the other hand, there is no need to worry about the extraction of energy in the case of geothermal. Whether it is day or nighttime or it is summers or winters, geothermal energy is available at any time, all year round.
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Geothermal Energy protects Environment
Well, who is not familiar with the climate issues we are going through. Currently, more than 75% of the world’s energy need is being satisfied by using non-renewable resources which includes the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum products and nuclear energy.
The excessive utilization of non-renewables (primarily fossil fuels) is degrading our environment exponentially. As per the recent World Nuclear Association’s report on Comparison of Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Various Electricity Generation Sources, a coal power plant emits 888 tonnes of CO2 per gigawatt-hour (GWh) of energy produced.
Similarly, for other non-renewable resources like natural gas and oil-powered plants, it is 499 and 733 tonnes per GWh, respectively. Therefore, in order to protect our environment from further deterioration, we need to switch to energy resources that have the lowest carbon footprint.
This is where geothermal energy comes in handy. Whether you are producing or using geothermal energy, it is one of the cleanest as well as the lowest carbon emission energy resources. In other words, one can say that geothermal energy is emission-free.
No Fuel Required
One of the most significant advantages of geothermal energy over fossil fuels is that geothermal power plant does not require any kind of fuel to produce electricity. In the case of a Coal Power Plant, the combustion of coal takes place to generate heat which is used to vaporize water to produce steam.
Later, the steam is then released and directed towards the blade of the turbine. Finally, as the blade touches the turbine, the potential energy of steam spins the blades of the turbine, which in turn starts off the electric generator to produce electricity.
This is how we produce electricity in coal or any type of conventional power plant. On the other hand, geothermal power plant does not need to burn any fuel to produce heat. WHY? Because geothermal reservoirs naturally provide hot water which automatically provides us steam.
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Low Production and Maintenance Cost
No wonder the initial cost of installing a geothermal system could be devastating. I mean to pump hot water from the deep inside of the earth will require huge capital investment. Nevertheless, once installed, these systems normally require less maintenance as compared to the other sources of electricity generation.
Not to mention, the average life span of a conventional geothermal heat pump is about 20 to 25 years. Of course, from time to time, you may have to call a maintenance guy to check the pressure of the fluid in piping or some mechanical parts. Meaning, once you install a geothermal system, you simply do not have to spend a large sum for almost 20 to 25 years.
Since, geothermal reservoirs naturally produce steam, therefore, as a result, the production cost is quite minimal. To put it differently, geothermal systems do not use any kind of external fuel to produce electricity. In fact, one can also say that by using geothermal, we can drastically reduce our dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation.
Create Jobs and Uplift Economy
Yup, you heard me right. Not only the geothermal energy sector creates job opportunities. It also helps in the upliftment of the national economy. In actuality, geothermal power systems create more direct and indirect job opportunities as compared to the other types of renewable resources power plants.
Some of the notable sectors include geochemists, geophysicists, hydrologists, reservoir engineers, reservoir managers, ecologists, Welders, mud loggers, hydraulic engineers, and drillers to locate, assess, and access the reservoirs, electricians, Entrepreneurs, research in geothermal energy, and, so many, etc.
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Some other Advantages of Geothermal Energy:
Apart from the above-mentioned benefits or advantages, I am also mentioning some of a few here.
- Geothermal energy has huge potential
- Compatible for all climate
- Does not need a large area for installation
- Safer to use
- Reduces electricity bill
- Provides stability in Energy Sector
- Reduces noise pollution
- Installation cost is reducing exponentially, etc.
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