Emily Moyer

Reflective Essay
Geothermal Energy
When typing the term Energy into Google, the first page contains formulas found in a

physics textbook, a song by Drake, and articles about federal tax reform hurting energy. Google

has over 1,510,000,000 websites available in 0.78 seconds from this one simple word. When the

search is extended by placing the term renewable in front of energy, the results decrease to

64,600,000 in 0.5 seconds. Finally, when geothermal, is added, a topic from Vaclav Smils

book, Energy: A Beginners Guide, the results are even further limited with 3,110,000 results in

0.53 seconds. The numbers speak for themselves. Geothermal energy is a topic that is not talked

about as frequently as other sources of energy, yet it is extremely relevant to a changing

environment. Research shares that geothermal energy is one of the most abundant forms of

energy, but at the same time one of the least used forms of energy (Tabak xvi). I chose to reflect

on the topic of geothermal energy because I believe the energy source is not considered well

enough and therefore should be further understood, given the changing views of energy in

society.

In better understanding geothermal energy, one must understand where the energy source

originates. Geothermal energy is energy that results from the internal heat of the earth (Smil 24).

In fact, geothermal energy is found everywhere. The ground of ones own backyard, school, and

even local mall contain some degree of heat energy. The rocks and fluid beneath the Earths crust

contain this powerful thermal energy and for thousands of years, people have been tapping into

this buried energy source (Geothermal). Within his novel, Smil refers to the different uses of

geothermal energy.

Geothermal energy is most commonly used for electricity. Geothermal power plants and

heat pumps are utilized to capture the thermal energy, and in turn the energy is used to power
electricity along with heating and cooling buildings (EPA). The complicated power plants

operate from wells that are drilled about 1 to 2 miles below the ground. Hot water is pumped

under high pressure to the top of the surface, which causes the water to turn into steam, due to

the changed pressure. A turbine spins as a result of the steam and when connected to a generator,

it creates electricity. The steam converts back to water in a cooling tower, which is then returned

back into the earth to continue the operating cycle (EPA). Enhanced technology has continued to

make geothermal energy more efficient.

The words renewable and clean are often used in association with geothermal energy.

These words are juxtaposed with geothermal energy in opposition of fossil fuels which are not

renewable or clean. Fossil fuels directly emit greenhouse gases and take millions of years to be

created (Renewable Energy Sources). I was astonished when I first learned this about fossil fuels

and geothermal energy. It made me wonder why the entire world has not switched to geothermal

energy yet. Nonetheless, there are also negative sides to this renewable and clean energy

source.

As stated before, geothermal energy can be found anywhere underground. However, the

source of energy is costly to obtain, based on ones geographic location. Although renewable,

some geographic areas have proven to have greater efficiency and lower costs to accumulate

geothermal energy (Glassley 9). This is due to the fact that the earth has different terrains, and

the drilling varies based on each location (Geothermal). Currently, about 30% of the United

States is able to use technology to utilize geothermal energy (Glassley 9). Harvesting of

geothermal energy still poses as a challenge in many geographic regions despite knowing that the

geothermal energy is there.

 Another misconception about geothermal energy is that it is entirely clean. Geothermal

energy has been proven to have environmental detriments. For instance, there are several cases

where the methods of obtaining geothermal energy has released small amounts of toxins such as

greenhouse gases, hydrogen sulfide, and contaminated water (Geothermal Energy). Another

factor to take into consideration when contemplating geothermal energy is its high cost.

Oddly enough, my father sells heating and cooling equipment for a living. When

researching for this topic, he suggested I research two companies; Water Furnace and Climate

Master. Both companies, providing geothermal energy equipment, claim to have systems that

use the free, renewable energy found in your own back yard to save up to 70% on heating,

cooling, and hot water costs (WaterFurnace). This is true when comparing the commercial sites

claims to the facts provided by the EIA. In my research on electricity, I found that geothermal

energy is 5 cents less per Kilowatt hour than natural gas, and 9 cents less than coal (Renewable

Energy Sources). However, commercial sites do not include the initial price of the equipment,

which happens to be extremely costly. One must determine which payment they would benefit

more from, their current system or a system that requires a high initial cost but smaller payments

over time.

Overall, I have found geothermal energy to be extremely interesting because there is not

necessarily a definitive answer to whether geothermal energy should be implemented into

society. I found in my research that the United States produces the most geothermal energy of the

entire world, yet we still debate over different energy sources (Geothermal). The topic has an

influence on both the environment and the economy. Especially in a class like Energy and the

Environment, I believe it is significant to learn about how energy sources influence the physical

environment and the monetary environment of society. The debate over which energy source to
use is not over, but can only be discussed further as more information on geothermal energy is

found. I hope the search results on geothermal energy only increase since the energy source is

becoming more known and present.

 Works Cited

"ClimateMaster, Inc." ClimateMaster Inc. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2017.

"Geothermal Energy." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2017.

"Geothermal." Geothermal | Department of Energy. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2017.

Glassley, William E. Geothermal Energy: Renewable Energy and the Environment. Boca Raton:

CRC/Taylor & Francis, 2015. Print.

"Renewable Energy Sources - Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy - Energy

Information Administration." Renewable Energy Sources - Energy Explained, Your Guide

To Understanding Energy - Energy Information Administration. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb.

2017.

Smil, Vaclav. ENERGY: A Beginner's Guide. Place of Publication Not Identified: ONEWORLD

PUBLICATIONS, 2017. Print.

Tabak, John. Solar and Geothermal Energy. New York: Facts On File, 2009. Print.

"WaterFurnace - Smarter From The Ground Up." WaterFurnace - Smarter from the Ground

Up. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2017.