More than 10,000 years ago, American Paleo-Indians used water from hot springs for cooking, bathing, and cleaning. This is cited as the first use of geothermal energy in history. However, in the late 18th century, near Pisa, Italy, the first industrial use of geothermal energy occurred. Back then, boric acid was extracted from hot pools, now known as the Larderello fields, by using steam that was coming from natural vents and drilled holes. The Italian scientist Piero Ginoro Conti created the first geothermal electric power plant in 1904, which used steam as the primary means of producing energy. The USA had its own attempt at opening a geothermal plant in 1922, but it was eventually shut down due to a technological glitch. Because of the glitch, a insufficient amount of energy was produced from the plant, making it impractical to keep open. Then, another attempt was made by America in 1946 with the first ground-source geothermal heat pump installed in Portland, Oregon. In the 60’s, the nation’s first large-scale geothermal power plant was opened at The Geysers. At that plant, the first turbine produces 11 MW of net power; that turbine continued to produce energy efficiently for about 30 years. In 1972, the world noticed the potential of geothermal energy and its capabilities when the Geothermal Energy Association was formed. This association is a compilation of internationals companies that produce geothermal energy resources for power generation and direct heat uses. America has made great progress when it comes to the availability of geothermal energy options, as shown by the 69 geothermal power plants that are currently operating in the USA. In fact, the entire globe has made progress similar to that of the United States. Geothermal power plants are now operating in 20 countries across the globe and even though geothermal energy only supplies for a source of less than 1% of the world’s total energy consumption, it’s expected to rise to covering about 10-20% of the globe’s needs in about 30 years.
Geothermal energy usage is usually summed up by saying that underground reservoirs of hot water and steam are used both to create usable energy and to heat and cool homes and buildings. However, thousands of years ago, the primary usage of geothermal energy was devoted to cooking. To heat a home or a building, a geothermal heat pump system can be used to bring the stable temperature of the top 3 meters of the Earth’s crust to a home to heat it. This system can also bring heat down from a building in the warmer summer months in order to establish a cooler, more comfortable environment. To use geothermal sources to create large amounts of usable energy, wells are drilled into the Earth’s surface (usually a mile or deeper.) Steam and hot water are tapped by these wells, which generates large turbines that are connected to power generators. The three types of geothermal power plants are dry steam, flash, and binary. Dry steam plants directly move a turbine by taking steam out of fractions in the Earth, which creates energy. Flash plants pull very hot water into cool, low-pressured water to create energy. Binary plants, hot water is passed by a secondary fluid that has a lower boiling point than water, which causes the fluid to turn into vapor, which then spins the turbine. This type of energy source is very useful in countries that have a lot of volcanoes and geysers, like Iceland for example, so that many sources for geothermal energy are accessible. In Iceland, geothermal energy is used to directly heat pools. Another place in which geothermal energy could easily be produced and used is Hawaii. This is because of the vast amount of volcanoes that exist on the islands, which give easy access to the Earth’s inner heat. If a country doesn’t have many of these natural features or is unable to dig large wells deep into the Earth’s surface, then that country is unlikely to use geothermal sources as energy producers. Geothermal energy could definitely be a source of moving large machines. For example, the energy created by geothermal sources can be used to charge batteries than can generate cars and trucks.
Geothermal energy was first used 10,000 years ago within the culture of Paleo-Indians, who used it for the purposes of cooking, bathing, and cleaning, which shaped and advanced their cultures. However, the first use of modern geothermal energy occurred near Pisa, Italy in the 1700s.. Steam coming from natural vents and from holes drilled by thte Italians was used to extract boric acid for antiseptic purposes from the hot pools that are now known as the Larderello fields. Subsequently, Italian scientist Piero Ginoro Conti built upon the ideals of his prior countrymen and made the first geothermal power plant, which used steam in order to create energy. American geothermal plants started slow, and the first one (created in 1922) only generated about 250kW and was shut down due to its inefficiency. The first geothermal pump was installed in 1946 in Portland, Oregon, a city famous for its proactive nature in regards to cleaner sources of energy. Following soon after Portland, the city of San Francisco made investments to produce a geothermal power plant, the first of its scale and purpose; this plant dwarfed the smaller, earlier plant and produced 11 megawatts of energy. As Americans began to realize how efficient this means of energy is given its clean means of procuring energy, more power plants began to pop up, now clocking in with 60 plants across 18 separate location. In essence, the past uses of geothermal energy were for the purposes of practicality in quotidian life, but have changed to more industrial means of production upon the commencement of the Industrial Revolution and the Green Revolution. This difference occurred most obviously because of mankind’s advancements in technology, but additionally occurred as a result of our increased collective understanding of the inner mechanisms of the earth.
