Geothermal energy
Unlike wind and solar energy, geothermal plants produce power at a constant rate, without regard to weather conditions.[7] The earliest industrial exploitation began in 1827 with the use of geyser steam to extract boric acid from volcanic mud in Larderello, Italy.The world's first known building to utilize geothermal energy as its primary heat source was the Hot Lake Hotel in Union County, Oregon, beginning in 1907.Prince Piero Ginori Conti tested the first geothermal power generator on 4 July 1904, at the Larderello steam field.[14] An organic fluid based binary cycle power station was first demonstrated in 1967 in the USSR[13] and later introduced to the US in 1981[citation needed].In 2006, a binary cycle plant in Chena Hot Springs, Alaska, came on-line, producing electricity from a record low temperature of 57 °C (135 °F).[26] Geothermal energy supplies a significant share of the electrical power in Iceland, El Salvador, Kenya, the Philippines and New Zealand.The development of binary cycle power plants and improvements in drilling and extraction technology enable enhanced geothermal systems over a greater geographical range.[21] Demonstration projects are operational in Landau-Pfalz, Germany, and Soultz-sous-Forêts, France, while an earlier effort in Basel, Switzerland, was shut down after it triggered earthquakes.Liquid-dominated reservoirs (LDRs) are more common with temperatures greater than 200 °C (392 °F) and are found near volcanoes in/around the Pacific Ocean and in rift zones and hot spots.Instead, the subsurface working fluid stays inside a closed loop of deeply buried pipes that conduct Earth's heat.[36] Eavortm, a Canadian-based geothermal startup, piloted their closed-loop system in shallow soft rock formations in Alberta, Canada.[10] Enhanced geothermal systems tend to be on the high side of these ranges, with capital costs above $4 million per MW and break-even above $0.054 per kW·h.The mix between private and public funding varies among different renewable energy technologies, influenced by their market appeal and readiness.The report details how geothermal projects contribute to skill development through practical on-the-job training and formal education, thereby strengthening the local workforce and expanding employment opportunities.It also underscores the collaborative nature of geothermal development with local communities, which leads to improved infrastructure, skill-building programs, and revenue-sharing models, thereby enhancing access to reliable electricity and heat.The report further addresses the commitment to advancing gender equality and social inclusion by offering job opportunities, education, and training to underrepresented groups, ensuring fair access to the benefits of geothermal development.Collectively, these efforts are instrumental in driving domestic economic growth, increasing fiscal revenues, and contributing to more stable and diverse national economies, while also offering significant social benefits such as better health, education, and community cohesion.In such cases, the fluids extracting heat from the subsurface often dissolve fragments of the rock during their ascent towards the surface, where they subsequently cool.[49][50] The Wairakei power station was commissioned in November 1958, and it attained its peak generation of 173 MW in 1965, but already the supply of high-pressure steam was faltering.Fluids drawn from underground carry a mixture of gasses, notably carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), methane (CH4) and ammonia (NH3).[52] Plants that experience high levels of acids and volatile chemicals are typically equipped with emission-control systems to reduce the exhaust.[38] Water from geothermal sources may hold in solution trace amounts of toxic elements such as mercury, arsenic, boron, and antimony.The modern practice of returning geothermal fluids into the Earth to stimulate production has the side benefit of reducing this environmental impact.A project in Basel, Switzerland was suspended because more than 10,000 seismic events measuring up to 3.4 on the Richter Scale occurred over the first 6 days of water injection.[59] The Tongonan Geothermal Field (TGF) added the Upper Mahiao, Matlibog, and South Sambaloran plants, which resulted in a 508 MV capacity.[65] The municipal government of Szeged is trying to cut down its gas consumption by 50 percent by utilizing geothermal energy for its district heating system.
ground source heat pumpNesjavellir Geothermal Power StationIcelandImperial Valley Geothermal ProjectSalton SeaRenewable energyBiofuelBiogasBiomassCarbon-neutral fuelCrosswind kite powerGeothermal heatingGeothermal powerHydroelectricityRun-of-the-riverHydropowerMicro hydroPico hydroSmall hydroMarine current powerMarine energyOcean thermalOsmotic powerSolar energySolar powerSustainable biofuelTidal powerTidal stream generatorWave powerWind powerNuclear power proposed as renewable energyTopics by country and territoryMarketing and policy trendsthermal energyradioactive decayhot springsPaleolithicspace heatingtectonic plate boundariesmegawattsQin dynastyoldest known spaAquae SulisBath, Somersetpublic bathsunderfloor heatingChaudes-Aiguesgeyserboric acidvolcanic mudLarderellodistrict heatingBoise, IdahoKlamath Falls, OregonHot Lake HotelUnion County, OregongreenhousesTuscanydownhole heat exchangerPiero Ginori ContiPacific Gas and ElectricThe GeysersChena Hot Springs, Alaska1031 joulesplanetary accretionnaturally occurring isotopesCornwallthoriummantlemantle convectcore–mantle boundaryflows to the surface by conductionterawattsgeothermal gradientmagma conduitshydrothermal circulationhot springaquiferhydraulically fractureenhanced geothermal systemselectrical power generatedgigawattsUnited StatesEl SalvadorPhilippinesNew ZealandrenewableEarth's heat contentgreenhouse gas emissionscarbon dioxideIndonesiaMexicoCosta RicaRussiaTurkeyPortugalEthiopiaGermanyAustraliaHondurasbinary cycle power plantsLandau-PfalzSoultz-sous-Forêtsafter it triggered earthquakesUnited KingdomMyanmarYangonThermal efficiencycapacity factorsCerro Prietoheat exchangerRankine cycleturbineEnhanced geothermal systemfrackingproppantsdirectional drillingRhine GrabenLandauInsheimClosed-loop geothermalEavortmNevadabreak-evenEnergy Sector Management Assistance Programsocioeconomic