18.12.

2023

Geothermal Energy
Legal and Economic instruments of Environmental
Policy
Sarah, Thank God,
18. 12. 2023

Introduction to
Geothermal Energy
• What does it mean?
• How is it used?
• How does it work?
• Swot Analysis of geothermal energy
contribution to renewable Energy
mix.

References: (Geothermal Energy - IPS Group, 2021)

 Earth Crust
Heat generated
from the
earth’s 2023
Mantle
core
Inner Core

Outer Core

Fig 1 Fig 2 Fig 3

What does it mean?

• The word ‘geothermal’ comes from two Greek words, (geo), meaning earth, and (thermos), meaning hot.
• Geothermal energy refers to producing energy from the earth’s core. The internal heat is naturally formed
from the original formation of the planet and the radioactive decay of minerals (What Is Geothermal Energy?
How Does It Work? 2023),
• The earth’s heat also called geothermal energy is a clean renewable source of both power and heat.

References: (What Is Geothermal Energy? How Does It Work?, 2023), fig 1 & fig 2- (Energy Encyclopedia, 2019), fig 3- (Haughney, 2018) 3
 How is the energy used?
PICTURE SLIDE
20XX

1. For cooking
2. for electricity generation
3. heating and cooling applications.
4. Geothermal water helps grow plants in
greenhouses
5. District heating in homes and
businesses.
6. It can also be piped under roads to
melt snow.
7. Geothermal hot springs
8. Geothermal aquaculture

References: (Rojas, 2014), (What Is Geothermal Energy? How Does It Work?, 2023), (Richter, 2016), , (Geothermal Paper Drying - Fraunhofer UMSICHT, n.d.), (Geothermal
Water & Fish Farms – Jeotermal Enerji, 2023), (Zapata, 2022), (Katy, 2018).
4
HOW THE WORK? 2023

Humans can harness geothermal energy by:

• Geothermal heat pumps.
• Geothermal power plants.

Not all geothermal energy comes from power

plants.

• Geothermal heat pumps (GHP), are a direct use

of geothermal energy, relatively cheaper than
power plants. It uses heat near the earth's surface
to heat water or heat buildings. GHPs can do
everything from heating and cooling homes to
heating swimming pools. These systems transfer
heat by pumping water or a refrigerant special
type of liquid, through pipes just below the earth's (thermal Storage) (heat source)
surface, where the temperature is constantly
between 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

References: (What Is Geothermal Energy? How Does It Work?, 2023),

(The Tesla Domain, 2022), (Reeg et al., 2023) 5
 HOW THE WORKS? 2023

• Geothermal power plants use heat from within

the earth to generate steam to generate
electricity. In geothermal power plants, Hot
water is pumped from below through a high-
pressure well, drilled 1 or 2 miles into the earth.
When the water reaches the surface, the
pressure drops, causing the water to turn into
steam. The steam spins the shaft of a turbine,
which is connected to a generator that
produces electricity. The steam is cooled in the
cooling tower and condensed back into the
water. The cooled water is pumped back to
earth to start the process again.

Geothermal power plants come in 3 designs;

• Dry steam,
• Flash Plants
• Binary Plants

References: (What Is Geothermal Energy? How Does It Work?, 2023),

(WTS Energy, 2023), (The Tesla Domain, 2022).
6
 SWOT ANALYSIS OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
INTERNAL FACTORS 2023

STRENGTHS + WEAKNESSES -

1. Sustainable and Renewable 1. High Initial Investment

2. Minimal Carbon Emissions 2. Geographical Limitations
3. Stable and Predictable 3. Technical Challenges
4. Environmental Concerns
4. Independent of External Factors
5. Long payback Period.
5. Long Life Span
6. Job Creation
7. Diverse Application

EXTERNAL FACTORS

OPPORTUNITIES + THREATS -

1. Growing demand for clean energy 1. Geographical constraints

2. Untapped resources 2. Public perception and awareness
3. Increasing government support 3. Competition from traditional energy
4. Expensive initial costs.
5. Financial and economic uncertainties
6. Regulatory and permitting challenges

References: (Unveil Geothermal Energy Potential: SWOT Analysis Uncovered!, 2023), (What Is Geothermal Energy? How Does It Work?, 2023). 7
References;
Richter, A. (2016, September 9). Large scale tomato greenhouse being developed in Tuscany. Think GeoEnergy - Geothermal Energy News.
https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/large-scale-tomato-greenhouse-being-developed-in-tuscany/
Geothermal Energy - IPS Group. (2021, April 30). IPS Group. https://www.ipsgroupbv.com/industries/powergeneration/geothermal-energy/
Energy Encyclopedia. (2019). Heat from the Earth’s Core - Renewable Energy Sources - Energy Encyclopedia. Energyencyclopedia.com.
https://www.energyencyclopedia.com/en/renewable-energy/geothermal-energy/heat-from-the-earth-s-core 2023
What is Geothermal Energy? How Does it Work? (2023). https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/geothermal-energy#HowisGeothermalEnergyProduced
Haughney, K. (2018, December 20). Research reveals “fundamental finding” about Earth’s outer core - Florida State University News. Florida State University News.
https://news.fsu.edu/news/science-technology/2018/12/20/research-reveals-fundamental-finding-about-earths-outer-core/
Richter, A. (2016, September 9). Large scale tomato greenhouse being developed in Tuscany. Think GeoEnergy - Geothermal Energy News; ThinkGeoEnergy.
https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/large-scale-tomato-greenhouse-being-developed-in-tuscany/
Reeg, L., Henchen, M., & Potter, C. (2023, March 29). Clean Energy 101: Geothermal Heat Pumps. RMI; RMI. https://rmi.org/clean-energy-101-geothermal-heat-pumps/
Geothermal Water & Fish Farms – Jeotermal enerji. (n.d.). https://jeotermalenerji.com.tr/geothermal-water-fish-farms/
Zapata, M. (2022, October 24). 15 best natural hot springs in the U.S. for a good soak. Far & Wide. https://www.farandwide.com/s/natural-hot-springs-usa-705b062ff14c44c0
Katy. (2018, January 8). The land of fire and ice - Geothermal cooking and hot spring delights Iceland - Everessence. Everessence.
https://everessencenutrition.com/blog/land-fire-ice-geothermal-cooking-hot-spring-delights-iceland/
Rojas, F. (2014, September 25). CanGEA releases report on direct use of geothermal energy. Think GeoEnergy - Geothermal Energy News; ThinkGeoEnergy.
https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/cangea-releases-report-on-direct-use-of-geothermal-energy/
WTS Energy. (2023, May 22). Geothermal Energy | WTS Energy. https://www.wtsenergy.com/glossary/geothermal-energy/
Unveil Geothermal Energy Potential: SWOT Analysis Uncovered! (2023, November 14). Finmodelslab.com.
https://finmodelslab.com/products/geothermal-energy-development-swot-analysis
The Tesla Domain. (2022, March 13). Why don’t we take geothermal energy more seriously? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBjlRI1nA7o

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