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Naturally, these dry steam plants operate at very high temperatures and pressures. These plants access steam directly from geothermal reservoirs and use it to drive turbines that generate electricity in return. Geothermal plants can be classified into three main groups, with two additional systems after. All of these are constructed by drilling wells into the earth roughly 1-2 miles deep, to access the heated water or steam. While all geothermal plants aim to access and use heat in the form of steam or hot water rising from the depths of the earth, this hot water or steam can be used in different ways which will determine the type of geothermal plant that has to be built.ĭepending on the depth that the hot water source is found, it will be at slightly different temperatures which will also influence the type of geothermal plant needed to convert the hot water to energy. In places where this heat energy has risen to the surface such as on the boundaries of tectonic plates, or near volcanoes and thermal vents – this energy can be harvested with the help of geothermal energy plants and turned into electricity or a heat source for indoor heating.

This ultimately renders geothermal energy sustainable, renewable, and green.

This is more energy than the whole US consumes in an average year.Īll three of these heat sources provide the earth with a relatively constant heat source, especially since the escape of heat from the earth’s core is so slow. A recent study has found that the decay of radioactive isotopes uranium-238 and thorium-232 alone contributed 20 trillion watts of energy to the heat the earth radiates. This heat energy remains trapped in the deep layers of the earth along with its relic heat energy.įinally, the slow and constant decay of radioactive isotopes found in the earth’s core and crust also releases heat. As the earth rotates, the solid core, fluid outer core and subsequent layers of the earth’s crust all rotate at slightly different speeds, causing friction that generates heat. The second heat contribution comes from internal friction caused by the rotation of the earth. The chemical reaction responsible for the compacting of minerals to form the earth’s solid core released a whole lot of heat energy, which was trapped in the deep layers of the earth during compaction and has remained there ever since. The first and largest source of the earth’s core energy is an ancient relic of heat leftover from the formation of the earth roughly 4 billion years ago. This heat energy in the earth’s core is relatively stable and has three sources. Geothermal energy is heat that comes from the earth’s core and is contained in the rocks, fluids and even magma (or molten rock) found deep beneath the earth’s surface. The nature and mechanics of this form of energy are vital to understanding the limitations and advantages of geothermal energy and its uses. Geothermal energy basicsīefore we can get into more detail about how exactly these plants work and are constructed, we first need to understand what geothermal energy is. The section below details some of the more important factors and considerations related to harnessing geothermal energy. Despite this, it has huge potential in areas where this energy source is accessible, with a bright and promising future. This renders geothermal energy the most location-specific energy source used by humans. Since geothermal plants rely on the heat from the earth’s core, these plants cannot be built anywhere and are restricted to places where this heat source is accessible such as along the edges of tectonic plates and areas with volcanic activity. But can geothermal plants be built anywhere?

Harnessing the heat emanating from the earth’s core, it is considered a clean, continuous, and reliable form of energy, and expanding its use would have great benefits for the clean energy revolution. Geothermal energy technology has been around for more than a century and is used extensively in countries such as Iceland, the USA, El Salvador, and New Zealand.