Locations
Where can geothermal power plants be installed? (What do they need?)
Volcanoes, hot springs, underground hot water reservoirs
oldest type of geothermal power plant
what is dry steam?
What sets geothermal apart from other renewables (wind, solar, hydro)?
It does not rely on the sun or constant flow of water or wind
Biggest challenge geothermal faces
Finding sites that have the geothermal reservoir
Total amount of power plants in the United states
93 power plants
Nation with the most geothermal power plants
What is Iceland?
Used for geothermal reservoirs at temperatures greater than 182C/360F
What is flash steam?
What does reduced trade deficits mean?
Less imports and more exports
Pay back time for geothermal plant
5-7 years
__ Billion dollar industry
1.5
The nation where the first geothermal power plant was built
Italy
True/False: Binary systems use vapor from the geothermal reservoirs to spin the turbine.
False, binary systems require another working fluid
How does geothermal benefit farming communities?
clean water, direct excess heat into drying racks, not much land is required
Biggest Social Concern with Geothermal
Displacement, Communication of Project Baseline, Health and Safety Standards and Precautions
Nevada produces ___ MW of electricity
240 MW
Places in the US that can use the dry steam process
What is Yellowstone park (Old Faithful) and geysers in Northern California?
process that injects the vapor/liquid back into the reservoir
All geothermal processes do
Other than electricity production, name 3 things geothermal energy can be utilized for
Food drying, clean water, enjoying a hot bath
Biggest fear when choosing to invest in geothermal
The loss of money incurred from not correctly choosing a location - massive investment to drill just for it to not work at all or dry up quickly
Explain the difference between open loop and close loop system
Open loop: uses groundwater for heat exchange process
Close loop: uses mixture of anti-freeze and water that is circulated and drained after use
US state that generates the most electricity from geothermal energy
What is California?
Requirement for a working fluid in a binary cycle
Low boiling point
State 4 advantages to a geothermal plant
Low emissions, comparably low water use, small footprint, available at all times of day
Type of endangered toad that is affected by geothermal plants (in Nevada)
Dixie Valley Toad
Can Geothermal Energy be optimized to provide a sustainable energy future with minimal negative impact? (2 pros and 1 con)
+ does not rely on other energy sources like other renewables
+ requires a small amount of space
- High initial costs
- drilling to find reservoirs