Geothermal

Energy
The Origin of Renewable Energy
Table of Contents
i. Introduction
i.a What is Geothermal Energy?
i.b Origin
i.c Definition of Terms
ii. Types of Geothermal Energy and Power plants
iii. Uses of Geothermal Energy
iv. Impact on Community
v. Plans for Conservation
 Introduction
Geothermal Energy, from the greeks words
“geo” meaning earth and “therme” meaning
heat comes from heat within the Earth that
can be used for heating, cooling, and generating
electricity. Geothermal Energy is a Renewable
source of energy which is not so widely used in
the earth because of how long it takes to build
a single of these geothermal powerplants.
Although the existence of this Energy helps
humans in many ways.
Geothermal energy is heat within the earth. Geothermal energy is a renewable
energy source because heat is continuously produced inside the earth.

Geothermal energy is different from the term thermal energy, don't get the
two confused, as the origin of heat in geothermal energy, aforementioned, is
taken from within the earth like steam from magma underneath the surface of
the earth. On the other hand, thermal energy's heat is taken from burning
things like fossil fuels, oil, and natural gas.

There are such things called geothermal power plants that incorporates the use
of this renewable energy to create electricity.
 How do geothermal power plants make
electricity?

Small underground pathways, such as fractures,

conduct fluids through the hot rocks. In
geothermal electricity generation, this fluid can be
drawn as energy in the form of heat through wells
to the earth's surface. At the surface, that
energy is converted to steam, which drives
turbines that produce electricity.
 When Did Geothermal Energy Start?
Geothermal energy is one of the oldest types of power used by humans.
Archaeological evidence suggests that the earliest direct use of geothermal
power occurred at least 10,000 years ago in North America, where indigenous
peoples were drawn to hot springs for both spiritual and practical reasons.

Similarly, the peoples of ancient Greece and Rome viewed hot springs as places of
healing imbued with sacred power. The Greek physician Hippocrates (460–320
BCE) promoted the health benefits of hot bathing, while the Roman author Pliny
the Elder (23–79 CE) wrote about the particular benefits of hot mineral baths
for people suffering from muscle, joint, or paralytic ailments. The Romans built
shrines at hot springs, many of which yield archaeological evidence that people
sought to communicate with the gods. .
 When Did Geothermal Energy Start?
The first effort to harness geothermal energy for industrial use came in 1818 in
the Tuscan region of Italy where French engineer François Jacques de
Larderel pioneered a new way to extract boric acid from hot springs

In 1904, Italian scientist Piero Ginori Conti successfully used geothermal energy
to power a small generator capable of lighting several light bulbs.

And today, Geothermal technological advances are evident, we do not need to

rely on collecting steam from tectonic plate boundaries on the surface of the
earth for any longer. Different types of Power Plants allowed us to access
Geothermal Energy from deep within the Earth, making it more accessible to
people now. .
 Geothermal
of En
es er
yp gy
T
Hydrothermal
Electricity or heat energy produced
from hydrothermal heat. In a
geothermal power plant
hydrothermal heat is used to
produce steam, which then drives
turbines connected to electricity
generators. Hydrothermal is a
subset of geothermal, and means
that the transfer of heat involves
water, either in liquid or vapor stat.
Geopressured
Geopressured resources (those
under pressure in the earth) are
found in highly pressurized shale and
sandstone formations that contain
high-temperature brine with
dissolved methane. Their energy
potential includes both thermal
energy and the methane stored in
reservoirs.
Hot Dry Rock
Hot dry rock is an extremely
abundant source of geothermal
energy that is difficult to access. A
vast store of thermal energy is
contained within hot – but essentially
dry and impervious crystalline
basement rocks found almost
everywhere deep beneath Earth's
surface.
Magma
Magma heats nearby rocks and
underground aquifers. Hot water
can be released through geysers,
hot springs, steam vents,
underwater hydrothermal vents, and
mud pots. These are all sources of
geothermal energy. Their heat can
be captured and used directly for
heat, or their steam can be used to
generate electricity.
 othermal Po
Ge we
of r P
es lan
yp

ts
T
Dry Steam

Dry Steam Plants use steam directly

from a geothermal reservoir to turn
generator turbines. The first
geothermal power plant was built in
1904 in Tuscany, Italy, where natural
steam erupted from the earth.
 Flash Steam

Flash steam plants take high-

pressure hot water from deep
inside the earth and convert it to
steam that drives generator
turbines. When the steam cools, it
condenses to water and is injected
back into the ground to be used
again. Most geothermal power plants
are flash steam plants..
Binary Cycle

Binary Cycle Plants transfer the

heat from geothermal hot water to
another liquid. The heat causes the
second liquid to turn to steam, and
the steam drives a generator
turbine.
Uses of Geothermal
Energy
-Indirect
-Direct
Direct Use
It is a DIRECT use of geothermal energy when it is only
used for heating and cooling.

