Background Information

What is geothermal energy?

• “geo” + “therme” = earth heat• Heat turns water into steam.• Steam can power generators

• What is Geothermal. 2005. Geothermal Resources Council. 27 Apr. 2008 http://www.geothermal.org/what.html.

• What is Geothermal?. 2008. Geo-Heat Center. 27 Apr. 2008 http://geoheat.ort.edu/whatgeo.html.

Where does the energy come from?

• The core has temperatures as high as 4500 degrees Celsius.

• The Earth’s temperature increases 1 degree Celsius for every 18 meters you dig down.

• The heat is generated by the decay of radioactive particles in all rocks as well as from radioactive decay of uranium

• Heidtke, Erin. Geothermal Energy. 2008. Iraq and our Energy Future. 27 Apr. 2008 http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/heidtken.html.

• What is Geothermal. 2005. Geothermal Resources Council. 27 Apr. 2008 http://www.geothermal.org/what.html.

• What is Geothermal?. 2008. Geo-Heat Center. 27 Apr. 2008 http://geoheat.ort.edu/whatgeo.html.

• This heat travels from the core to the mantle in the form of magma, a very hot melted rock

• Since heat travels from high energy areas to lower energy areas, it will leave the mantle and travel to the crust which is cooled by the air around the surface

• Places where the heat escapes through the surface include volcanoes, hot springs, and geysers

• A History of Geothermal Energy in the United States. 2006. U.S. Department of Energy. 26 April 2008. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/history.html.

Timeline• 1807 Asa Thompson charged $1 for each use of three spring-fed baths in a

wooden tub in Hot Springs, Arkansas

• 1892 The world’s first district heating system is created in Boise, Idaho.

• 1922 John D. Grant drills a well at The Geysers in California to generate electricity. This becomes the first geothermal power plant in America.

• 1930 Charlie Lieb develops the first downhole heat exchanger (DHE) to heat his house.

• 1948 Carl Nielson develops the first ground-source heat pump.

• 1960 At the Geysers, the country’s first huge geothermal electricity-generating plant opens, called Pacific Gas and Electric.

• 1972 The Geothermal Energy Association is formed

• 1984-1993 Geothermal plants open in states around the country

How is this heat useful as an energy source?

• Flash Steam Plants• Dry Steam Plants• Binary Plants• Geoexchange

How does the hot water and steam generate electricity?

• Steam: The steam travels in the path of least resistance. It chooses the turbine, and as the steam passes the turbine to get to the pipe above, it causes the turbine to rotate

• Hot water: Hot water is pumped into a heat exchanger which transfers heat to a liquid with a low boiling point. This liquid evaporates and the vapor drives the turbine

• A History of Geothermal Energy in the United States. 2006. U.S. Department of Energy. 26 April 2008. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/history.html.

•Gibilisco, Stan. Alternative Energy. Ed. Judy Bass. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007.

Uses

1) Flash Steam Plants

• cost 4-6 cents per kWh• uses water at more than 300

degrees F• steam comes directly from the

source or the water must be depressurized first to produce steam

• steam turns the turbines to drive the generators

• only significant emissions is water vapor which contains carbon dioxide and sulfur

A History of Geothermal Energy in the United States. 2006. U.S. Department of Energy. 26 April 2008. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/history.html.

Gibilisco, Stan. Alternative Energy. Ed. Judy Bass. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007.

2) Dry Steam Plants • cost is 4-6 cents per kWh• steam is 1050 to 1220 degrees F• steam forces the turbine to rotate to

power a generator• most common• used where there are no geysers or

volcanoes• best system for injecting cool water• well must be very deep

• A History of Geothermal Energy in the United States. 2006. U.S. Department of Energy. 26 April 2008. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/history.html.

•Gibilisco, Stan. Alternative Energy. Ed. Judy Bass. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007.

3) Binary Plants • energy in these plants costs 5 to 8

cents per kWh• uses water at 100 to 300 degrees F• hot water passes through heat

exchanger which heats binary fluid• fluid vaporizes which turns turbines to

drive generators• no emissions

• A History of Geothermal Energy in the United States. 2006. U.S. Department of Energy. 26 April 2008. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/history.html.

•Gibilisco, Stan. Alternative Energy. Ed. Judy Bass. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007.

