Some Like it Hot: An Introduction to Geothermal Energy

In Partnership with UK National Geothermal Centre

The Earth is hot, very hot. It has been hot since formation 4.5 billion years ago and will still be hot in 5 billion years when the Sun engulf the Earth. By any human measure, the Earths heat – geothermal energy – is sustainable and humankind, no matter how profligate, cannot deplete the Earth’s heat resource. The heat of the Earth can be used to power, warm and cool human society and yet such an opportunity is largely ignored. Geothermal energy is, ultra-low carbon and clean. It does not require exotic, rare or dangerous materials for it to be utilised. Geothermal energy is available anywhere on Earth – just drill. Yet the world generates only 0.34% of its electricity using geothermal energy and contributes only 4.2% of global heat production. Despite the low take up of geothermal energy, its exploitation is not new. Power was first produced from geothermal energy in Tuscany, Italy in 1913 and the use of natural hot springs stretches back into pre-history.

Our aim is to provide an introduction into geothermal energy and the opportunities it presents to human society for centuries and millennia to come. We will cover:

• Origin of the Earth’s heat and the physics of heat decay
• History of geothermal energy exploitation with case histoires for the UK and Iceland
• Energy security, sustainability and equity
• How to extract heat from the Earth
• Heat for heat – how heat can be exploited
• Heat for power – how electricity is generated from geothermal energy
• CO2 emissions displacement
• For the future – CO2 plume geothermal power generation
• Applications – domestic, business, industrial
• Limitations of geothermal energy
• Policy and regulation
• Public perceptions of geothermal energy
• Coming up next – a taster for courses to come – geothermal in depth
• Conclusions and wrap up