Print this page Overview of Geothermal Energy
Elie Tawil, PE, LEED AP
Course Outline
This course presents basic information regarding geothermal energy, its advantages over traditional energy sources, and the energy savings associated with its use. This course explains the different types of geothermal resources and how they are implemented in the industry, as well as the different types of geothermal power plants used. Furthermore this course highlights the direct uses of geothermal energy and illustrates the benefits of geothermal heat pumps.
In this course, you need to review the DOE Publication, “Geothermal Energy – Power form the Depths”, published by the Department of Energy and provided below.
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Understand geothermal energy and its benefits;
- Learn about the different types of geothermal resources;
- Learn about the various geothermal power plants; and
- Learn about the energy savings behind geothermal heat pumps.
Intended Audience
This online PDH course is applicable to engineers, contractors, designers, home owners, and all personnel who are seeking a basic understanding of geothermal energy and its advantages.
Benefit to Attendees
Attendee of this course will gain knowledge about the basics of geothermal energy, its distinct advantages and prominent energy savings.
Course Introduction
The Earth’s crust is a bountiful source of energy and fossil fuels are only part of the story. Heat or thermal energy is by far the more abundant resource. To put it in perspective, the thermal energy in the uppermost six miles of the Earth’s crust amounts to 50,000 times the energy of all oil and gas resources in the world! The word “geothermal” literally means “Earth” plus “heat.” The geothermal resource is the world’s largest energy resource and has been used by people for centuries. In addition, it is environmentally friendly. It is a renewable resource and can be used in ways that respect rather than upset our planet’s delicate environmental balance.
Course Content
In this lesson, you are required to download and study the following document:
Please click on
the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your
study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the
file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target
As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience
any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some
applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.
Course Summary
Geothermal power plants operating around the world are proof that the Earth’s thermal energy is readily converted to electricity in geologically active areas. Many communities, commercial enterprises, universities, and public facilities in the western United States are heated directly with the water from underground reservoirs. For the homeowner or building owner anywhere in the United States, the emergence of geothermal heat pumps brings the benefits of geothermal energy to everyone’s doorstep.
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
