Geothermal Alternative Energy Sources
- Water heated by geothermic activity creates hot springs. People use the springs to bathe and relax in, but the hot water can also be diverted into pipes that connect to homes and other buildings. The water releases heat and warms the building as it travels through. Ninety-five percent of homes in Reykjavik, Iceland, get their heat this way, according to the Energy Information Administration.
- If you drill down far enough, even in an area that isn't geologically active, you will hit hot rock. The heat from this layer can be directed through pipes and into buildings. In the same manner as the hot water releases its heat, the hot air loses heat as it travels through the pipes and heats the building the pipe is connected to.
- Hydrothermal energy has two sources: steam wells and hot water wells. These wells lie one to two miles below the Earth's surface and reach temperatures of up to 700 degrees F. Once the wells are tapped, power plants built nearby use the heat energy from the geothermal wells to turn turbines. A flash steam plant condenses the steam into water and returns it to the well.
- Compared to air temperature, soil temperature typically stays cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. A geothermal heat pump pulls the warmth from the ground in the winter to heat your home; in the summer it pulls heat from your home and diverts it into the ground. The pumps sit underground, where the temperature doesn't fluctuate much over time, and are more efficient than other heating and cooling methods.
