In this article, we will discuss the many pros of geothermal energy and explain each advantage. Energy is captured through geothermal power plants or heat pumps, allowing us to heat our homes and power electronics. So, one might ask, what are some geothermal energy advantages, especially when compared to other conventional energy sources? Here is a list of some of them.
If you decided to dig a big hole straight down, deep into the earth, you would notice that the temperature keeps getting warmer as you move down deeper. It is the heat that is derived from within the sub-surface of the earth. The heat energy is conveyed to the surface of the earth by water or steam.
Geothermal power can be used for different purposes, depending on the characteristics. It can, therefore, be used for both cooling and heating purposes. The energy can also be harnessed to generate electricity. However, for it to create electricity, there have to be high or medium temperature resources, mostly located in tectonically active regions.
The power plants use the heat from the earth to generate steam, which is, in turn, used to make electricity. On the other hand, the heat pumps tap into the heat close to the surface to provide heat for other purposes or heat water. Geothermal energy proved itself to be one of the most advantageous and helpful sources of energy. That is why it has been incorporated in many of the governments in the world to invest in it.
You can check out our in debt list of Geothermal Energy Cons here.
Pros of Geothermal Energy:
- Geothermal energy is good for the environment.
- Geothermal energy is also a renewable source of energy.
- The geothermal energy system does not require so much maintenance.
- Geothermal energy is excellent for heating and cooling.
- It is relatively cheap compared to other energy sources.
- It is a stable power source.
- The geothermal systems have high efficiency.
- It does not require any fuel to harness geothermal energy.
- It is abundant in supply.
- It provides significant savings for homeowners.
- It is always independent of meteorological variations and does not depend on weather conditions.
- It has a high performance and, at the same time, low costs of production.
- It has a low visual impact.
- It is free and practically inexhaustible.
- It has quick amortization.
- It has a high duration.
- It is also adaptable.
- Support from the governments.
1. Geothermal energy is good for the environment
Geothermal energy is generally considered environmentally friendly. One of the reasons is because it has very few polluting aspects while harnessing it. The carbon footprint that a geothermal power plant releases are also so viewed to be so little.
The waste produced during the harnessing is so minimal and, therefore, does not have a substantial environmental impact. To put this into perspective, the average geothermal power plant will release an equivalent of one hundred and twenty-two kilograms of carbon dioxide for every megawatt-hour of electricity it produces.
Compared to an average coal power plant, this is like an eighth of its emissions. Another fantastic fact that proves these states that a typical single-family home will stop emitting at least two tons of carbon dioxide annually if they incorporate geothermal energy and abandon the natural gas boiler.
Besides, a thing to note about geothermal energy plants is that they do not produce annoying and irritating noises or visual impacts since the whole installation is entirely buried.
2. Geothermal energy is also a renewable source of energy.
This is among the most significant advantages of using geothermal energy. The geothermal reservoirs are replenished naturally from time to time.
Therefore, since the heat is extracted from the earth’s core, it will be available for quite a long time. Basing it on some scientific study, the energy in these geothermal reservoirs will last for so many years, even in billions.
They are not going to expire any time soon. Therefore, it is exceptionally a constant energy source, hence being there, it is used for a long time. You cannot, in any way, exhaust the resource.
Geothermal energy is also an excellent environmental option as it produces clean energy. The energy comes naturally from its source, the earth, making it sustainable.
3. The geothermal energy system does not require so much maintenance.
As most people know, setting up a geothermal plant for harnessing energy might be a little bit expensive. However, after that, the plant will be less demanding.
First, the fact that the geothermal system does not have many movable parts goes a long way in reducing the number of times it will require maintenance. These parts are mostly sheltered inside a building and therefore not posed a threat of being damaged.
Generally, the life span of the system is relatively high. The heat pumps, for example, have warranties of even up to fifty years. They will last for at least twenty years.
