Global warming is a serious concern for energy suppliers because it has a direct impact on climate change. All the energy suppliers in the UK are constantly looking for inexpensive ways to generate energy without the environmental implications of carbon emissions or global warming. Producing electricity through geothermal energy is a completely green alternative to burning fossil fuels. Utility Bidder provides a detailed explanation of how geothermal energy produces electricity.

How Can Homes Use Geothermal Energy?

We all want to save money by heating or cooling our homes and offices, right? The answer may be under your feet, literally. Much of the heating and cooling can come from the ground with a device called a geothermal heat pump. You see, below the frost line, about 10 feet down, the earth maintains a nearly constant temperature of 12°C (54°F).

We can tap into this energy to provide heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. Okay, now here’s how it works. Bury a loop of pipes called a heat exchanger just below the surface and fill them with water or water and an antifreeze solution. During the winter months, the air is usually colder than the temperature below ground. The solution circulates in a loop underground and absorbs the earth’s heat.

This heat is brought to the surface and transferred to a heat pump that warms the air. Then your regular heating system warms the air some more to a comfortable temperature. Finally, ducts circulate the air to the various rooms. Now, a huge benefit is that a geothermal system does not have to work as hard to make people inside comfortably warm, and you save lots of money on your heating bill.

In the summertime, the system works in reverse. When it’s hot outside, the temperature below the surface is colder than the summer heat. So the fluid in the loop absorbs heat in the building and sends it underground. The ground’s lower temperature cools it, and it circulates again and again.

Now you’re saving money on both heating and air conditioning.

Pros & Cons Of Geothermal Energy Production

The main advantage of producing electricity through geothermal energy is that it does not require burning fossil fuels. Some kinds of geothermal energy plants release no emissions at all. Another advantage of a geothermal energy plant, in comparison to a solar or wind energy plant, is that geothermal energy is available 365 days of the year without fail. Another advantage is that setting up a geothermal energy plant is not as expensive in comparison to using fossil fuels for energy production.

Geothermal energy also has a unique drawback which has the potency to become an environmental problem. Geothermal power plants release hydrogen sulfide gas which in low concentrations smells like rotten eggs. Another problem is that other geothermal fluids can be toxic to humans and wildlife in general. In most cases, a geothermal power plant can operate at a specific location for decades. But there is a tendency that the specific location may cool down.

This post has been sponsored by Seven Star Services