Geothermal Power Plants

A Geyser is an example of Geothermal energy. Hot springs, lava, and fumaroles are natural examples of geothermal energy. Geothermal power is currently more common in homes and businesses, using geothermal heat pumps to control the temperature in the building.

Geothermal heating, for example using water from hot springs has been used for bathing since Paleolithic times and for space heating since ancient Roman times, however more recently geothermal power, the term used for generation of electricity from geothermal energy, has gain in importance.

Geothermal energy is also used to directly heat individual buildings and to heat multiple buildings with district heating systems. Hot water near the earth’s surface is piped into buildings for heat. Industrial applications of geothermal energy include food dehydration (drying), gold mining, and milk pasteurizing.

People around the world use geothermal energy to heat their homes and to produce electricity by digging deep wells and pumping the heated underground water or steam to the surface. Or, we can make use of the stable temperatures near the surface of the earth to heat and cool buildings.

1. Hot water is pumped from deep underground through a well under high pressure.
2. When the water reaches the surface, the pressure is dropped, which causes the water to turn into steam.
3. The steam spins a turbine, which is connected to a generator that produces electricity.

Here are some examples of Alternative Energy Sources and Their Importance

• Hydrogen Gas.
• Tidal Energy.
• Biomass Energy.
• Wind Energy.
• Geothermal Power.
• Natural Gas.
• Biofuels.
• Wave Energy.

Most electricity is generated with steam turbines using fossil fuels, nuclear, biomass, geothermal, and solar thermal energy. Other major electricity generation technologies include gas turbines, hydro turbines, wind turbines, and solar photovoltaics.

Source of electricity is commonly called an electrical generator or power plant.

There are two kinds of current electricity: direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC). With direct current, electrons move in one direction.

Electricity cannot be mined from the ground like coal. So it is called a secondary source of energy, meaning that it is derived from primary sources, including coal, natural gas, nuclear fission reactions, sunlight, wind, and hydropower.