Introduction

Geothermal energy is defined as a renewable, clean power that is harnessed from the thermal
energy in the subterranean earth that is formed by the decay of minerals that produce extremely high
temperatures (Rouse, 2014). Resources of geothermal energy range from the shallow ground to hot water
and hot rock found a few miles beneath the Earth's surface, and down even deeper to the extremely high
temperatures of molten rock called magma. Its net potential is limitless with regard to humans, and its
energy is the same as the sun. People around the world use geothermal energy to produce electricity, to
heat buildings and greenhouses, and for other purposes (“Geothermal”, 2018)

In the modern day, geothermal energy is utilized in numerous applications, for example, heating
systems that provide hot water or steam to a wide range of units, along with heating and cooling of private
and commercial buildings such as residential homes, offices, and shops by utilizing geothermal heat
pumps. Also, geothermal energy has industrial potential to grow plants in greenhouses, heating water at
fish farms, drying crops and many other industrial processes (“What is Geothermal Energy?”, 2018).

History and Etymology

The word "geothermal" comes from the Greek words geo, meaning earth, and therme, meaning
"heat”. Many ancient peoples, including the Romans, Chinese, and Native Americans, used hot mineral
springs for bathing, cooking, and heating. Water from hot springs is now used world-wide in spas, for
heating buildings, and for agricultural and industrial uses. Many people believe hot mineral springs have
natural healing powers. Using geothermal energy to produce electricity is a relatively new industry. It was
initiated by a group of Italians who built an electric generator at Lardarello in 1904. Their generator was
powered by the natural steam erupting from the earth.

In the 20th century, demand for electricity led to the consideration of geothermal power as a
generating source. Prince Piero Ginori Conti tested the first geothermal power generator on 4 July 1904 in
Larderello, Italy which successfully lit four light bulbs. Later, in 1911, the world's first commercial
geothermal power station was built there. Experimental generators were built in Beppu, Japan and the
Geysers, California, in the 1920s, but Italy was the world's only industrial producer of geothermal
electricity until 1958.

History records show the Philippine Congress, recognizing the potential and benefits of
geothermal development, enacted Republic Act No. 5092, otherwise known as the Geothermal Law in
1967. That same year, Dr. Arturo P. Alcaraz and his team came to Tiwi and lit a light bulb using steam-
powered electricity coming from Mount Malinao. That was the first geothermal power generated in the
Philippines. By 1982, Tiwi became the world’s first water-dominated geothermal system to produce
more than 160 megawatts (MW). Its currently installed capacity is 289 MW (“What is Geothermal
Energy?”, 2018).
 I. Source
Sources of geothermal energy range from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found a
few miles beneath the Earth's surface. Conventional geothermal generation relies on heat sources within 3
kilometers (km) of the surface. Water is injected deep underground and returns as steam to drive a turbine
on an electric power generator.

Geothermal power plants use steam produced from reservoirs of hot water found a couple of
miles or more below the earth's surface. Dry steam power plants draw from underground resources of
steam.. Flash steam power plants use geothermal reservoirs of water with temperatures greater than 360°F
(182°C). Binary cycle power plants operate on water at lower temperatures of about 225°-360°F (107°-
182°C).

Almost everywhere, the shallow ground or upper 10 feet of the Earth's surface maintains a nearly
constant temperature between 50° and 60°F (10° and 16°C). Geothermal heat pumps can tap into this
resource to heat and cool buildings.

In the United States, most geothermal reservoirs of hot water are located in the western states,
Alaska, and Hawaii. Wells can be drilled into underground reservoirs for the generation of electricity.
Some geothermal power plants use the steam from a reservoir to power a turbine/generator, while others
use the hot water to boil a working fluid that vaporizes and then turns a turbine. Hot water near the
surface of Earth can be used directly for heat. Direct-use applications include heating buildings, growing
plants in greenhouses, drying crops, heating water at fish farms, and several industrial processes such as
pasteurizing milk.

Hot dry rock resources occur at depths of 3 to 5 miles everywhere beneath the Earth's surface and
at lesser depths in certain areas. Access to these resources involves injecting cold water down one well,
circulating it through hot fractured rock, and drawing off the heated water from another well. Currently,
there are no commercial applications of this technology. Existing technology also does not yet allow
recovery of heat directly from magma, the very deep and most powerful resource of geothermal energy.

