Geothermal Energy - Essay Example

Geothermal Energy Geothermal energy is one type of renewable energy that has gained worldwide acceptance since itcontributes to the reduced dependence to fossil fuels, thereby lessening greenhouse gas emissions. Geothermal energy is harnessed by using the heat trapped beneath the surface of the earth which is a combination of heat absorbed from the sun and radioactive decay of minerals. The etymology of the word geothermal comes from geo which is a Greek word that means earth, while thermo means heat. Originally, geothermal energy was used in hot springs as early as Paleolithic times according to a study made by Cataldi (1993) about the history of hot springs before the Modern Period. Technically, the first geothermal energy harnessed lighted a few light bulbs. EconomyWatch illustrates a detailed beginning of geothermal energy: “On July 4, 1904, Prince Piero Ginori Conti tested the world’s first geothermal generator at the Larderello dry steam field in Italy. Merely a couple of years later, this invention was deployed commercially and used to operate drilling equipment. Soon the small town of Larderello was using geothermal power for all its electricity requirements”( History of Geothermal Energy, http://www.economywatch.com) Because of the said event, it is no wonder that Italy maintained the position as being a top producer of geothermal energy for many decades. New Zealand followed suit only fifty-years later. The United States took the risk and invested in the Geysers Geothermal Field in California which is currently the largest producer of geothermal energy in the world. This location has five power plants and Chevron Corporation spearheads in providing geothermal energy to millions of American homes. Usually, geothermal energy comes from reservoirs underneath the surface. The reservoir is tapped by drilling holes as deep as two kilometers ( 6,500 feet) and steam passess through pipes. The pipes lead to a geothermal power plant that converts it to electrical energy. http://www.islandsbanki.is/english/industry-focus/sustainable-energy/geothermal-energy/ Uses of Geothermal Energy Geothermal energy has many useful purposes, with electricity generation as its most widely-known use. Bioeconomicfuel.com cites the 5 different uses of geothermal energy (Stern, 2009): 1. Aquaculture, Horticulture, and Thermoculture Geothermal energy largely contributes to the cultivation of plants and marine life suited to a tropical environment. In fact, there is already an existing geo-thermally warmed prawn farm since 1987 in Waikato River , New Zealand that sold twenty tons of prawn in 2005 ( Stewart,2009). The first batch of prawns were imported to Malaysia then. 2. Industrial and Agricultural Uses A good example of which is the role of geothermal energy in drying up timber. In New Zealand, the “Tasman Pulp and Paper Mill uses geothermal steam in heat exchangers to heat kiln air to 140ºC for timber drying”( Stewart, 2009). Aside from timber, crops can also be dehydrated using geothermal energy. 3. Food Processing The food processing industry can harness the heat from geothermal energy for sterilization process as well as drying. In India, Chandrasekharam ( 2001) published a paper that advocated the use of geothermal energy in food processing since India’s topography is viable for this type of food processing. However, the United States had already applied that concept way back in 1978 when it opened the geothermal food processing plant in Brady Hot Springs, Nevada. In fact “ More than 25 million pounds of dehydrated onion and garlic are now being processed annually in Nevada “ ( nrel.gov., Oct 2001). This fact just attests to the huge capacity of geothermal energy in providing clean energy at a lesser cost. 4. Providing Heat For Residential And Commercial Use Amongst the early use of geothermal energy was to warm pools since this was adapted from the concept of hot springs. Nowadays, heating homes is the major issue in countries where fuel poverty is a concern. Fuel poverty is experienced by a household when it cannot afford to keep its home according to certain standards. As for the United Kingdom , when more than 10% of the household income is used on fuel resources , that household suffers from fuel poverty. In order to reduce Fuel poverty the UK government, it has implement two main programs, namely : WarmFront Programme and Carbon Emissions Reduction Target ( CERT ). According to warmfront.co.uk website, the WarmFront programme is a government funded initiative ( through eaga) which provides “ a package of insulation and heating improvements up to the value of £3,500 (or £6,000 where oil, low carbon or renewable technologies are recommended). 