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Primarily, the earth generates internal heat by radioactive decay, which continuously rises and radiates from the surface. Harvesting this geothermal energy involves pumping water down a drilled shaft, deep into the earth where it collects heat, creating steam. The steam is then directed upward through another shaft to turbines that generate electricity. The recovered water, now cooled, is again pumped down the original shaft in a continuing cycle.

Advantages:

  • Cleaner: energy source than fossil fuels.
  • Base-load: energy source.
  • Safer: to develop and use, than fossil fuels.
  • Conserves: fossil fuels, still required in some applications,
  • Contributes to diversity: of energy sources.
  • Independent: of weather

Disadvantages:

Not universally available.

Emissions:

  • 0 - 88 lbs of CO2 per megawatt-hour (comparatively negligible);
  • trace amounts of Mercury, boron, arsenic, antimony, etc.
  • Localized Depletion:In 3 oldest sites, use outruns energy renewal.
  • Geological instability: Basel, Switzerland operation suspended (10,000 seismic events/6 days).
  • Hazard: exploration entails significant risks.
  • 20% failure rate: with significant harm to environment.
High Cost:

Drilling and exploration.

Corrosion maintenance can out-weigh benefit.

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What are 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages for geothermal energy?

Advantages of geothermal energy include its renewable nature and low greenhouse gas emissions. However, disadvantages include high upfront costs for installation and the limited geographic availability of suitable sites for harnessing geothermal energy.


What are the social advantages and disadvantages of geothermal energy?

Social advantages of geothermal energy include a reduced reliance on fossil fuels, which helps mitigate climate change, and the creation of local jobs in areas with geothermal resources. However, the high upfront costs of geothermal energy projects can limit their widespread adoption, and there may be concerns about the environmental impact of drilling and extracting geothermal resources.


What are the advabtages and disadvantages of geothermal energy?

Advantages of geothermal energy include being a renewable and constant energy source, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and requiring a small land footprint. Disadvantages may include high upfront costs for exploration and drilling, potential release of greenhouse gases and harmful substances during drilling, and limited availability of suitable geothermal sites in some regions.


Disadvantages of geothermal energy?

Some disadvantages of geothermal energy include the potential for depletion of reservoirs if not managed properly, the risk of induced seismic activity from injection and extraction of fluids, and high upfront costs for drilling and infrastructure. Additionally, not all regions have suitable geothermal resources for energy generation.


What are disadvantages of Geothermal energy?

Some disadvantages of geothermal energy include the high upfront costs of drilling and installation, as well as the limited geographic availability of viable geothermal resources. Additionally, there can be environmental concerns related to the release of greenhouse gases and other pollutants from geothermal power plants. Finally, there is the potential for subsurface land subsidence and induced seismic activity in areas where geothermal energy is extracted.

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What are 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages for geothermal energy?

Advantages of geothermal energy include its renewable nature and low greenhouse gas emissions. However, disadvantages include high upfront costs for installation and the limited geographic availability of suitable sites for harnessing geothermal energy.


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What are the social advantages and disadvantages of geothermal energy?

Social advantages of geothermal energy include a reduced reliance on fossil fuels, which helps mitigate climate change, and the creation of local jobs in areas with geothermal resources. However, the high upfront costs of geothermal energy projects can limit their widespread adoption, and there may be concerns about the environmental impact of drilling and extracting geothermal resources.


Will geothermal energy be commonly used in the future?

Geothermal energy might be a good energy sources and it might be commonly used in the future because there are clearly no disadvantages to geothermal energy.


What are the advabtages and disadvantages of geothermal energy?

Advantages of geothermal energy include being a renewable and constant energy source, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and requiring a small land footprint. Disadvantages may include high upfront costs for exploration and drilling, potential release of greenhouse gases and harmful substances during drilling, and limited availability of suitable geothermal sites in some regions.


What are some advantages and disadvantages of thermal energy?

There are two main types of thermal energy - solar and geothermal. Solar energy is renewable and sustainable, and after the initial investment, is free. Geothermal energy is renewable, sustainable, and clean reducing reliance on foreign energy sources. The disadvantages are mostly financial because of the start up costs. While solar is an individual form of energy, geothermal requires large generation plants. Also solar viability is dependent on the amount of sunshine the area receives.


What is one advantage of geothermal?

The advantages of geothermal energy is that it is low cost and has very little environmental impact.


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What are some advantages and disadvantages of geothermal enerhgy?

cleaner:energy source than fossil fuels.base-load:energy source.independent:of weather.


Disadvantages of geothermal energy?

Some disadvantages of geothermal energy include the potential for depletion of reservoirs if not managed properly, the risk of induced seismic activity from injection and extraction of fluids, and high upfront costs for drilling and infrastructure. Additionally, not all regions have suitable geothermal resources for energy generation.