Many technologies have been developed to take advantage of geothermal energy - the heat from
the earth. NREL performs research to develop and advance technologies for the following geothermal
applications (“Geothermal Power and Electricity Production”, 2018):

Geothermal Energy Technologies:

● Geothermal Electricity Production- Generating electricity from the earth's heat.

● Geothermal Direct Use- Producing heat directly from hot water within the earth.
● Geothermal Heat Pumps- Using the shallow ground to heat and cool buildings.
 II. Production

Most power plants need steam to generate electricity. The steam rotates a turbine that activates a
generator, which produces electricity. Many power plants still use fossil fuels to boil water for steam.
Geothermal power plants, however, use steam produced from reservoirs of hot water found a couple of
miles or more below the Earth's surface. There are three types of geothermal power plants: dry steam,
flash steam, and binary cycle.

Dry steam power plants draw from underground resources of steam. The steam is piped directly
from underground wells to the power plant, where it is directed into a turbine/generator unit. There are
only two known underground resources of steam in the United States: The Geysers in northern California
and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, where there's a well-known geyser called Old Faithful.
Since Yellowstone is protected from development, the only dry steam plants in the country are at The
Geysers.

Flash steam power plants are the most common. They use geothermal reservoirs of water with
temperatures greater than 360°F (182°C). This very hot water flows up through wells in the ground under
its own pressure. As it flows upward, the pressure decreases and some of the hot water boils into steam.
The steam is then separated from the water and used to power a turbine/generator. Any leftover water and
condensed steam are injected back into the reservoir, making this a sustainable resource.

Binary cycle power plants operate on water at lower temperatures of about 225°-360°F (107°-
182°C). These plants use the heat from the hot water to boil a working fluid, usually an organic compound
with a low boiling point. The working fluid is vaporized in a heat exchanger and used to turn a turbine.
The water is then injected back into the ground to be reheated. The water and the working fluid are kept
separated during the whole process, so there are little or no air emissions.

Small-scale geothermal power plants (under 5 megawatts) have the potential for widespread
application in rural areas, possibly even as distributed energy resources. Distributed energy resources
refer to a variety of small, modular power-generating technologies that can be combined to improve the
operation of the electricity delivery system (“Geothermal Power and Electricity Production”,2018).

Top 9 producers of geothermal energy (TGE Research, 2017):

● United States
● Philippines
● Indonesia
● Turkey
● New Zealand
● Mexico
● Italy
● Iceland
● Japan

The Philippines employs geothermal energy since 1977, the country’s initial geothermal power
plant was constructed on the island of Leyte. Chevron is the biggest geothermal producer in the world, it
has advanced more than $2 billion into Philippine geothermal energy systems, rising the Philippines.
About 1,904 MW are the island’s Installed Capacity, and 27% is the National Energy Production (Ritcher,
2018).
III. Issues

1. Environmental Issues
There is an abundance of greenhouse gases below the surface of the earth, some of which
mitigates towards the surface and into the atmosphere. These emissions tend to be higher near geothermal
power plants. Geothermal power plants are associated with sulfur dioxide and silica emissions, and the
reservoirs can contain traces of toxic heavy metals including mercury, arsenic and boron. Regardless of
how we look at it, the pollution associated with geothermal power is nowhere near what we see with coal
power and fossil fuels.

2. Surface Instability (Earthquakes)

Construction of geothermal power plants can affect the stability of land. In fact, geothermal
power plants have lead to subsidence (motion of the earth’s surface) in both Germany and New Zealand.
Earthquakes can be triggered due to hydraulic fracturing, which is an intrinsic part of developing
enhanced geothermal system (EGS) power plants. Just a couple of years ago (January 1997), the
construction of a geothermal power plant in Switzerland triggered an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.4
on the Richter scale.

