Paul Favret Discusses the Advantages of Geothermal Energy
Just the few kilometers beneath the land lies enough energy to potentially cater to all the energy concerns of the world. This energy is expected to become one of the key protagonists of the energy transition to green sources. The interests of energy experts like Paul Favret are rising consistently in regards to geothermal energy owning to the many benefits it provides. Thanks to the reliable and safe plants, geothermal energy is brimming with untapped potential and has a pretty low risk level. It is always available and has a little impact on the landscape.
Geothermal energy shares a number of advantages over most of the other forms of renewable energy, for instance, in comparison to the traditional thermoelectric stations that are powered by fossil fuels like goal, it does produce way lesser particulate matter, carbon dioxide and other toxic substances that might create a greenhouse effect. Making use of this underground energy helps in reducing the use of fossil fuels and helps people to achieve energy self-sufficiency. Geothermal energy is aligned with sustainable development and would be free once the plant has been installed.
However, there are also certain features of geothermal energy that sets it apart from other sources of renewable energy like solar, wind and hydroelectric power. For instance, unlike the large expanse of spaces needed for wind turbines and photovoltaic panels, the amount of space needed for geothermal power plants is pretty modest. No matter whether it is a large-scale plant or a domestic system, most of the components needed, including heat exchanges, would be buried underground, and have not much remaining elements above the ground. At a house, a heat pump shall be of a size of almost any other household appliance. However, in the case of larger plants, cooling towers are the biggest components, followed by turbines.
Apart from being ultimate like other forms of renewable energy, geothermal energy is also always available. It is not impacted by the time of the day like solar energy, nor does it gets affected by weather or climate conditions like both wind and solar power. On an average, a geothermal power plant shall be able to produce energy for around 8,600 hours a year. Conversely, in the case of solar plants the average is around 2,000 hours per year. Hence, one can say that the rate of geothermal energy production is pretty much constant, at least when it comes to the short or medium term.
Geothermal power plants produce imperceptible and negligible noise levels even while functioning at full capacity. During the construction process of such plants, including excavations, a certain level of noise shall be inevitable. However, when the construction is completed, these plants do not produce any such high noise levels. This is applicable to even large power stations that have at most several turbines spinning. More details about geothermal energy can be found through industry experts like Paul Favret.
