Geothermal Renewable Energy is a harmless one that is made from the heat of the earth. It does not produce any greenhouse gases. Underground water near volcanoes gets heated and even boiled at high temperatures and produce steam. These are found at a depth of 3000m. the water is collected by drilling wells. The steam and hot water is separated. Steam is purified and used in power plants to generate energy. Water is used in reservoirs to produce more steam. This is an outline that explains generation of geothermal energy.
Establishment of a geothermal plant has to face many challenges as it requires an appropriate location. Drilling wells to get the water may affect nearby areas also. So it is very important to select location without affecting natural habitat. This provides many environmental advantages as it is pollution free, clean and renewable. This is referred as a renewable energy as it is obtained from an unlimited resource, natural heat of the earth. The main advantage is that it reduces the usage of imported fuels for power generation.
Chevron is the first company to manufacture geothermal energy industrially and now they are the largest producers in the world. The word geothermal has been derived from Greek words, geo means earth and thermos means heat. Some of the major applications are district heating, space heating, industrial processes and agricultural applications. Compared to other energy sources this has been rated the most reliable, cost effective, sustainable and eco-friendly energy source. The only drawback is the drilling and exploration costs. Future scope and availability depends on technology growth, price of energy, interest rates and subsidies. The share of geothermal energy is only 0.5% of global electricity demand but the potential is very high. The major advantage over solar and wind energy is that it is independent of climatic variations.