4. Geothermal energy is excellent for heating and cooling.
To turn turbines effectively and generate electricity, you will need water temperatures of about one hundred and sixty degrees Celsius or more. You can use the relatively small temperature differences between the ground source and the earth’s surface. The land is resistant to seasonal changes in temperature, more than air.
That explains why there has been a considerable rise in the number of people, especially homeowners, that have decided to utilize geothermal cooling and heating in the last several years.
5. It is relatively cheap compared to other sources of energy.
When you get a geothermal installation, it means that you can get a saving of seventy-five percent in heating. For cooling, you can save approximately eighty percent. It will be cheaper when you start from a temperature (stable temperature) of fifteen percent, heating and cooling.
Compared to other sources of energy, geothermal energy is cheap. It is the most affordable form of clean energy. Wind energy comes in as second. According to recent studies, an average and economically competitive geothermal plant can cost at least three thousand four hundred dollars for a kilowatt installation.
However, you will have to count on the cost, primarily electrical, of the geothermal pump in that case.
6. It is a stable power source.
Geothermal energy continues to be one of the most reliable power sources known to man. It is straightforward to predict the power output of a geothermal plant accurately. This is a different case with other sources, such as wind and solar. It is, therefore, an excellent option in meeting the demand of a specific place in terms of baseload energy.
In addition, the fact that the heat is readily available deep inside the earth makes it so much reliable; you do not have to face the risk of shortages or total deficiency. That is why the actual output of a geothermal power plant is close to the full installed capacity.
7. The geothermal systems have high efficiency.
Of all renewable sources of energy, geothermal energy is the most efficient. One of the reasons for this is that the amount of thermal energy lost when transporting the heat from the earth’s crust to the surface is tiny. Therefore, the amount of energy that is harnessed will be at its maximum.
8. It does not require any fuel to harness geothermal energy.
Another advantage of geothermal energy is that it does not require the combustion of any given material, be it fossil fuels or uranium. This means that it does not end with reserves from these fuels.
After installation, no transportation or mining activity will be necessary. After being built, the geothermal plant does not require large amounts of energy.
The energy that they will produce runs the pumps from the filtering systems and the containment systems. This not only makes the process cheap, but it also makes it eco-friendly too.
9. It is abundant in supply.
With this type of energy, shortages of supply are sporadic. It is an energy source that can be found anywhere on the earth’s surface, without depending on deposits. You cannot come across some of the problems that can sometimes occur with other sources of energy.
Take, for instance, hydroelectric power; the more the amount of water supply there is, the more the electricity can be produced. That explains the reason why there is less HEP produced when water is least in quantity.
Since geothermal energy is derived from the earth’s core, you are guaranteed that the supply will be constant for quite a long time. There will be no question of demand or supply.
However, some sites can be more favorable than others, such as volcanic zones.
10. It provides significant savings for homeowners.
Due to the several advantageous benefits, many people have shifted to less costly geothermal energy. There has been a substantial increase in homeowners who want to utilize this energy for cooling and heating purposes.
This is because it results in less energy being used for heating, especially in homes and offices. This records tremendous savings for them.
Although there is an initial cost associated with installing the system, after that initial expense, you can record savings of thirty to sixty-five percent on heating or twenty to thirty percent savings when cooling. You will be able to cover the cost back within a short time.
11. It is always independent of meteorological variations and does not depend on weather conditions.
Take, for instance, solar energy. There has to be the sun to get energy. Therefore, if the weather is cloudy and the sun does not shine enough, the energy output will be lower. Contrary to this, geothermal energy is constant and does not depend on weather conditions. Since the source is about five thousand kilometers into the earth, no variation in the weather can affect it.
Also, there is a slow decay of radioactive elements in the earth’s core (where the energy comes from). This is what produces the continuous temperature rises, making it hotter the surface. This means that rain or sunshine, the decaying process will still take place.
12. It has a high performance and, at the same time, low costs of production.
Over time, man has tried to venture into energy sources that can produce large amounts of output while consuming minimally in terms of production.
