Producing Energy From Geothermal Resources

Geothermal energy is a platform tapping thesteam resulting from tapping into the geothermal
inherent energy found within the Earth. Her is anwater reservoirs to power turbines. These
overview of how the process works from aturbines spin producing electricity which can then
practical perspective.be used to power industries or even residential
Producing Energy From Geothermal Resourcesareas. The first geothermically engineered power
There are several types of energy used in theplant was built in Italy in 1904.
world that are considered eco-friendly. TheseThese days, roughly 7000 megawatts of
energy types include solar, which harnesses theelectricity is produced by geothermal power plants
power of the sun, and hydroelectric, which usesper year. Geothermal power plants are located in
the power of water to generate electricity. One21 countries throughout the world. In the United
often neglected ecologically sound energy sourceStates alone, enough geothermal power is
that should be grouped with the others isgenerated per year to be the equivalent to the
geothermal energy. Geothermal energy involvesburning of 60 million barrels of oil, to wit,
using the Earth's own heat to create energy andgeothermal energy is a major source of power.
warmth to be used by people.Geothermal energy has been used by cultures
Geothermal energy is so named because itthroughout history for thousands of years. The
derives from the Greek words for "earth heat",process used to harness geothermal energy has
"geo" and "therme". Extreme amounts of heat arealways been relatively simple compared to that of
generated in the Earth's core, which reachesother energy processes, and the components
temperatures of up to 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit.used are familiar to everyone. The concept of
The Earth's core then transfers heat to theusing super hot water from the Earth's magma
mantle, a crust of rock surrounding the core. Thislayers may seem high tech, but once you have
rock liquefies due to the intense heat becomingtapped into this resource, it is easy to maintain
magma (molten rock). In this magma layer, waterand use as a continual power source.
collects in columns or reserves. This trappedThe best analogy for geothermal energy
water, which can be heated to temperatures ofproduction is another alternative energy source. It
about 700 degrees Fahrenheit, is known as aworks in the same way as hydropower. Water is
geothermal reservoir. When engineers want toused to spin turbines which produce electricity. In
use geothermal energy, they "tap" in to thisthe case of geothermal energy, however, the
geothermal water and use the resulting hot waterwater comes from the internal chambers of the
and steam for various purposes.Earth in, most often, the form of steam.
Geothermal energy plants work by using the