4) What if there is no geothermal reservoir?

• The above systems can be used where there are no geothermal reservoirs

• However, these systems can be placed where there is no existing water

• A History of Geothermal Energy in the United States. 2006. U.S. Department of Energy. 26 April 2008. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/history.html.

• Gibilisco, Stan. Alternative Energy. Ed. Judy Bass. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007.

5) Heat Pumps- the Geoexchange System

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ajqiPe_9Ko&feature=related

• The Earth's heat is gathered through a series of pipes installed below the Earth’s surface in the ground or a pond

• Fluid circulating through the pipes gathers the heat that transfers from rocks and soil and through the pipes and takes the heat into a home or business

• This process can be reversed in the summer by taking heat from the house into the liquid and circulating it below the ground in the loop to release heat into the Earth

• Geoexchange Systems can also heat water for human use

• Geothermal Heat Pumps. 2006. Consumer Energy Center. 27 Apr. 2008 http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/heating&cooling/geothermal.html.• How it works. 2008. Geoexchange. 27 Apr. 2008 http://geoexchange.us/about/how.html. • Moorhouse, Ellen. “Energy-efficient home: How it works.” Toronto Star 3 Jun. 2006. • What is a Ground Source Heat Pump? 2006. International Ground Source Heat Pump Association. 27 Apr. 2008

http://www.igshpa.okstate.edu/geothermal/geothermal.html.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Geothermal Energy Facts. 2000. Geothermal Education Office. 26 April 2008. http://geothermal.marin.org/pwrheat.html#Q2.

Gibilisco, Stan. Alternative Energy. Ed. Judy Bass. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007.

Advantages

• Geothermal energy can be found almost everywhere

• It is uninterrupted. It will never be affected by time or weather.

• Incorporating a geothermal unit into a home will pay for itself in 7-8 years on average.

• It costs 4-8 cents per kW-hr

• It is renewable. The water can be reheated and reused.

Disadvantages

• Geothermal energy is not available to everyone

• Using geothermal energy might draw out too much water, and the reservoir may be unable to replenish itself

• Local governments are likely to oppose it as it can change the composition of local bodies of water

• It has a very high initial cost

2001 energy costs

•  Wind  4–8 ¢/kWh• Solar Photovoltaic 25–160 ¢/kWh• Solar Thermal 12–34 ¢/kWh4• Large hydropower  2–10 ¢/kWh• Small hydropower  2–12 ¢/kWh• Geothermal  2–10 ¢/kWh• Biomass  3–12 ¢/kWh

• Source: World Energy Assessment, 2004 update

Alternative Energy

Energy Cost (c/kWh)

Pros Cons Use(% of US power consumption)

Nuclear 8-11

High Initial Cost

Lots of electricity from one plant

Radioactive Waste 8.2 (1)

Geothermal 2-10

High IC

Found everywhere

No Pollution

High Initial Cost .34 (4)

Wind 4-8

Low IC

No Pollution Relies on wind .27 (5)

Hydro 2-12 Lots of electricity from one station

Environmentally destructive- moves water

so moves life

2.9 (2)

Solar 10-12

High IC

No Pollution Can’t use at night/ bad weather

.07 (6)

Biofuel 3-12 No Pollution (if smoke isn’t produced)

Lots of land required- can’t meet demand

.80 (3)

Hydrogen Unknown No Pollution

Can Be Produced in Any Country

Not Proven Reliable, New Unknown

Case Studies

Westchester Country Club, New York

• The system will take heat from six feet below the ground where the Earth's temperature is stable all year

• By switching to alternative energy, the Westchester Country Club will reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 345 tons annually

• This system is expected to be 75% more efficient than the old oil fired system.

• Could this system be used in your business?

• “Geothermal Energy Comes to Westchester, N.Y., Country Club.” Environmental News Network. 7 May 2001.

Georgia Electric Supply Company, Georgia

• The cost will be covered in savings in only 7 years, as the company is cutting energy costs by 40% a year

• While systems like these only exist in 150,000 U.S. homes, Washington hopes to help expand the market from 1% of the U.S. heating and cooling market to 12% real soon

• Why not install this system in your next home?

• Bruner, Eric. “Georgia Supply Company Turns to Geothermal Energy to Cut Costs.” Columbus Enquirer 31 Aug. 1997.