Due to this, significant attention has been paid to the geothermal sector. The use of waste heat has been seen as a substitute for over-reliance on fossil fuels, which are expensive and environmental hazards.
Moreover, there has also been a high rise in the demand for energy in the world. The depletion of fossil fuel reserves means that man will need other, more reliable energy sources to sustain him.
This makes geothermal energy more suitable for use since it produces enough output that can maintain them.
13. It has a low visual impact.
The visual impact of geothermal energy is minimal since it is a remote installation. In the air conditioning case, for instance, it is mostly done with underfloor heating.
Therefore, not many gadgets will be needed, such as fans or other interior appliances, be it inside or outside the rooms. Some of the significant visual quality effects related to the system include night lighting, steam plumes, and transmission lines.
Generally, it is correct to say that geothermal power plants impact their less visually to their surroundings than other energy sources such as fossil fuel plants.
14. it is free and practically inexhaustible.
Geothermal energy is stored freely at the core of the earth. We only need to harness the power to use it; geothermal energy has a massive amount of potential.
For example, the worldwide consumption of energy is about fifteen terawatts. However, it is not anywhere near the amount of geothermal energy that is stored in the earth.
That means we cannot be able to exhaust the energy that is stored down there. We can only use a small portion of the amount of energy produced in the earth — the estimates of the potential power of the geothermal plants between 0.04 to 2 terawatts. Currently, the geothermal power plants in the world now produce about eleven thousand megawatts of electricity. This is much less than the installed geothermal heating capacity of twenty-eight thousand megawatts.
15. It has quick amortization.
Setting up a geothermal plant or deciding to use it as a homeowner is probably expensive. However, after that, everything else will be smooth. This is because you will not have to pay for fuel anymore.
Therefore, your investment will be recovered within some months or years. You can even save more if we consider that we can get heating and air condition in the summer.
You can expect to start saving mostly on your energy bill. The periods of return on the investments will vary depending on the demand for energy in your home.
All this means that the return time of the system is meager, as the amortizing period is between four and six years. In this period, all the money that will have been saved in energy will equal the price that was necessary while setting up and installing the whole technological system.
16. It has a high duration.
Using geothermal energy as your energy source means that you will have a constant energy supply for a long time.
For example, a geothermal pump will last even twice as long as a standard or conventional thermal boiler would have, not even talking about the difference in electricity consumption.
17. It is also adaptable.
It is unnecessary to install a system to enjoy the heat at your home, although it gets more efficient when combined with some underfloor heating. It is possible to use radiators that had previously been installed.
A specialized company can advise on a fresh installation in several cases after they stud the several needs of a household.
Unlike many other renewable energy sources, these geothermal systems are adaptable to many different occasions. They are referred to as a baseload.
18. Support from the governments.
As mentioned earlier, the initial cost of installing a fully-fledged geothermal power harnessing plant can be expensive. However, many governments worldwide are of the idea of venturing into the green and renewable power source. Therefore, they give tax credits to the people who install the system. The costs can be recouped in the energy savings after some years.
To some statistics now, in 2010, the International Geothermal Association reported that among the twenty-four countries that harness geothermal power, 10715 megawatts are online.
This was expected to generate approximately sixty-seven thousand GWh. That represented a twenty percent increase in the capacity from 2005.
They also projected that the online size would increase to at least nineteen thousand megawatts by 2015. This proves that energy use is on the rise and might be the next significant thing for generations to come.
Although geothermal energy is a technology that is unknown to many people, it has its advantages that outshine several other sources by a margin. If there can be improved methods of locating the most favorable sites and the hot spots, we can witness this power source become one of the significant sources of energy in the world.
It is a promising sustainable energy source that has proven itself to be safe, clean, and reliable. Much about it is supposed to be looked at and considered, whether the energy is to be used to heat a house or generate electricity in an area.