Geothermal energy of the Earth - possible long-term

solution?
linkedin.com/pulse/geothermal-energy-earth-possible-long-term-solution-dan-bosak

'Geothermal' is an amalgam of two words: geo (earth) and thermal (heat). Geothermal
energy is the energy stored in the form of heat beneath the earth's surface.

Geothermal energy is a renewable resource. One of its biggest advantages is that it is

constantly available. The constant flow of heat from the Earth ensures an inexhaustible and
essentially limitless supply of energy for billions of years to come.

Our planet is a huge source of energy. In fact; 99.9 per cent of the planet is at a temperature
greater than 100°C; so geothermal energy is a significant renewable resource.

The upper 10–15 m of the ground is heated by solar radiation and acts a heat store.

We currently (try to) utilise the shallow geothermal energy

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This heat can be utilised by ground source heat pumps that can substantially reduce heating
bills and reduce the associated carbon footprint. The heat from the sun is conducted
downwards into the ground.

At a depth of about 15 metres, ground temperatures are not influenced by seasonal air
temperature changes and tend to remain stable all year around at about the mean annual
air temperature (9–13°C in the UK). Hence, the ground at this depth is cooler than the air in
summer and warmer than the air in winter.

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This temperature difference is exploited by ground source heat pumps that are used for
heating and/or cooling of homes and office buildings.

Ground source heat pumps are more efficient than air source heat pumps during low
temperature periods, which is when heating is most needed. They are also more efficient
during hot weather for cooling. Part of the successful installation of a ground source
heat/cooling system is knowledge of the subsurface, and how much heat it can deliver.

But the real source of energy is the Earth Core

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Heat has been radiating from the center of the Earth for some 4.5 billion years. At 6437.4
km (4,000 miles) deep, the center of the Earth hovers around the same temperatures as the
sun's surface, 9932°F (5,500°C) (Figure 1). Scientists estimate that 42 million megawatts
(MW) of power flow from the Earth’s interior, primarily by conduction.

Deep geothermal energy takes advantage of the hot magma (molten rock) beneath the
earth's crust. The heat of the magma can be used to heat water or another fluid, which is
pumped back up to the surface to power a turbine that produces electricity.

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An MIT study from 2006 estimated there’s about 13 000 Zettajoules of Geothermal energy in
the Earth. That was before we discovered with recent instruments that the core is actually
hotter... which might imply an even bigger number than 13 000 Zettajoules.

At any rate, that same study indicated that we had the technology in 2006 to tap into 200
Zettajoules of power, with the ability to expand to 2000 Zettajoules in the future with
enhancements to the technology in question.

Human civilization currently uses about 0.5 Zettajoules (but estimating that 1 third of
Humanity doesn’t have electricity... in order to provide ALL Humans with power, that
number would likely go up to about 0.65 Zettajoules).

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