Geothermal+Energy

 ** LOW COST **  Advantages of geothermal energy is that there is low cost in favorable sites. According to studies, an economically competitive geothermal power plant can cost as low as $3400 per kilowatt installed. On average the cost for new geothermal projects ranged from 6 to 8 cents per kilowatt hour according to a 2006 report, including the production tax credit. Once you have paid the initial cost of; solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal energy systems, the only cost to the consumer relates to any required maintenance. You could even sell excess electricity back to your national grid. Geothermal energy acts as a price stabilizer that offsets U.S. dependence upon highly volatile fossil fuel power markets. This is because geothermal power does not need outside fuel to operate—geothermal relies on a constant source of free fuel. Also you won’t have to worry about price rising from gas, energy or electricity companies. You could be fully carbon neutral, eliminating your dependency on the remaining reserves of fossil fuels. By switching to the use of renewable energy sources we're able to make the remaining oil, gas and coal supplies last longer. Even though the installation price of a geothermal system can be several times that of an air-source system of the same heating and cooling capacity, the additional costs are returned to you in energy savings in 5–10 years. System life is estimated at 25 years for the inside components and 50+ years for the ground loop. There are approximately 50,000 geothermal heat pumps installed in the United States each year [] []

Odor and Noise for geothermal energy

Geothermal plants produce sludge and emit hydrogen sulfide which has a sulfurous odor, thereby raising specific pollution abatement and waste disposal issues. Noxious gases are often a by-product of geothermal wells. At The Geysers, the odor of hydrogen sulfide is pervasive. Ito exists in the steam with other gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen, and ammonia. In a 1,000-megawatt installation in some geothermal areas, 100,000 pounds of hydrogen sulfide might be released each day. Construction of geothermal plants can involve installation of cooling towers, drilling rigs, geothermal pipelines and re-injection systems. Cooling tower fans and drilling rigs can emit noise during day-to- day operations, raising the possibility of noise pollution or <span style="background: white; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 170%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">nuisance complaints from neighboring landowners. Noise levels from <span style="background: white; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 170%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">these operations can range from 45 to 120 decibels (dBa). For <span style="background: white; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 170%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">comparison, noise levels in quiet suburban residences are on the order <span style="background: white; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 170%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">of 50 dBa, noise levels in noisy urban environments are typically 80–90 <span style="background: white; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 170%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">dBa, and the threshold of pain is 120 dBa.

<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 170%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">@http://www.wileyrein.com/publications.cfm?sp=articles&id=5540 <span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 170%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">@http://geothermal.nau.edu/about/enviroment.shtml <span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 170%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">@http://calteches.library.caltech.edu/304/01/geo.pdf.

** Very high efficiency **

Geothermal Energy can be used in many ways. It can be used for large and complex power stations or small and relatively simple pumping systems and can be found almost anywhere: as far away as remote areas of Indonesia and as close as our own backyards. Many regions of the world are already using geothermal energy as a helpful solution to reducing the use of fossil fuels, and steer away from the global warming and public health risks that result from their use. More than 8,900 megawatts of large-scale geothermal capacity in 24 countries now produce enough electricity to meet the yearly needs of about 12 million average U.S. households. Geothermal plants produce approximately 25% of electricity in the Philippines, Iceland, and El Salvador. The United States has more geothermal capacity than any other country, with more than 3,000 megawatts in eight states. 80% of this capacity is in California, where more than 40 geothermal plants provide nearly 5% of the state’s electricity. Thousands of homes and buildings across the United States, geothermal heat pumps also use the temperatures underground to heat and cool buildings, cleanly and inexpensively. Geothermal energy is recognized as the most efficient and greenest heating/cooling method by leaders in government and private sectors.

** Cost Too High Except at the Most Concentrated and Accessible Sources ** The main costs associated with geothermal power and energy is labor, as for the average geothermal set up, hundreds of meters of piping needs to be laid in order to achieve the desired energy output. The cost to the consumer is very daunting even when the advantages of the long term savings they will make are thought of. Geothermal power is one of the most sustainable renewable energy sources available today. The heat in the ground plays a very important part in supporting the population. In general, geothermal heat pumps cost about $2,500 per ton of pump capacity. For an average home size, a three ton heat pump is generally needed and makes the cost to be near about $7,500. Added to these costs, are other payments such as the cost of drilling, and installation that can range from $10,000 to $30,000. However, the money you get back is substantial since the geothermal heat pumps drastically cut down your electricity bills. Also, the maintenance cost for geothermal [|energy] is very low because the pumps and equipment is very durable. [] [] []