Geothermal energy is based on the heat of the earth and it uses this naturally to provide the energy which we need and therefore it is a renewable source of energy and also it is a clean form of energy as well because it does not cause any type of pollution and the heat which is used as directly generated by the art and therefore no fuels are consumed as well and generating that particular hit. The natural forms of geothermal energy are available all over the world in forms of hot Springs and hot water leaks. These days there are many applications of geothermal energy which ensure that with the help of proper technology this form of energy can be harvested and can be used in day-to-day applications. This type of energy is not limited since due to the lava and the magma inside the earth the heat of the day is getting continuously generated and therefore even if we keep on using the heat of the earth in various applications that would be heated again and therefore this energy is not a limited form of energy.
Working of geothermal energy:
In order to understand the working of geothermal energy we have to first understand the concept of a geothermal well because the working principle of geothermal energy is based on this geothermal well.
Geothermal well: inside the earth to the magma which is present under the earth there is continuous heat which is generated in the art and therefore the water table in the earth is at a higher temperature due to this heat. This magma/lava actually at a very high temperature and therefore it keeps on heating the water which is present in the art. Some of the water is converted into steam and some remains in its liquid form. Not at all points of time as there is water reaching the surface of the earth and when the water is trapped inside the crust of the earth it goes into the porous rocks and other such spaces which are available inside the earth. Since these collection points are vast they keep on collecting the heated water as well as the steam which is heated due to the heat of the art. These huge collection points are known as geothermal wells and these are also called as geothermal reservoirs. This heated water in the geothermal wells is actually harnessed to use the geothermal energy in day-to-day applications.
Applications of geothermal energy:
Geothermal energy is used in a wide number of ways ranging from the heating and cooling of the homes all the way to produce electricity as well. Below we would be going into the details of both of these applications and would be explaining to you how geothermal energy is harvested to generate electricity as well as to cool and heat the homes.
Geothermal electricity: as we have explained about there is a huge formation of geothermal reservoirs inside the earth and due to this when the well is drilled into them the hot water which is trapped inside comes out to the surface of the earth with the help of these wells and the heat which is contained in that water and the steam which comes out from the reservior is converted into electricity with the help of geothermal power plants.
Heating and cooling of homes: during the winter hot air is needed in your homes and since the entire atmosphere outside is pretty cold there is no natural source of heat other than the geothermal energy which can be converted into heat. The geothermal heating process actually makes use of the heat which is in the trapped water inside the earth and a network of pipes is actually laid down inside the earth and water is passed through these pipes and because of the heat under the art of this water is actually heated and then this is actually fun to through the house to provide you with proper heating. Since this method does not make use of any traditional fuels it is completely safe for the environment and also since the heat which is under the earth is unlimited in nature as explained above this is a limitless form of heating and inventors it can help you in reducing your heating bill by a significant amount as well. The efficiency of this type of eating is also much greater than other options which you have for producing the heat in your home.
Now we would be talking about the cooling of the homes in summer. The air in your house during the summer is at a higher temperature and this higher temperature that is the heat is captured by the geothermal cooling system and is transferred back to the earth which is actually at a lower temperature as compared to the heat which is outside and then through a network of pipes cool water dehumidifies the air in your home to provide you with geothermal cooling.
These are the most common applications of geothermal energy which you can directly experience in day-to-day life as well.
Geothermal energy is a lot cleaner than other forms of energy and also the cost of producing geothermal energy on a day-to-day basis is also on the lower side but due to the investment which needs to be done in the hardware to start producing the geothermal energy the cost of the energy increases but once the one-time cost has been incurred then the day-to-day cost to produce a single unit of geothermal electricity is actually much more affordable than other conventional means of producing electricity which we are using these days. This has given rise to the impedance of geothermal energy being used on a day-to-day basis for the applications which we have discussed above. Over the last few years there has been extensive research which has been done in the field of geothermal energy to use it for a variety of other purposes as well and slowly but steadily more applications of geothermal energy are also coming into picture.