On average, the cost of producing a geothermal energy source is high at the commencement of the project, but lasts for an extended period of time, paying itself off as it produces energy. For a pump to be installed, a consumer would typically need to invest twenty to twenty-five thousand dollars into a pump that will heat and cool with a power of 60,000 BTU. While this is almost double the amount one would spend on a traditional heating and cooling system for a home, the payoff is massive in comparison. While it may take ten to twelve years to pay off the installment of a geothermal system, it will last eighteen to twenty-five years easily, making the return investment proportionally larger than that of the initial investment. On average, homeowner using geothermal energy as a means of fueling their heat and air conditioning save 40-60% on utility bills along with a government tax cut for using clean energy. In addition, they are historically cheaper with upkeep than conventional means, as the typical geothermal home system requires only adding insulation and sealing in the air rather than dealing with the electrical systems of conventional means. Typically, a 3-ton setup would suffice for a normal home, but home size, heating and cooling needs, local geology and soil, and land availability are all factors which will influence the size of the unit for any specific home. In regards to community power, however, geothermal plants would cost as little at $3400/kW, and like personal units, would cost more upfront but pay itself off in the long term.
It is said that geothermal systems are three to four times more efficient than ordinary systems. This is because most ordinary systems use and burn fossil fuels, while geothermal does not. They generally provide three to four units of energy for every one unit used to power the system. As stated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, geothermal energy heating is the most energy-efficient and environmentally safe heating and cooling system. Almost anywhere in the world, geothermal energy can be accessed and used immediately as a source of heat. We call this simple process low-temperature geothermal energy, and it can be used for heating greenhouses, homes, fisheries, and industrial processes. Some disadvantages of geothermal heating and cooling systems is the large up-front costs and the land disturbance required to install the system. Some inefficient heating and cooling systems include: oil heating systems, natural gas, and electric. Oil heating systems are bad for both homes and the environment, but can cost less than electricity. Natural gas heating systems can cause carbon monoxide exposure and explosions. However, natural gas is the cheapest option and you don’t have to worry about running out of your supply because it is piped directly to your home, office, or building. Electric heating systems lack the heating power of both oil and natural gas, but it is available everywhere and will last longer than oil and natural gas. Overall geothermal energy is most effective in heating.
Due to the fact that geothermal energy is most available where the earth is high in temperature, Tumlintown will be located in Wyoming, which is measured geothermally at almost two hundred degrees celsius. Geothermal energy is both visible to people and non-visible. A few visible features of geothermal energy include volcanoes, hot springs, geysers and fumaroles, which are found abundantly in the western part of the United States; however, most geothermal energy resides deep within the earth as previously mentioned, and there aren’t always ways to detect it without using aerial photographs and geological maps. Tumlintown will be utilizing the abundance of geothermal energy available by heating and cooling houses, producing electricity, growing fruits and vegetables in greenhouses, and aquaculture. Therefore, geothermal energy will most likely be used in and around homes, as well as buildings, schools, etc, the town monorail and near lakes in order to supply energy for aquaculture. In a larger perspective, geothermal energy is used worldwide. Some countries that produce and use geothermal energy include the Philippines, Indonesia, Mexico, Italy, New Zealand, and several more. Within the United States alone the western states and Hawaii are some of the best and most abundant in geothermal energy sources. Of the western states, the majority of geothermal energy is produced in North Dakota, South Dakota, along the Atlantic Coast, Arkansas, and Texas, which are considered “moderately hot” geothermal resources that we may one day be able to use in addition the the previously mentioned locations. In conclusion, geothermal energy is the best source of energy for Tumlintown due to the fact that Wyoming provides us with such a large amount of geothermal energy.
As many people know, we must learn to depend on alternative energy resources in the case that we run out of fossil fuels and other strongly used energy sources. Of the sources, geothermal energy is among the best alternative resources. One of the greatest advantages that geothermal has over other sources of energy is that it is renewable. After water and steam is utilized and energizes homes, building, etc, it can be pumped back into the ground and used again. Another advantage is that geothermal energy is clean. Many energy sources claim to be clean, however, geothermal energy may be one of the most clean sources of them all. Geothermal energy does not burn like plants that burn fossil fuels. Geothermal energy plants are extremely clean and do not release greenhouse gases that damage the atmosphere like many of the energy resources we use today. But HOW does geothermal energy not release ANY greenhouse gases? Geothermal energy taps into steam and hot water spots underground, the heat is then used to run an electric generator, which creates electricity. All of this and no harmful gases being released! Furthermore, geothermal energy is significantly cheaper than other energy resources due to the fact that its running costs are very low; no fuel is required to produce geothermal energy, so transporting, cleaning and purchasing plants is very cheap. Another reason geothermal energy is beneficial is because people are able to directly use this energy to cook, bathe and heat/cool their homes instead of indirectly obtaining the energy needed to do these things. Lastly, the use of geothermal energy creates jobs and economic benefits. In conclusion, geothermal energy is the best option for a sustainable energy source and should be more widely used in the United States and other countries in order to preserve our environment.