3. Expensive
Commercial geothermal power projects are expensive. The exploration and drilling of new
reservoirs come with a steep price tag (typically half the costs). Total costs usually end up somewhere
between $2 – 7 million for a geothermal power plant with a capacity of 1 megawatt (MW). As previously
mentioned, most geothermal resources cannot be utilized in a cost-effective manner, at least not with
current technology, level of subsidies and energy prices. The upfront costs of geothermal heating and
cooling systems are also steep. On the other hand, these systems are likely to save you money years down
the line, and should therefore be regarded as long-term investments. Ground source heat pumps typically
costs $3,000 – $10,000 and have a payback time of 10 – 20 years.

4. Location Specific
Good geothermal reservoirs are hard to come by. Some countries have been blessed with great
resources – Iceland and Philippines meets nearly one third of their electricity demand with geothermal
energy. If geothermal energy is transported long distances by the means of hot water (not electricity),
significant energy losses has to be taken into account.
5. Sustainability Issues
Rainwater seeps through the earth’s surface and into the geothermal reservoirs over thousands of
years. Studies show that the reservoirs can be depleted if the fluid is removed faster than replaced. Efforts
can be made to inject fluid back into the geothermal reservoir after the thermal energy has been utilized
(the turbine has generated electricity). Geothermal power is sustainable if reservoirs are properly
managed. This is not an issue for residential geothermal heating and cooling, where geothermal energy is
being used differently than in geothermal power plants. The bottom line is this: Geothermal energy is
generally regarded as environmentally friendly, sustainable and reliable. This makes geothermal energy a
no-brainer in some places, but heavy upfront costs stops us from realizing the full potential. How much
influence geothermal power will have on our energy systems in the future depends on technological
advancements, energy prices and politics (subsidies). No one really knows what the situation will look
one or two decades down the line (Maehlum, 2018)
 IV. Efficiency

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Geothermal ground source heat pump
systems are one of the most energy efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective space conditioning
systems available. About 70 percent of the energy used by a geothermal heat pump system comes in the
form of renewable energy from the ground. High-efficiency geothermal systems are on average 48
percent more efficient than gas furnaces, 75 percent more efficient than oil furnaces, and 43 percent more
efficient when in the cooling mode.

Because geothermal pump heating systems do not burn fossil fuels for heat production, they
generate far fewer greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon monoxide than a conventional furnace. They
also provide higher air quality because there are no emissions of carbon monoxide. In general, a 3-ton
residential geothermal heat pump system produces an average of about one pound less carbon dioxide per
hour compared to a conventional system. Over an average 20-year lifespan, installation of 100,000 units
of residential geothermal systems can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by almost 1.1 million metric tons
of carbon equivalents (Consortium, 2008). That would be the equivalent of removing 58,700 cars from
our highways or planting more than 120,000 acres of trees (“Efficiency and Enviornmental Benefits”,
2018).

Geothermal heat pumps, as well as all other types of heat pumps, have efficiencies rated
according to their coefficient of performance or COP. It's a scientific way of determining how much
energy the system produces versus how much it uses. Most geothermal heat pump systems have COPs of
3-4.5. That means for every unit of energy used to power the system, 3-4.5 units are supplied as heat.
Where a fossil fuel furnace may be 78-90 percent efficient, a geothermal heat pump is about 400 percent
efficient. Some geothermal heat pump manufacturers and electric utilities use computers to accurately
determine the operating efficiency of a system for your home or building.

According to data supplied by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Geothermal
Technologies, nearly 40% of all U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide are the result of heating, cooling, and
hot water systems in residential and commercial buildings. This is roughly equivalent to the amount of
carbon dioxide contributed by automobiles and public transportation (National Renewable Energy Lab,
1998).
 IV. Companies using Geothermal Energy

A. In the Philippines
Station Capacity Commissioned Community Status
(MW)
Upper Mahiao Geothermal 125 1996 Limao, Operational
Power Station (Steam is Kananga, Leyte
from Leyte Geothermal
Production Field)

Tongonan Geothermal 112.5 1982 Limao, Operational

Power Plant (Steam is Kananga, Leyte,
from Leyte Geothermal Leyte
Production Field)

Tiwi Geothermal Power 275 1979 Tiwi, Albay Operational

Plant
(Philippine Geothermal
Production Company, Inc.)
[3]

