Power plants require steam to run the turbines which in turn will activate a generator which produces electricity. However, most of these power plants still use fossil fuels to heat up the water and create steam. Geothermal Energy is produced when we use the hot water springs or the reservoir of hot water found in certain parts on the surface of the earth are utilized to heat up water to create steam to do the needful in generating electricity.
There are three types of geothermal power plants and are discussed as below:
- Dry Steam Power Plants: These energy plants use the steam as it is being produced a few miles under the surface of the earth and is piped into a an apparatus which sometimes pressurizes the steam flow to hit a turbine as to generate the necessary sequence of steps that lead to the production of electricity. Apparently, there are only two such plants in the U.S The northern Californian Geysers and Yellowstone National Park of Wyoming, where there's a well known geyser.
- Flash Steam power Plants: These are the more common variety and are installed at places where underground water exists at very high temperatures in shallow wells. This water is so heated up that they start rising owing to its own pressure and get converted into steam while the uprising. This steam is then captured and then utilized to run turbines and generate electricity.
- Binary Cycle Power Plants: These plants make use of waters at slightly lower temperatures and hence this water is used up to heat another liquid (working liquid) with a very low boiling point, held in a separate container, such that they never get mixed up. This working liquid is transformed into a vapor using a heat exchanger and it is this vapor that is used to turn a turbine to give it the mechanical energy to be able to generate electricity.
Geothermal plants of a slightly smaller scale find a lot of application in rural areas and they are mostly found in parts of the U.S like Hawaii and Alaska.
Geo thermals can be found only at places have some amount of hot streams, hot springs or known reservoirs of hot water pools, even if it is a little below the surface of the earth. Although they provide for a clean, geothermal sources of energy are expensive, huge in size and calls for intensive checking and maintenance. They could never beat the sheer transportability, availability and combustibility of the fossil fuels and even biogas or other such fuels.
Geothermal Electricity Production: The Earthly Energy
Labels:
geothermal
Upscale Goes Green: Homeowners Focus Increasingly on Sustainable Energy, Renewable Building Materials
A quiet revolution is going on in the real estate sector. Many successful professionals are putting considerable money into building their own dream homes, and many of those professionals are choosing to build according to green principles.
Perhaps the first decision these new homeowners face is how to heat and cool their homes. Before even considering what sort of heating and cooling system they will choose, they need to decide on a design and materials for the exterior structure. 
Alternative building methods including rammed earth, straw bale, and flying concrete construction feature thick walls, often over a foot thick, which conserve heat in the winter and keep the home cool in the summer. Some homeowners are even opting for subterranean dwellings, using the natural insulating quality of the earth to lessen their need for additional heating. Even when opting for conventional wood structures, homeowners are choosing the latest insulation materials, which offer optimal heat conservation with little to no outgassing of toxic fumes.
Energy-conserving heating systems, some of which create radiant heat from hot water pumped through pipes beneath the floors, save on energy; passive solar construction - homes with south-facing exposure and large windows - allows the sun to warm the home. Solar panels provide electricity for lights and electrical appliances, and gray water systems recycle used water for additional use in the home. Some homeowners in colder climates opt for wood- or wood-pellet-burning furnaces rather than the conventional oil furnace, installing modern furnaces designed to minimize emissions.
Green-building homeowners and more and more developers opt for natural and sometimes manmade materials created from renewable resources, materials which do not expose residents to health risks. Vinyl, which is infamous for outgassing toxic fumes, is rejected in favor of safer materials; hardwood flooring, much of it harvested from old-growth forests, is replaced with materials like bamboo, and cork, two renewable materials providing two very different, attractive looks in flooring.
Those not in the position to design and build their own home still have the option of "greening" an existing home, using a wealth of safe, nontoxic natural materials. Conventional plywood, which is manufactured using urea formaldehyde, can be replaced with a number of new, safer materials, including "Plyboo," created from bamboo. Kiln-fired clay tiles, wood from sustainable forests, natural, safe interior and exterior paints, and a host of other materials help create a clean, healthy home environment.
Building and renovating green currently costs more than using conventional materials; some green builders estimate the difference at about 15 percent. However, recently wood prices have soared, and increasing transportation costs due to the rising cost of gasoline and diesel has impacted the price of building materials, so the difference in cost between conventional and green building may well even out. As it stands now, increasing numbers of prospective homeowners are willing to pay a premium for a home made of attractive, sustainable, and healthy building materials.
About The Author
Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire and frequently contributes to Tips and Topics. She has published numerous articles in local and regional publications on a wide range of topics, including business, education, the arts, and local events. Her feature articles include an interview with independent documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and a feature on prisoners at the New Hampshire State Prison in Concord. She may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com.
Labels:
houses,
renewable energy,
resources
