Merits & Demerits Of Geothermal Energy?

There are many gains from geothermal energy, but also some challenges that must be overcome to exploit this natural resource fully.

FREMONT, CA: Geothermal Energy is a sustainable and renewable energy source that remains largely untapped. As an eco-friendly resource, it has the prospect of meeting future heating, cooling, and electricity demands.

There are many gains from geothermal energy, but also some challenges that must be overcome to exploit this natural resource fully.

What are the Advantages of Using Geothermal?

1. Environmentally Friendly

Geothermal energy is more eco-friendly than customary fuel sources such as coal and other fossil fuels. Also, the carbon footprint of a geothermal power plant is low. While some pollution is associated with geothermal energy, this is relatively minimal compared to fossil fuels.

2. Renewable

In about 5 billion years, geothermal energy will last until the sun destroys the Earth. Then, the hot reservoirs inside the Earth are naturally refilled, making it both renewable & sustainable.

3. Huge Potential

Worldwide energy intake is around 15 terawatts, far from the potential energy available from geothermal sources. While we can't presently use most reservoirs, there is hope that the number of exploitable geothermal resources will rise with ongoing research and development in the industry. It is estimated that geothermal power plants could offer between 0.0035 and 2 terawatts.

4.Sustainable / Stable

Geothermal offers a reliable energy source compared to other renewable resources like wind and solar. This is because the resource is often available to be tapped into, unlike wind or solar energy.

5. Heating and Cooling

The efficient use of geothermal for electricity generation needs water temperatures of over 150°C to impel turbines. Instead, the temperature difference between the surface and a ground source can be used. Because the ground is more resistant to seasonal heat changes than the air, it can work as a heat sink/ source with a geothermal heat pump just two meters below the surface.

6. Reliable

Energy induced from this resource is easy to calculate since it does not fluctuate similarly to other energy sources, like solar and wind. This implies we can accurately predict the power output from a geothermal plant.

7.No Fuel Needed

As geothermal energy is a naturally appearing resource, there is no fuel required, such as fossil fuels which are finite resource that needs mining or otherwise extracting from the Earth.

8. Rapid Evolution

There is a lot of probe into geothermal energy at the moment, meaning that new technologies are being created to enhance the energy process. As a result, there are a rising number of projects to improve and grow this industry. With this quick evolution, many of the current cons of geothermal energy will be mitigated.

What are the Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy?

1. Location Restricted

The biggest single disadvantage of geothermal energy is that it is location specific. Geothermal plants need to be built where the energy is accessible, so some areas cannot exploit this resource. Certainly, this is not a problem if you live in a place where geothermal energy is easily accessible, such as Iceland.

2. Environmental Side Effects

Although geothermal energy does not generally release greenhouse gases, there are many of these gases stored under the Earth's surface, which are discharged into the atmosphere during digging. While these gases are also discharged into the atmosphere naturally, the rate increases near geothermal plants. Still, these gas emissions are far less than fossil fuels.

3. Earthquakes

Geothermal energy also runs the risk of provoking earthquakes. This is because of alterations in the Earth's structure due to digging. This issue is common with enhanced geothermal power plants, which force water into the Earth's crust to open up fissures to greater resource exploitation. Still, since most geothermal plants are away from population centers, the implications of these earthquakes are relatively minor.

4. High Costs

Geothermal energy is expensive, with price tags ranging from around $2-$7 million for a plant with a 1-megawatt capacity. Still, where the upfront costs are high, the outlay can be recouped as part of a long-term investment.

5. Sustainability

To maintain geothermal energy's sustainability, the fluid must be pumped back into the underground reservoirs faster than depleted. This means geothermal energy needs to be properly managed to maintain sustainability.

The industry needs to assess the pros and cons of geothermal energy to consider the advantages while mitigating potential problems.