{"id":807,"date":"2018-06-20T09:09:21","date_gmt":"2018-06-20T09:09:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zoldenergiablog.hu\/en\/?page_id=807"},"modified":"2018-06-20T09:09:21","modified_gmt":"2018-06-20T09:09:21","slug":"advantages-and-disadvantages-of-geothermal-energy-the-source-of-renewable-heat","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/zoldenergiablog.hu\/en\/archive\/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-geothermal-energy-the-source-of-renewable-heat\/","title":{"rendered":"Advantages and Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy – The Source of Renewable Heat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Geothermal energy is currently believed to be one of the most advantageous sources of energy. Not only is it a\u00a0renewable type of energy<\/strong>\u00a0but is also present in most areas, outperforming even some\u00a0conventional sources<\/strong>\u00a0in many aspects.<\/p>\n

The UK is even considering a construction of the world\u2019s longest power connector between UK and Iceland, which would deliver more renewable energy to 1.6 million British homes that do not have\u00a0geothermal heat pumps<\/a>. Moreover, the first commercial\u00a0geothermal power plant<\/strong>\u00a0is planned to be built in Cornwall, UK if all the necessary funds are obtained.<\/p>\n

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That should come as no surprise since some countries profit from the presence of geothermal energy on a large scale. The most known case is Iceland whose\u00a0electricity is 100% sustainable<\/strong>, making use of wind, hydro- and mostly\u00a0geothermal energy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, you don\u2019t need a backyard the size of a football field in order to\u00a0reduce your energy bills<\/strong>. In fact, more and more households all around the globe are investing in geothermal energy and\u00a0heating systems<\/a>\u00a0to cut their costs.<\/p>\n

What Are the Advantages of Geothermal Energy?<\/h2>\n

Geothermal energy has\u00a0many advantages, especially when compared to conventional sources of energy:<\/p>\n

1. Geothermal Energy Sourcing Is Good for the Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n

First and foremost, geothermal energy is extracted from the earth without burning fossil fuels, and geothermal fields produce practically\u00a0no emissions<\/strong>. What\u2019s more, geothermal energy can be very beneficial, as you can achieve\u00a0savings of up to 80%<\/strong>\u00a0over conventional energy usage.<\/p>\n

2. Geothermal Is a Reliable Source of Renewable Energy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Geothermal energy also has many advantages when compared to other renewable sources like solar, wind or biomass. It is an\u00a0exceptionally constant source of energy<\/strong>, meaning that it is not dependent on neither wind nor sun, and\u00a0available all year long<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

When looking at the availability factor, which shows how reliable and constant specific energy sources are, geothermal is\u00a0ranking on the top\u00a0<\/strong>(see the figure below), way above the other groups, which supports the argument of its\u00a0independence on inconstant external circumstances<\/strong>\u00a0when delivering energy.<\/p>\n

3. High Efficiency of Geothermal Systems<\/strong><\/p>\n

Geothermal heat pump systems use\u00a025% to 50% less electricity<\/strong>\u00a0than conventional systems for heating or cooling, and with their flexible design they can be adjusted to different situations, requiring\u00a0less space for hardware<\/strong>\u00a0as opposed to conventional systems.<\/p>\n

4. Little to No Geothermal System Maintenance<\/strong><\/p>\n

Due to the fact that geothermal systems only have few movable parts which are sheltered inside a building,the life span<\/strong>\u00a0of geothermal heat pump systems\u00a0is relatively high<\/strong>. Heat pump pipes even have warranties of between\u00a025 and 50 years<\/strong>, while the pump can usually\u00a0last for at least 20 years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

What are the Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy?<\/h2>\n

However, there are always two sides of the coin so let\u2019s have a look at the cons of geothermal energy:<\/p>\n

1. Environmental Concerns about Greenhouse Emissions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, no matter its reputation of being an environmentally friendly alternative energy source, geothermal energy also causes some minor concerns in regards to the environment.<\/p>\n

The extraction of geothermal energy from the grounds leads to a\u00a0release of greenhouse gases<\/strong>\u00a0like hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, methane and ammonia. However, the amount of gas released is\u00a0significantly lower than\u00a0<\/strong>in the case of\u00a0fossil fuels<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

2. Possibility of Depletion of Geothermal Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n

Furthermore, despite being considered a sustainable and renewable energy, the chances are that specific locations\u00a0might cool down after time<\/strong>, making it impossible to harvest more geothermal energy in future.<\/p>\n

The only non-depletable option is\u00a0sourcing geothermal energy\u00a0<\/strong>right\u00a0from magma<\/strong>\u00a0but the technology for doing so is still in the process of development. This option is worth the investment mainly thanks to the fact that magma will be around\u00a0for billions of years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

3. High Investment Costs for Geothermal System<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another disadvantage is the high initial cost for individual households. The need for drilling and installing quite a complex system into one\u2019s home makes the price climb quite high. Nevertheless, the return on such investment is very promising, being able to earn the\u00a0investment back within 2 to 10 years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

4. Land Requirements for Geothermal System to Be Installed<\/strong><\/p>\n

In case of geothermal systems, having a piece of land next to the house is required in order to be able to install one. That makes\u00a0geothermal systems<\/a>\u00a0hard to be implemented for homeowners in big cities, unless a\u00a0vertical ground source heat pump<\/strong>\u00a0is used.<\/p>\n

What Types of Geothermal Systems Are there?<\/h2>\n

There is a number of\u00a0different geothermal systems available<\/strong>. Which system to choose depends on a variety of factors such as soil conditions, climate, local installation costs on site and available land. There are\u00a0two basic ground loop systems<\/strong>\u00a0which further divide into several subgroups:<\/p>\n

Closed Geothermal Loop System<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n