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Whether you've realized it or not, there is an abundant energy resource bubbling away under people's feet. So-called geothermal energy is stored below the Earth's surface and, if properly harnessed, could potentially solve a lot of the world's energy problems. Despite its huge potential, however, sources of geothermal energy have gone largely untapped. Why? Check out this gallery to find out more.
Let's first look at some of the reasons that geothermal energy is such a great resource. Firstly, it is much more environmentally friendly than other fuel sources.
The carbon footprint of a geothermal power plant is relatively low. While there is some pollution involved, in general it is much less harmful than fossil fuels.
Next up is renewability. Geothermal energy is a renewable resource that will be available right up until the Earth is finally destroyed by the Sun (in around five billion years).
Whereas the supply of other energy sources, such as fossil fuels, is finite, the hot reservoirs deep in the Earth replenish themselves, meaning that geothermal energy is naturally renewable.
Geothermal energy is a much more reliable source of energy than other renewable options, such as wind or solar power.
Geothermal energy is constantly available and its supply does not fluctuate. Therefore, it is possible to predict the output from a geothermal power plant with a high level of accuracy.
Geothermal energy has huge potential. In fact, its potential is believed to far outweigh the world’s total energy consumption.
While we are currently unable to make use of most reservoirs, there are hopes that, with ongoing research and development, this will soon change.
Another advantage of geothermal energy lies in its rapid evolution as an energy source. New technologies are constantly being developed to improve this energy process.
Scientists hope that by increasing the number of projects that focus on harnessing geothermal energy, they will be able to mitigate many of the challenges they currently face.
So why is it currently so difficult to harness geothermal energy? The main challenge has to do with the fact that it lies so deep below the Earth’s surface.
Indeed, while this limitless energy source bubbles below people’s feet, there are only a few places where it comes close enough to the surface to harness.
One of the places where it is possible to tap into geothermal energy is Iceland, which is home to more than 200 volcanoes and dozens of natural hot springs.
In fact, there are steaming pools of water dotted all over the country that are heated by geothermal fires that burn just below the Earth's surface.
In Iceland, tapping into geothermal energy is a simple task. The country now uses this energy source to heat 85% of its houses.
At the same time, 25% of the country’s electricity comes from power stations that are fueled by this abundant and easily accessible resource.
Iceland is in the minority, however, as a country that has a geothermal power plant in operation. Currently, it is only joined by 31 other countries.
In 2024, there are fewer than 700 geothermal power plants in the world. In 2023, those plants generated less than half the amount of electricity generated in the US by solar alone.
In most countries, we would have to drill much deeper below the surface to tap into geothermal energy sources. So far, this has been a the primary challenge.
Another reason that geothermal energy has not really taken off is that some people are concerned about the greenhouse gases that may be released during digging.
Indeed, there are several greenhouse gases stored below the Earth’s surface. While they are already released naturally, rates do increase with proximity to geothermal power plants.
However, fears about greenhouse gas emissions cannot be considered to be a key preventative measure, as those emissions are still far lower than those associated with fossil fuels.
Another issue with tapping into geothermal energy is that the digging sometimes causes alterations in the Earth’s structure. These have been known to cause earthquakes.
This effect is more prevalent with enhanced geothermal power plants, which force water into the Earth’s crust to open fissures to better exploit the geothermal energy source.
However, it is important to remember that most geothermal power plants are located away from populated areas and so the impact is relatively minor.
Another key challenge in the geothermal energy campaign is cost. It costs between US$2,000 and $7,000 to build a plant with a one megawatt capacity.
But building a geothermal energy plant should be considered a long-term investment, as the upfront costs are often recovered by savings made further down the line.
Historically, however, this argument has not successfully convinced decision-makers that geothermal power plants are worth the capital investment.
It is clear, therefore, that while the concept of geothermal energy is very appealing, we are a long way from properly being able to exploit the resource.
However, perhaps greater investment and attention will allow geothermal energy to eventually become the reliable and sustainable energy source the world so desperately needs.
Source: (BBC) (TWI Global)
See also: The key raw materials needed to power the devices of the future
Why is it so difficult to harness geothermal energy?
An abundant, yet largely untapped resource
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Whether you've realized it or not, there is an abundant energy resource bubbling away under people's feet. So-called geothermal energy is stored below the Earth's surface and, if properly harnessed, could potentially solve a lot of the world's energy problems. Despite its huge potential, however, sources of geothermal energy have gone largely untapped. Why? Check out this gallery to find out more.