2015-08-05|Patexia: Quorum Contest

PROBLEM

Alternative Energy

SOLUTION

Title

Geothermal Energy (ground-source heat pumps, geothermal power plants)

Which approach to alternative energy is most promising? Why is this approach more valuable either in terms of efficiency or benefits to society?

Geothermal Energy: ground-source heat pumps

According to Wikipedia's article "2015 Indian heat wave":

In May 2015 India was struck by a large heat wave. As of 3 June 2015, it has caused the deaths of more than 2 500 people in multiple regions. The heat wave affected many people in various states and regions. On 21 May the temperature in the Indian capital, New Delhi, was reported to be 42.6 C, with black asphalt roads reportedly melting and pedestrian crossing stripes curling. On the same day, a temperature of 45.4 C was recorded in Jharsuguda, and at least 12 people were reported dead due to heat stroke the following day. On 24 May in Allahabad, a temperature of 47.7 C was recorded. Cities such as Delhi and Kolkata recorded 44.5 C and 36.0 C on the same day, respectively. In the state of Odisha, 23 people died of heat stroke by 24 May. Many deaths occurred in the state of Andhra Pradesh where at least 246 people have died by 25 May.

As usual, climate change (global warming) is blamed for such a deadly heatwave. The situation will only get worse because more and more air conditioners will be installed in developing countries as they experience economic growth. Air conditioners cool the building's interior but raise ambient temperature outside of the building!
Depending on latitude, the temperature beneath the upper 6 m of Earth's surface stays nearly constant, between 10 C and 16 C. Ground source heat pumps using geothermal energy are characterized by lower operational costs than any other conventional heating and cooling source almost everywhere in the world. However, the high installation cost of vertical closed-loop ground-source heat pumps with a vertical tube down to 100-200 m, will have to come down in order to become widespread as a source of heating in winter and of cooling in summer.

Geothermal Energy: geothermal power plants

Electricity is not generated by hydroelectric power plants when water does not flow. Electricity is not generated by solar power plants when the Sun does not shine. Electricity is not generated by wind power plants when wind does not blow. Geothermal power plants, on the other hand, provide baseload power 24/7/365, without CO2 emission from fossil power plants or radioactive waste from nuclear fission power plants.
Geothermal energy is the heat from the Earth. The Earth's internal thermal energy results from radioactive decay of isotopes (potassium-40, uranium-238, uranium-235 and thorium-232). In effect, geothermal energy can be considered as a natural nuclear reactor, ultra-clean and super-safe. Although geothermal power plants are known to cause small earthquakes, they in turn relieve stress of plate tectonics at fault lines, reducing the impact from large earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in future.
At present, geothermal electricity is generated in 24 countries. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Iceland, Kenya and the Philippines generate more than 15 % of their electricity from geothermal sources. The largest group of geothermal power plants in the world is located at The Geysers, a geothermal field in California, U.S.A.
Since temperature within the Earth increases with depth, deep drilling with technologies from oil & gas industry will enable more regions of the world to generate geothermal electricity. Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) that are several km in depth are already operational in France and in Germany.

Conclusion

Therefore, Geothermal Energy (ground-source heat pumps, geothermal power plants) is the most promising approach to alternative energy as it is cheap, renewable, emission free, and carbon neutral.

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"Sunatori, Go Simon" <GS.Sunatori@HyperInfo.CA>

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2024-12-17T20:38:38.000Z