Iceland

• Iceland generates all of its electricity through geothermal and hydroelectric sources, with the geothermal energy providing 99.9% of energy to households

• However, only in the last 10 years has the system gotten cheaper and cut energy costs in Iceland by 75%

• Would the same happen if America used it on such a broad scale?

• Gross, Daniel. “Iceland Has Power To Burn.” Newsweek 14 Apr. 2008: p58.

Can we use this energy source at

New Hampton School?

Yes!

• New Hampton School has existed since 1821 and will be around for a lot longer. Since New Hampton is constructing new buildings, geothermal pumps can be installed with any future new building and the savings should cover the costs in 2-10 years.

How?

• 1) Is the site suitable?Find a geology survey of the heat and soil below New Hampton School

• 2) Pick a company-Choose from rising geothermal companies such as Geoexchange

• 3) Get an estimate-Invite the company to the school to evaluate the site

• 4) File the paperwork and sign the dotted line• 5) Build• 6) Enjoy cheap clean electricity and water heating!

Bibliography• A History of Geothermal Energy in the United States. 2006. U.S. Department of Energy. 26 April 2008.

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/history.html. • About Geothermal Electricity. 2008. Geothermal Technologies Program. 27 Apr. 2008 http://www.nrel.gov/geothermal/geoelectricity.html. • Bruner, Eric. “Georgia Supply Company Turns to Geothermal Energy to Cut Costs.” Columbus Enquirer 31 Aug. 1997. • "Chapter 11: Geothermal Energy." The Energy Story. 22 Apr 2002. California Energy Commission. 1 May 2008

<http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter11.html>.• “Clean Power under our Feet.” New Scientist Jan. 2007. • “Cool Country Leads World in Tapping Geothermal Energy.” Concrete Products Feb. 2008. • “Down and Dirty.” The Economist • Geothermal Energy. 2003. Discovering Science. 27 Apr. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/srcx/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC... • Geothermal Energy. 2008. Energy Information Administration. 27 Apr. 2008

http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar/renewables/page/geothermal/geothermal.html.• “Geothermal Energy Comes to Westchester, N.Y., Country Club.” Environmental News Network. 7 May 2001. • Geothermal Energy Facts. 2000. Geothermal Education Office. 26 April 2008. < http://geothermal.marin.org/pwrheat.html#Q2.• Geothermal Heat Pumps. 2006. Consumer Energy Center. 27 Apr. 2008 http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/heating&cooling/geothermal.html.• Gibilisco, Stan. Alternative Energy. Ed. Judy Bass. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007. • Gross, Daniel. “Iceland Has Power To Burn.” Newsweek 14 Apr. 2008: p58. • Heidtke, Erin. Geothermal Energy. 2008. Iraq and our Energy Future. 27 Apr. 2008 http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/heidtken.html.• Herro, Alana. “Geothermal could Power Millions of U.S. Homes.” World Watch Jun. 2007.• How it works. 2008. Geoexchange. 27 Apr. 2008 http://geoexchange.us/about/how.html. • Lambert, Emily. “Underground Cash.” Forbes Jun. 2007. • Lighthall, W.D. “A Natural Solution to High Energy Costs.” Toronto Star 29 Oct. 2005.• Moorhouse, Ellen. “Energy-efficient home: How it works.” Toronto Star 3 Jun. 2006. • Quagliaroli, D.J. “Geothermal Heat is becoming a Hot Commodity.” New Hampshire Business Review Feb. 2008: 24+.• Snedden, Robert. Energy Alternatives. Chicago: Reed Educational & Professional Publishing, 2002.• Stevens, Kim. “Expanding into the geothermal market.” National Driller Jan. 2008: 56+.• What is Geothermal. 2005. Geothermal Resources Council. 27 Apr. 2008 http://www.geothermal.org/what.html.• What is Geothermal?. 2008. Geo-Heat Center. 27 Apr. 2008 http://geoheat.ort.edu/whatgeo.html.• What is a Ground Source Heat Pump? 2006. International Ground Source Heat Pump Association. 27 Apr. 2008

http://www.igshpa.okstate.edu/geothermal/geothermal.html.

Thanks!

~Jess and Jeremy