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4 answers

Pros - renewable, low maintenance costs
Cons - Not available everywhere, difficult to begin implementation

Learn more below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_energy

2007-03-09 07:53:08 · answer #1 · answered by Brian L 7 · 0 1

The pros are:

Once the system is in place, it is a totally renewable energy source.

It is virtually pollution free. The removal of mineral salts from the water may require the water to be chemically treated. The salts that are removed must be disposed of, and the chemicals used to treat the water may be acidic/basic, and must be handled and disposed of.

It can be utilized anywhere there is either hydrothermal activities close to the surface, or that drilling is possible to reach porous, heated rock. There are areas where it has been possible to drill down to depths where water can be pumped down, heated, and then extracted for use as a power source.

The cons are:

It can be expensive to start up and maintain. Systems are needed to handle the pressures that occur along with the corrosive properties of the water extracted. You may also have the issue of removing silicates from the water before it can be used to prevent them from precipitating out inside the system and damaging it. Mineral salts and toxic gases may have to be removed from the water and then disposed of.

It is not available everywhere. Even areas that have hydrothermal activity may not be able to utilize it in a cost effective manor.

It can possibly cause seismic activity. If water is pumped down under pressure, it can cause existing fractures in the rock fabric to become active. The addition of water to rock material weakens the cohesive strength of the rock. The leaching out of minerals from the rock can weaken the rock fabric by altering the rock chemically and physically.

The pumping of water into the earth to be heated, or the use of existing heated water, can bring mineral salts to the surface that have to be removed from the water before it can be used as an energy source. Water is the universal solvent. When water is pumped down to be heated, it picks up minerals and brings them up to the surface where they have to be dealt with. Naturally occurring heated water carries minerals, and even gases that it has collected while traveling through the rock fabric. These salts and gases must be removed. At times they can be toxic or hazardous in other ways.

2007-03-09 09:46:47 · answer #2 · answered by eiscubes 2 · 0 0

The pro's are that it is renewable and clean. The con's are that it is hard to get it. There aren't many places to harness this energy. You'd have to be in exactly the right location in order to take advantage of this. I think solar or wind power is much more efficient.

2007-03-09 08:19:00 · answer #3 · answered by Dana Mulder 4 · 0 1

The pros are its relatively cheap, its clean and its renewable. The cons are its very limited to where it can be used. You have to be pretty close to hot springs or similar geothermal feature to harness it.

2007-03-09 07:53:04 · answer #4 · answered by safari_lounge 2 · 1 1

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