GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

1. GEOTHERMAL ENERGY By: Katie Kirkholder Molly Normandin Zack Small Tanner Brooks 7B

2. Where does it come from? • The most abundant place to find geothermal energy is Iceland. • Geothermal energy is found in the the form of volcanoes, hot springs, and geysers • It can also come from miles under ground in the core of the earth. It heats underground water until it turns into steam. The steam bursts through a crack or hole in the Earth’s crust as a geyser or hot spring. http://www.engineering.com/Videos/VideoPlayer/tabid/4627/videoId/649/geothermal-energy-process.aspx

3. What is Geothermal Energy? • Geothermal energy is heat stored within the earth. • Geothermal energy is clean, reliable, and cost effective. • It’s availability is limited to areas near tectonic plates such as California and Nevada.

4. Using theEnergy • Geothermal energy is used in many ways such as; heating hot water and to generate electricity to power homes and industries. • People also use geothermal energy when they bathe in hot springs. • Some people believe that bathing in the warm water and breathing the vapors from the hot spring can cure some diseases.

5. How it is made? • The energy is made deep beneath the earth’s crust. • The earth has many layers, one being the iron core, which is the center of the earth. • Geothermal energy is not “made”, It is harvested from geothermal heat vents, which are mostly found in California, Nevada, and Oregon. • If the harvesters or the people collecting the energy find a very hot rock, they can pour water to create the steam they need to create the electricity.

6. Pros • It is a sufficient and cost efficient form of energy. • There are lots of geothermal heat vents in hot places, though this also may be a con because they can still get solar energy from the sun in these hot places. • Another advantage of geothermal energy is the environment friendliness. • A very important pro is the reliability of this form of energy

7. Cons Some of the environmental dangers of geothermal energy are: • Land subsidence • Production of waste water with high mineral content • Disposal of hot water in the conversion process • Then there is the release of toxic gases such as: Hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and Boron.

8. The cost of geothermal energy • At The Geysers, power is sold at $0.03 to $0.035 per kWh. A power plant built today would probably require about $0.05 per kWh. Some geothermal energy plants can charge more.

9. Ways it can be distributed Vertical Loop Horizontal loop Pond loop Open loop

10. The way it is distributed. • Geothermal heat pumps are environmental. They generate no on site emissions and have the lowest emission among all heating and cooling technologies. • Geothermal heat pump systems, also known as "geothermal," are the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective space conditioning systems available, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

11. Fun Facts • Geothermal energy supplies less than 10% of the world's energy. • Geothermal energy is sustainable because hot water can be re-injected into the ground. • Geothermal energy can be found in the form of volcanoes, hot springs and geysers. • Geothermal energy is used since ancient times in form of hot water. • Geothermal energy could produce 10 percent of US electricity by the year 2050.

12. More Fun Facts • Geothermal energy can be easily found and exploited along the "Ring of Fire" region. • Geothermal energy is extremely efficient (almost 100%) energy source where the only real sources of losing energy is from turbine friction. • Geothermal energy has only one real problem and that is the lack of easily accessible sites. • Geothermal energy's advantage is also the fact that geothermal power plants run continuously day and night with an uptime typically exceeding 95%.

13. Time to take a Quiz! • http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00281/english/stopics/interactive/geoquiz.htm Use the information you learned in the power point to answer these simple 5 questions.

14. Bibliography • "Geothermal." EIA Energy Kids -. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=geothermal_home-basics-k.cfm>. • "Geothermal Energy Facts." Alternative Energy Sources for Your Home. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.affordable-alternative-energy.com/geothermal-energy-facts.html>. • "Geothermal Energy Facts." Natural & Renewable Energy Sources. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.clean-energy-ideas.com/articles/geothermal_energy_facts.html>. • "Geothermal Energy Quiz." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00281/english/stopics/interactive/geoquiz.htm>. • Gibson, Diane. Geothermal Power. Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media, 2002. Print. • "PDFCLOUD.NET." Geothermal Energy Facts. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://conserve-energy-future.com/GeothermalEnergyFacts.php>. • "Puna Geothermal VentureHawaii." Puna Geothermal Venture: Where Does Geothermal Energy Come From? Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.punageothermalventure.com/Faqs/8/where-does-geothermal-energy-come-from>. • Web. <www.blogspot.com>. • Web. <www.ucsusa.com>. • "Welcome to Our Web Page." SCIENCE KIDS. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.sciencekids.com/>.