Geothermal Heating Systems On The Rise

We've all heard of solar heating systems that are in the forefront of renewable energy research. But coming up fast behind it are geothermal heating systems.

Geothermal heating systems have attracted so much interest that even Google has recently invested over 10 million dollars towards what they call Enhanced Geothermal Systems or EGS.

The thought is that investments in geothermal heating systems could eventually replace coal in many heating systems as well as supply many times the energy that the U.S. uses each year.

The exciting point is that some experts believe that simply tapping into as little as two percent of the heat that exists below ground could generate enough heat to supply all or our energy needs. Even though, at least for the time being, solar power is the superstar of all energy research, geothermal scientist believe that geothermal heating systems are the real key to dramatically reducing carbon emissions throughout the world.

For decades not, consumers have been titillated with the idea of getting rid of their coal or gas powered heating systems for something cheaper. And governments, as well, have been looking for ways to dramatically reduce their dependence on oil and coal. Currently, geothermal energy accounts for less than a percent of the world's total electrical generation. Investors are hoping, however, that before long geothermal heating systems are as commonplace as gas heating systems are today.

Basically, the way that geothermal heating systems work is as follows: Hot water or steam from beneath the surface is used to generate electricity in either geothermal power plants or in energy storage devices. The geothermal steam and hot water is used to power the turbines that produces the electricity. The cooled water is recycled back to the reservoir to be reheated. The stored electricity can then be used to heat specified areas or for a plethora of other uses.

The Google EGS system expands on the natural geothermal systems by giving it an artificial boost. For example, in the typical geothermal processing, energy is used from naturally occurring pockets of steaming water. The EGS method doesn't wait for these natural occurring conditions. Instead, it artificially re-creates systems to mimic the natural processes. It does this by using hot rock and circulating water through the system. The resulting system is used to produce electricity in a conventional turbine.

So what's the timeline? In some places, it's already here. For example, Iceland currently generates more than two hundred megawatts of electricity using geothermal energy. In order for this form of energy to take hold, it has to be shown to be competitive in cost to existing forms of energy. All forms of renewable energy, including geothermal energy, are getting cheaper by the month. But it hasn't yet reached the point where it would be feasible for many U.S. home.

There's also the matter of lessening the effects that geothermal energy plants can have on the environment. Even though the plants themselves only generate minimal pollution, they do have the potential of destabilizing the land. Once these problems are resolved, it could very well become the predominant form of re-useable energy.

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