Ex: -Hot springs, used as spas

-Greenhouses in Iceland utilizing the heat from geysers
to grow plants like tomatos
-Geothermal heat pumps producing heat in the winter,
and cooling homes in the summer
Indirect Use
It is an INDIRECT use of geothermal energy when the
heat from within the earth is used to make electricity

Ex: -Electricity Production

IMPACT ON
COMMUNITY
ADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGES
Environmentally
Friendly
Geothermal energy is more environmentally
friendly than conventional fuel sources such
as coal and other fossil fuels. In addition, the
carbon footprint of a geothermal power plant
is low. While there is some pollution associated
with geothermal energy, this is relatively
minimal when compared to fossil fuels.
 Renewable
Geothermal energy is a source of renewable
energy that will last until the Earth is
destroyed by the sun in around 5 billion years.
The hot reservoirs within the Earth are
naturally replenished, making it both
renewable and sustainable
Huge Potential
.Worldwide energy consumption is currently
around 15 terawatts, which is far from the
total potential energy available from
geothermal sources. While we can’t currently
use most reservoirs there is a hope that the
number of exploitable geothermal resources will
increase with ongoing research and development
in the industry. It is currently estimated that
geothermal power plants could provide between
0.0035 and 2 terawatts of power.
 ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAG
Location
Restricted
The largest single disadvantage of geothermal
energy is that it is location specific. Geothermal
plants need to be built in places where the
energy is accessible, which means that some
areas are not able to exploit this resource. Of
course, this is not a problem if you live in a
place where geothermal energy is readily
accessible, such as Iceland.
 Environmental
Side Effects
Although geothermal energy does not typically
release greenhouse gases, there are many of
these gases stored under the Earth’s surface
which are released into the atmosphere during
digging. While these gases are also released into
the atmosphere naturally, the rate increases
near geothermal plants. However, these gas
emissions are still far lower than those
associated with fossil fuels..
Earthquakes
Geothermal energy also runs the risk of
triggering earthquakes. This is due to alterations
in the Earth’s structure as a result of digging.
This problem is more prevalent with enhanced
geothermal power plants, which force water into
the Earth’s crust to open up fissures to greater
exploitation of the resource. However, since
most geothermal plants are away from
population centres, the implications of these
earthquakes are relatively minor.
 TAKING ALL THESE
DISADVANTAGES INTO
CONSIDERATION.. HOW DO
YOU PLAN ON PROTECTING
OUR COMMUNITY FROM
THESE NEGATIVE IMPACTS?
 Fracture Drilling Size

Drillers must be mindful of drilling a fracture

into a certain extent as to not create a
fracture big enough to cause an earthquake.
Careful drilling must be taken into
consideration as it is one of many safe ways
to collect steam for the production of
Geothermal Energy.
 Maintain steady Water Flow
Rates

Producers use High Pressure in pumping water into

the wells of Geothermal Power Plants. Sometimes
due to the pressure it could trigger seismic activity
which will eventually increase the likelihood of an
earthquake. Maintaining steady Water flow Rates
will make production balanced with the decreased
chance of a Geothermal Power Plant to be causing
another earthquake
HOW DO YOU
CONSERVE
GEOTHERMAL
ENERGY?
 Do not over-produce the
resource.
This is simple, you do not want to produce so much
of the hot water that you begin to cool the
reservoir. If you produce the water too fast, your
reinjected fluids do not have time to heat up and
the reservoir begins to cool, and you lose power
production. You will need to make a reservoir
production model to estimate how much production
is a sustainable amount
 Utilize Geothermal Energy as
Best as Possible

If it is possible for Geothermal Energy to be

harvested in a particular Location, then we must
utilize this energy and turn it into products that
are beneficial to everyone in the surrounding area,
like Electricity or Geothermal Heat Pumps. If
Geothermal Energy is accessible then use it.
 Reinjection of spent fluids.
You want to reinject as close to 100% of the fluids
you produce from the reservoir. This will be
difficult because a percentage of the fluids
produced include dissolved solids and incondensable
gases. A portion of these will not get reinjected.
 Do not have thermal
breakthrough.
This pertains to the reinjection - if you put
reinjection well too close to your production wells,
the reinjected water will not have time to fully
heat to reservoir temperature and you will produce
colder than expected water. This will again lower
your power production
 Do not have pressure
drawdown.
This is another reinjection problem - if you do not
reinject, you lose pressure in the system and slowly
lose the ability to produce fluids. So, you need to
reinject spent fluids to keep the pressure of the
system up.
References:
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/geothermal/#:~:text=Geothermal%20energy%20is
%20heat%20within,buildings%2C%20and%20for%20generating%20electricity.

https://www.engie.com/en/activities/thermal-energy/thermal-power-
stations#:~:text=Traditional%20thermal%20power%20plants%3A%20also,an%20alternato
r%20to%20produce%20electricity.

https://www.nps.gov/articles/geothermal-systems-and-monitoring-hydrothermal-
features.htm#:~:text=Geothermal%20refers%20to%20any%20system,hence%20the%20%
E2%80%9Chydro%E2%80%9D).

https://www.quora.com/How-can-geothermal-energy-be-conserved
References:
https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/geothermal-energy/pros-and-
cons

https://www.slideshare.net/pedrocorreia503092/indirect-uses-of-geothermal-energy

https://www.energy.gov/eere/geothermal/electricity-generation

https://ezmt.anl.gov/energy_resources/geothermal

https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/31904

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/geothermal-energy/
Thank You for
Listening!
Members:
1. Catilogo, Kent
2. Cuevas, Eddie
3. Colilihan, Daryl
4. Candido, Ma. Antonia
5. Castel, Nicole
6. Dado, Maria Julia