What is Good and Bad about Geothermal Energy?

Geothermal energy is the energy produced by the heat within the surface of the earth.  The innermost part of the earth produces an outrageous amount of heat. This heat is then transferred to the mantle, the layer of rocks that surrounds the innermost part of the earth.  Due to excessive heat, this rock melts into magma, the molten rock.  Molten rocks collect water and trap them to create columns or reserves which are called geothermal reservoir.  By tapping into this geothermal reservoir, the resulting hot water and steam can now be used as energy for power generations purposes.

Geothermal energy produces little or no emissions at all.  Steam plants use the hot water and extremely hot steam to power a turbine that supplies a generator directly called dry steam or they can lessen the very high-pressure and temperature of water to produce steam called flash steam. There may be a release with negligible amounts of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and sulfur.

Geothermal power plants, once built, cost only very little to maintain and operate. They can be used as a direct heat source. Power can be generated by pumping water through hot rocks.  Geothermal power plants have a very slight environmental impact.  Geothermal energy system uses its capability to transfer heat.  It only uses the abundant heat energy that is trapped below the earth’s surface.

There is no need to use crude oil to power up geothermal power plants which may contribute to air pollution. Geothermal energy systems are the most cost effective and most environmentally clean.  After a short span of time, a geothermal power plant can raise funds more than enough to maintain and operate itself.

Underground heat pumps use pipes underneath the frost line to distribute a coolant through a cycle of compression and evaporation between two heat exchangers. One heat exchanger absorbs heat and evaporates at low pressure while a compressor presses the coolant vapor at high pressure to another coil where the coolant condenses and emits the heat.  Heat pumps can perform in both directions- heating and cooling. Energy cost savings heat pumps are valuable.

However, geothermal sources are not always accessible.  The hot rocks and water availability must be within drilling range.  Geothermal sites may run out of steam because there is a tendency for temperatures to drop low.  When there is a hot rock mismanagement, the water used may cool the rocks.

Furthermore, geothermal sources can also bring about harmful gases and minerals.  Drillings into the ground can also cause earthquakes when water is pumped into the holes.

And last but not the least, several places which one may think as a potential site for a geothermal power plant, there is not much guarantee that it will yield enough energy to recover the amount of capital used for the construction and operation of the said power plant.