Why doesn't geothermal energy cause pollution?

Answer 1

There are types of pollution associated with geothermal energy. The most important is the release of greenhouse gasses that were trapped underground and allowed to be released because the geothermal units provide outlets for them; this is true of open circuit systems. The pollution caused is not very large, and is probably no worse than the incidental (non-radioactive) pollution associated with nuclear power.

Closed circuit geothermal systems do not release these greenhouse gasses in the course of normal operation, and these are comparable in their carbon footprint with wind, hydro, and recent solar photovoltaic technology.

Answer 2

No, geothermal energy does not cause pollution!

Geothermal energy uses hot water or steam from deep in the Earth. As a consequence it does not require fuels which produce emissions. However there are hot water (condensate) releases which may cause thermal pollution.

Answer 3

Geothermal energy can greatly help solve the pollution problem, but no, it cannot fix it all by itself.

The reason for this is a great portion of the pollution is due to transport (cars, trucks, planes, buses, etc...). Geothermal energy cannot power vehicles.

It can, however, greatly reduce (approx. 80%) the pollution made from heating buildings (homes, hospitals, etc...).

The BIG setback to a geothermal system is its installation cost. In a retrofit (installing in an existing building), it could take over 20 years (this is VERY different depending on context) to recover the investment.

A more accessible alternative are air to air heat pumps.

Answer 4

Geothermal power usually means drilling deep into the surface of the earth to find hot rocks. This hole may be 2 or 3 kilometers deep. Then a similar hole is drilled a distance away, so that water can be pumped down one hole, become heated through contact with the hot rocks, and come up the other hole either has hot water or steam. The heat is then extracted from the water and used to generate electricity, and the water is then pumped back down the hole to continue the process.

So there would be a little damage to the environment, but not too much. There is no waste products, as the water is recycled. There is no atmospheric pollution or greenhouse gas emissions. Geothermal is a clean, green source of renewable energy.

Answer 5

Geothermal energy uses hot water or steam from deep in the Earth. As a consequence it does not require fuels which produce emissions. However there are hot water (condensate) releases which may cause thermal pollution.

Answer 6

Installing and manufacturing does cause some pollution, but once it's in place it doesn't cause anything while in use.

Answer 7

Geothermal energy uses the heat of the Earth to boil water to steam and convert the steam to electricity and/or heating.

No fuel means no emissions. No emissions means no pollution.