| Geothermal energy is a platform tapping the inherent | | | | reservoirs to power turbines. These turbines spin |
| energy found within the Earth. Her is an overview of | | | | producing electricity which can then be used to power |
| how the process works from a practical perspective. | | | | industries or even residential areas. The first |
| Producing Energy From Geothermal Resources | | | | geothermically engineered power plant was built in Italy |
| There are several types of energy used in the world | | | | in 1904. |
| that are considered eco-friendly. These energy types | | | | These days, roughly 7000 megawatts of electricity is |
| include solar, which harnesses the power of the sun, | | | | produced by geothermal power plants per year. |
| and hydroelectric, which uses the power of water to | | | | Geothermal power plants are located in 21 countries |
| generate electricity. One often neglected ecologically | | | | throughout the world. In the United States alone, |
| sound energy source that should be grouped with the | | | | enough geothermal power is generated per year to be |
| others is geothermal energy. Geothermal energy | | | | the equivalent to the burning of 60 million barrels of oil, |
| involves using the Earth's own heat to create energy | | | | to wit, geothermal energy is a major source of power. |
| and warmth to be used by people. | | | | Geothermal energy has been used by cultures |
| Geothermal energy is so named because it derives | | | | throughout history for thousands of years. The |
| from the Greek words for "earth heat", "geo" and | | | | process used to harness geothermal energy has |
| "therme". Extreme amounts of heat are generated in | | | | always been relatively simple compared to that of |
| the Earth's core, which reaches temperatures of up to | | | | other energy processes, and the components used |
| 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The Earth's core then | | | | are familiar to everyone. The concept of using super |
| transfers heat to the mantle, a crust of rock | | | | hot water from the Earth's magma layers may seem |
| surrounding the core. This rock liquefies due to the | | | | high tech, but once you have tapped into this resource, |
| intense heat becoming magma (molten rock). In this | | | | it is easy to maintain and use as a continual power |
| magma layer, water collects in columns or reserves. | | | | source. |
| This trapped water, which can be heated to | | | | The best analogy for geothermal energy production is |
| temperatures of about 700 degrees Fahrenheit, is | | | | another alternative energy source. It works in the |
| known as a geothermal reservoir. When engineers | | | | same way as hydropower. Water is used to spin |
| want to use geothermal energy, they "tap" in to this | | | | turbines which produce electricity. In the case of |
| geothermal water and use the resulting hot water and | | | | geothermal energy, however, the water comes from |
| steam for various purposes. | | | | the internal chambers of the Earth in, most often, the |
| Geothermal energy plants work by using the steam | | | | form of steam. |
| resulting from tapping into the geothermal water | | | | |