BLOG ENTRY: Geothermal Energy in Iceland

Geothermal energy has been used for thousands of years in a wide range of countries. It’s power that is derived from the earth’s internal heat. This energy comes from under the earth’s crust, and it can be found from more shallow ground to many miles below the surface. The steam and hot water is often used to generate energy for homes and businesses.

Iceland is a leader in the utilization of geothermal energy to heat homes and fulfill electricity demands. Currently, 25% of the electricity production comes from geothermal sources. This is a big turnaround from the 20^th century, when Iceland was much more poor and imported vast amounts of coal from Europe for energy demands. In 2011, 84% of primary energy in Iceland came from renewable sources. Over 60% of that was geothermal energy.

Space heating is the main utilization of geothermal energy. Bathing, snow melting, and heat pumps are also key usages of the energy source. Iceland’s government has sponsored research into continuing to deploy more renewable energy to satisfy the country’s energy needs. Production in 2012 was 4,600 GWh.

Geothermal energy is being utilized by a wide range of industries in Iceland. Fish farming, industry, and recreational swimming uses make up smaller portions of the utilization of the fuel. On the other hand, as discussed earlier, space heating and electricity generation are key usages of the fuel source.

Interestingly enough, while the rapid implementation of the renewable fuel has garnered Iceland international praise, it has also created a lot of political tension. Many firms worldwide have grown interested in exporting the fuel source to countries like the UK, however many in the country oppose exporting the resource. A $1 billion dollar connector between the UK and Iceland was proposed to allow for the usage of the clean fuel in parts of that country, but only preliminary research has been completed thus far.

Geothermal energy as a whole offers many benefits. It can be extracted without signfiicantly damaging to the world’s climate system. Geothermal fields as a whole produce about 1/6^th the amount of carbon that other fuels emit. Furthermore, unlike solar and wind power, the energy is reliable and stable. Lastly, the fuel is relatively inexpensive. While other energy sources are undergoing expensive research, geothermal has proven to be a consistent and dependable energy supply for Iceland.

Expansion of geothermal energy usage is likely to continue, due to the research that was conducted by Iceland Deep Drilling Project. Researchers used magma to generate high-pressure steam, which was used to create usable energy. The project produced 36 megawatts of energy! This is the first time that molten magma, instead of solid rock, was used to generate energy. Many believe this research will make geothermal a viable alternative for many more countries in the future, as further advancements are made and costs continue to decline.

Resources:

http://www.nea.is/geothermal/

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2013/03/geothermal-energy-in-iceland-too-much-of-a-good-thing

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/geothermal-profile/

http://waterfire.fas.is/GeothermalEnergy/GeothermalEnergy.php

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/02/04/3241811/iceland-geothermal-magma-energy/

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/iceland-geothermal-power/