Southern Negros 0 1983, 1993 - 1994, Valencia, Operational

Geothermal Production 1995 Negros Oriental
Field Energy Development
Corporation (Produces
steam for Palimpinon 1 &
2, Nasulo geothermal
powerplants. Total 221.9
MW)

Palinpinon 2 Geothermal 60 1983, 1993 - 1994, Valencia, Operational

Power Plant(Steam is from 1995 Negros Oriental
Southern Negros
Geothermal Production
Field)
Palinpinon 1 Geothermal 112.5 1983, 1993 - 1994, Valencia, Operational
Power Plant(Steam is from 1995 Negros Oriental
Southern Negros
Geothermal Production
Field)

Northern Negros 0 Murcia, Negros decommissio

Geothermal Production Occidental ned
Field Energy Development
Corporation

Nasulo Geothermal Power 49.4 2015 Valencia, Operational

Plant (Steam is from Negros Oriental
Southern Negros
Geothermal Production
Field)
Mt. Sibulan-Kapatagan 300 Davao del Sur Proposed
Geothermal Power Project

Montelago Power Plant 44 2016 Oriental Operational

Mindoro
Mindanao Geothermal 0 1987 Mount Apo, Operational
Production FieldEnergy Kidapawan
Development City, North
Corporation(Produces Cotabato
steam for Mindanao 1 and
2 power plants. Total 106
MW)

Mindanao 2 Geothermal 54 1999 Mount Apo, Operational

Power Plant(Steam is from Kidapawan
Mindanao Geothermal City, North
Production Field) Cotabato
Mindanao 1 Geothermal 52 1997 Mount Apo, Operational
Power Plant(Steam is from Kidapawan
Mindanao Geothermal City, North
Production Field) Cotabato

Malitbog Geothermal 232.5 1996 Malitbog, Operational

Power Station(Steam is Tongonan,
from Leyte Geothermal Kananga, Leyte
Production Field)

Makiling-Banahaw (Mak- 480 1979, 1980, 1984, Brgy. Bitin, Operational

Ban) Geothermal Power 1996 Bay, Laguna
Plant
(Philippine Geothermal
Production Company,
Inc.)[4]

Maibarara Geothermal 20 2014 Santo Tomas, Operational

Power Plant Batangas
Mahanagdong Geothermal 180 1997 Ormoc City, Operational
Power Station (Steam is Leyte
from Leyte Geothermal
Production Field)

Leyte Optimization 50.9 1997 Tongonan and Operational

Geothermal Power Station Limao,
(Steam is from Leyte Kananga, Leyte
Geothermal Production
Field)
Leyte Geothermal 0 1975 Kananga, Leyte Operational
Production Field Energy and Ormoc
Development City, Leyte
Corporation(produces
steam for Malitbog,
Mahanagdong, Upper
Mahiao and Leyte
Optimization Power
Plants. 588.4 MW total)
Lakewood Geothermal 40 Lakewood, Proposed
Prospect Zamboanga del
Sur
Biliran Geothermal Plant 49 2016 Biliran Under
Construction
Balatukan-Balingasag 40 Balingasag, Proposed
Geothermal Prospect Misamis
Oriental
BacMan Geothermal 0 1979 Sorsogon City, Operational
Production FieldEnergy Sorsogon
Development
Corporation(Produces
steam for BacMan 1 and 2
power plants. Total 140
MW)

BacMan 2 Geothermal 20 1995 Sorsogon City, Operational

Power Station Energy Sorsogon
Development
Corporation(Steam is from
BacMan Geothermal
Production Field)

BacMan 1 Geothermal 120 1993 Sorsogon City, Operational

Power Station Energy Sorsogon
Development
Corporation(Steam is from
BacMan Geothermal
Production Field)

B. In other countries

● Olkaria II Geothermal Power Station in Kenya Rift Valley

● Cerro Prieto III Geothermal Plant in Mexico Baja California
● Geothermal 1 Geothermal Plant in United States of America California
● The Geysers Geothermal Complex, California, United States of America
● Larderello Geothermal Complex, Italy
● Cerro Prieto Geothermal Power Station, Mexico
● CalEnergy Generation’s Salton Sea Geothermal Plants, United States
● Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Plant, Iceland
● Wayang Windu Geothermal Power Plant, Indonesia
● Darajat Power Station, Indonesia