Geothermal energy: What is it, and how is it used globally? | World . . . Geothermal is a lesser-known type of renewable energy that uses heat from the Earth’s molten core to produce electricity While this unique feature gives it key benefits over solar and wind, it also suffers from high costs and geographic restrictions Because of this, few countries have managed to produce geothermal energy at scale
Green power: Earth needs geothermal energy from volcanoes | World . . . To use the geothermal energy from volcanoes, hot liquid would need to be pumped into nearby buildings, which would therefore require drilling to release steam from the reservoir which is beneath the rocks The steam would turn a turbine, which would ultimately generate energy
Energy storage: Geothermal systems better than batteries? | World . . . Enhanced geothermal systems can tap into heat energy deep underground the Earth’s surface New research says they could also be better than existing technologies like batteries for storing excess renewable energy from wind and solar power Production of renewable energy is growing, but finding the best ways to store it will be critical to help the world decarbonize
Should geothermal be a part of South Africa’s energy mix? But current renewable energy build plans will not be sufficient to wean the country off coal Initial investment in geothermal technology does cast a shadow over its ability to become a game changer There is nevertheless a case to be made for South Africa to seriously consider it and accelerate innovative research and development
Microsoft’s new campus will run on geothermal energy - but what exactly . . . Microsoft is using the Earth’s geothermal energy to power its new sustainable campus in the US This will reduce Microsoft’s energy use by more than 50%, the company says Geothermal energy is natural heat stored below the surface that can be used for heating or cooling This type of electricity generation could meet 25% of Europe’s energy needs by 2030 But geothermal energy generation
Destroying nuclear waste to create clean energy? It can be done If not for long-term radioactive waste, then nuclear power would be the ultimate “green” energy The alternative to uranium is thorium, a radioactive ore whose natural decay is responsible for half of our geothermal energy, which we think of as “green energy ” More than 20 years of research at the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN), the birthplace of the internet and where
Vienna taps geothermal heat to decarbonize homes Vienna will tap into geothermal energy 3km beneath its streets using ‘formation water’, which is pumped from rock in an underground reservoir to provide carbon-neutral domestic heating The project will use part of Vienna’s existing district heating network Which provides heat to more than 460,000 homes through more than 1,300km of pipes