5. Electricity Generation Geothermal Energy Production: The top 10 countries in geothermal energy utilization, 2005. Country GWh electric Country GWh thermal United States 17,917 China 12,605 Phillippines 9,253 Sweden 10,001 Mexico 6,282 United States 8,678 Indonesia 6,085 Turkey 6,901 Italy 5,340 Iceland 6,806 Japan 3,467 Japan 2,862 New Zealand 2,774 Hungary 2,206 Iceland 1,483 Italy 2,099 Costa Rica 1,145 New Zealand 1,969 Kenya 1,088 Brazil 1,840 Sum of Top 10 54,834 Sum of Top 10 54,125 All Other 1,952 All Other 19,979 World Total 56,786 World Total 75,943 Source: Glitnir Bank (2007). United States: Geothermal Energy, Market Report, September 2007. ( qtd.from http://climatelab.org/Geothermal_Energy) The table shows that in 2005 alone, the top ten countries used 97% of geothermal energy for electricity generation purpose. According to the International Energy Agency, “ geothermal energy currently supplies less than 1% of the worlds total energy demand”. Nevertheless, it has an enormous potential to mitigate climate changes by reducing the use of carbon fossil fuels. It is a considerable source of renewable energy. In the case of Philippines, (which is second to the United States in using geothermal energy) , it has a potential to become one of the world’s largest producer of geothermal energy. Currently, geothermal energy supplies 27% of the country’s electricity ( www.philippines. hvu.nl). During the World Geothermal Congress in 2000, it was declared that the “Philippines is the largest consumer of electricity from geothermal sources”. Countries sitting in the Pacific Rim of Fire like the Philippines can turn its topographic weakness into a strength by harnessing geothermal energy and substituting it for costly fossil fuels. Conclusion: Geothermal Energy is a non-renewable source of energy that has been used by man since early civilization. Although it was earlier used for baths, geothermal energy evolved into one of the renewable energy source by modern man since the 18th century. It has many uses that range from industrial, heating homes, drying crops and aiding food processing as well as generating electricity. Because of this, geothermal energy should be given priority as source of energy especially by countries like the Philippines, Mexico, Indonesia, Italy, and Japan. In the future, geothermal energy would not only provide cheaper fuel but also help in mitigating climate change. WORKS CITED Cataldi, Raffaele (August 1993), "Review of historiographic aspects of geothermal energy in the Mediterranean and Mesoamerican areas prior to the Modern Age", Geo-Heat Centre Quarterly Bulletin (Klamath Falls, Oregon: Oregon Institute of Technology) 15 (1): 13–16, Retrieved from http://geoheat.oit.edu/pdf/bulletin/bi046.pdf on 20 Feb 2010. Chandrasekharam, D. ( 2001) "USE OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDIAN STATUS." GHC Bulletin 4 (2001): 8-11. Retrieved from http://geoheat.oit.edu /bulletin/bull22-4/art2.pdf. on 20 Feb 2010. Geothermal energy in the Philippines. (n.d.). the Philippines. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from http://www.philippines.hvu.nl/leyte2.htm Geothermal Energy (Geothermal Electricity): History of Geothermal Energy, Geothermal Energy Forecast . (n.d.). Economy Watch - Economics, Investment, Stocks, Bonds, Forex, Industries, Personal Finance, Credit Card, Insurance, Mortgage, Loans, Jobs. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from http://www.economywatch.com/renewable-energy/history-and-future-of-geothermal-energy.html " "Geothermal Energy:Heat from the Earth." U.S. Dept. of Energy. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2010. . “ Key World Energy Statistics 2008”. International Energy Agency 2008)Retrieved from http://www.iea.org/textbase/nppdf/free/2008/key_stats_2008.pdf on 20 Feb 2010. Stern, M. (2009, May 8). 5 Types of Uses of Geothermal Energy. A Place Where Investors Meet Inventors. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from http://www.bionomicfuel.com/5-types-of-uses-of-geothermal-energy/ Stewart, C. (2009, March 2). Geothermal energy - Other uses of geothermal energy - Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/geothermal-energy/4 . Read More