Clean Technologies - Wind Power

Introduction

The term geothermal refers to heat from within the Earth. The energy from this heat can be captured and utilized in a variety of ways, depending on the types of resources that are available in a given location. Regardless of the method, tapping geothermal energy is an affordable and sustainable way to reduce our use of fossil fuels and combat global warming.

Geothermal Resources

Within the core of the Earth, some 4,000 miles below the surface, heat is continually produced in magma by a naturally occurring process in which radioactive materials such as uranium and potassium slowly decay over time. In fact, the amount of heat within 10,000 meters of the Earth’s surface contains 50,000 times more energy than all of the oil and natural gas resources in the world combined.

Capturing Geothermal Energy

Geothermal heat pumps: When we talk about geothermal energy in New York State, we are referring to geothermal heat pumps, which utilize stable ground or water temperatures near the Earth’s surface to control building temperatures above ground.

Despite the changing seasons and weather patterns throughout a year, temperatures below ground in the upper ten feet of the Earth's surface hold nearly constant between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Geothermal heat pumps, also called ground-source heat pumps, use these constant temperatures to provide heating, cooling, and hot water for homes and buildings. This process involves moving heat from an area of lower temperature to an area of higher temperature. The term "pump" is used because this process works against the normal flow of heat from hotter areas to cooler areas.

The heat pump works by circulating an antifreeze liquid through underground pipes. As it circulates, the fluid gathers heat from the earth, and is then pumped through the system into buildings or homes. In the summer, the process is reversed and takes heat from the building and places it in the ground.

A geothermal heat pump in winter. Image courtesy of NYSERDA.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), geothermal heat pumps are the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective systems for temperature control. Although most homes still use traditional furnaces and air conditioners, geothermal heat pumps are becoming more widely utilized, as they are both environmentally friendly and offer significant cost savings.  

Geothermal power plants: A geothermal reservoir is a naturally occurring area where magma comes close to the surface of the earth and heats the ground water found trapped in porous rock or along fractured rock surfaces and faults. As such, the most active geothermal resources are usually found along the Earth’s major plate boundaries where earthquakes and volcanoes are concentrated, such as the Pacific Rim. Geothermal electric generating facilities are typically built where these reservoirs are located within a mile or two of the surface. The reservoir is accessed by drilling wells into the earth and piping the steam or hot water to the surface, where it then powers steam turbines that drive generators to produce electricity. Places like California and Nevada are home to a number of geothermal power plants, but New York State does not have similar natural resources.

Geothermal Energy’s Future

Geothermal energy has significant potential when it comes to creating a clean and sustainable energy supply for the United States and elsewhere in the world. It can supply continuous, base load power and its costs are continually declining. While many geothermal resources remain untapped, as technologies improve and advance, even more resources will become available for development. In addition to electric power generation, which is focused primarily in the western United States, there is a bright future for the use geothermal heat pumps as a heating/cooling source for homes and businesses everywhere. Many installers of geothermal systems also provide solar installations and solar thermal solutions for residential and commercial buildings. Please browse our links and resources for more information!