Even the most advantageous energy resources have disadvantages, per usual. There are numerous environmental disadvantages when using geothermal energy. Geothermal energy can have negative impacts on both water quality and consumption. Due to the hot water being pumped from underground, often times it can contain high levels of sulfur, salt, and other minerals, which essentially contaminates water and makes it unsuitable for bathing, drinking, and other various consumption methods of water. Another disadvantage of geothermal energy would be that it is not widely used. Due to the fact that this energy source is not widely used, it makes it harder to find the resources to properly extract and create energy out of geothermal energy. Which leads to the next disadvantage, which is high installation costs. As previously mentioned, geothermal energy is not used widespread and makes it harder to obtain the resources needed to retract geothermal energy; therefore, if one does want to invest in the extraction of geothermal energy, they must install a power plant with the help of skilled workers that can help assist, and then somehow get the energy to the consumer. Moreover, geothermal energy is limited to particular regions, which means that not just anywhere is suitable to creat geothermal energy. These locations must be hilly, mountainous and very warm within the earth. With this being said, geothermal energy is not easily transported. Once geothermal energy is extracted, it can only be used within the surrounding areas because it is tapped from the earth. There is also worries that if transported, the geothermal energy may react and release unwanted toxins. Conclusively, geothermal energy is very beneficial in most aspects, however, we must consider the negatives to this energy resource and be careful when deciding where and if we should install and produce this sustainable energy source.
Geothermal energy is pretty simple in the way it is used, so there isn’t any future plans to create new types of energy from it in the future. However, scientist predict geothermal energy usage will increase in the future due to its easy concept. Since geothermal energy can be easily harvested and is renewable, it is a great candidate for fitting countries to use. A major reason geothermal is expected to play an important role in the future is because we are getting increasingly better at drilling the geothermal wells with great efficiency. This is allowing more and more energy to be harvested at each plant. As the technology for geothermal energy improves, the cost of producing it decreases. Even though there are many different kinds of geothermal power plants, they all do the same basic thing which is to capture rising steam/hot water and use it to power a generator. Some scientists say that we can repurpose old gas and oil wells and turn them into geothermal plants, which is a very environmentally friendly way as opposed to drilling all new wells. Geothermal energy is proposed to account for 1/6th of the world’s power supply in the near future. This is mainly because geothermal energy provides a long-term option for renewable energy. Geothermal also pairs well with solar, wind, and biomass energy. This makes having back up energy much easier. The future for more geothermal plants has a bright outlook, and we can expect the U.S. to start converting over to geothermal energy very soon.
The rising depletion of the Earth’s nonrenewable resources has forced humans to take on the difficult task of finding new and renewable sources of energy. The world’s current efforts to find these new sources are frankly not enough to save the Earth from destruction. Geothermal energy is not only renewable, but it is easily accessible and relatively cheap to produce compared to other prospective sources. To go along with this, geothermal energy is considered a “clean” energy source, meaning it can be extracted and converted without the harmful burning of any fossil fuels. The only emissions-like output from geothermal energy is water vapor. Geothermal energy is also amazingly more available than fossil fuels. Because of their excessive availability, their potential for energy production is estimated at 2 terawatts, an astonishing 15,000 times more than the world’s oil reserves. Buildings powered by geothermal energy also have a significantly lower carbon footprint compares to those powered by fossil fuels. Geothermal Energy is not entirely carbon-free, however it produces only a fraction of the carbon produced from fossil fuels. It also has the smallest physical land footprint of all the possible power sources. In addition, geothermal systems exist underground, unexposed to harmful and potentially damaging earthly elements. Geothermal energy is also less expensive to operate and control compared to fossil fuels. Studies show that a geothermal pump in a building in place of a power source based on fossil fuels can save up to 60% on utility cost for that building. Because geothermal energy is a relatively new source sustainable energy, it will require a plethora of workers dedicated to harnessing its power and implicating it into everyday human life. This need will benefit the economy by creating an excess of available openings in the job market. As far as the future of geothermal power is concerned, engineers and scientist believe remaining geothermal energy can be easily extracted and converted to viable power sources.
Geothermal energy best suits our town because it is located in a zone of highly accessible energy. Being in the US state of Wyoming, our town benefits from the natural geothermal energy produced from the nearby Yellowstone caldera, a volcanic structure riddled with energy-producing magma and other volcanic substances which have emerged from the Earth’s crust. This high availability of geothermal energy in such close proximity to our town makes the decision to power our town off of geothermal energy extremely economically advantageous. As well as environmentally advantageous, due to the relatively low amount of land disruption during the extraction process. Because of the presence of the nearby Rocky Mountains, our city is blocked from clashing air currents and severe wind. Therefore, it would not be a wise decision to base our city’s power source off of wind power, due to its overwhelming scarcity. This is a recurring situation in the case of other prospective sustainable resources. For instance, hydroelectric power is a viable sustainable resource, however there is not an adequate amount of yearly precipitation or freshwater access in the region our city is located in to make hydroelectric power a viable option. Overall, geothermal energy is the best option for our city because of its location and the unmatched levels of power that could easily and effectively be harnessed into everyday, sustainable life. Other contenders for renewable sources of energy could possibly work, but not work nearly as efficient as geothermal. There would be numerous flaws if we decided to power our city with an alternative source. Also, our city would face great economic and environmental suffering if presented with an expensive and harmful power source. Because of these reasons, geothermal energy has been determined to be the optimal source of sustainable energy in our city.