What are the advantages and disadvantages of using geothermal energy?
I think the use of geothermal energy is a wonderful alternative to coal or gas or oil. The requirements are an area of underground hot rocks which are found basically all over the world, to a greater or lesser degree. The temperature has to be about 400˚C and this generates superheated steam under pressure and drives steam turbines at the surface to generate electricity. The advantage is that no irreplaceable minerals are used, (coal, gas or oil) and no greenhouse gases are generated either to accelerate global warming. The earth is generating heat inside naturally by radiation decay and this is lost continuously at the surface. All energy however generated is converted to heat anyway. So if all the worlds energy needs where met by geothermal means the thermal balance of the earth would be the same as before the industrial revolution – eventually. I say eventually because we cannot extract more heat than the earth produces.
