Geothermal energy is the heat energy from hot rocks present inside the earth
Have you ever seen hot springs?
Very hot water coming from inside the surface of the earth
But, how does it happen?
In the earth's core, there are molten rocks which have high temperature.
Due to geological changes, these molten rocks are pushed upwards and trapped in regions called hot spots .
When underground water comes in contact with these hot spots, steam is generated. This steam is trapped in the rocks.
When the steam finds a way to go to the surface of the earth, Hot Springs are formed
Using Geothermal Energy to generate Energy
The steam trapped in the rocks can be used to rotate the turbines and generate electricity.
Advantages of using Geothermal Energy
- They are Environment friendly
- It is a renewable energy source
- They produce large amounts of energy
- It can produce energy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
- Geothermal Energy plants have low operating costs
Disadvantages of using Geothermal Energy
- There are very few commercially viable sites to exploit Geothermal energy
- The cost of setup of a Geothermal Energy plant is high
- Construction of Geothermal plants can affect the stability of the land, and may, in extreme cases, cause earthquakes
