Geothermal Energy Basics: Full Course
9 Lessons • 57 Topics
The Geothermal Energy Basics course provides you with a fundamental understanding of the science, engineering and technology behind geothermal energy projects.
Not sure you want to invest in an entire course? Certain popular lessons are available for individual purchase. Take one of the course lessons to try it out. Your lesson cost can later be applied to the purchase of the full course if you like.
Geothermal Energy Basics Course Content Overview
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Malesuada nunc vel risus commodo viverra maecenas accumsan lacus vel. Ut etiam sit amet nisl purus. Egestas tellus rutrum tellus pellentesque eu. Adipiscing enim eu turpis egestas pretium. Sagittis orci a scelerisque purus semper eget duis. Faucibus interdum posuere lorem ipsum dolor. Eu non diam phasellus vestibulum. Ut tellus elementum sagittis vitae et leo duis. Proin sagittis nisl rhoncus mattis rhoncus urna neque. In nisl nisi scelerisque eu ultrices. Suspendisse ultrices gravida dictum fusce ut placerat orci nulla pellentesque. Arcu cursus vitae congue mauris rhoncus aenean vel. Nunc congue nisi vitae suscipit tellus. Sed sed risus pretium quam vulputate. Quam lacus suspendisse faucibus interdum posuere lorem.
The online … training was straightforward, and I enjoyed the ability to cover the material at my own pace. Information was highly specific and has enabled me to excel in my current profession.
—Tammy Shelton, Lead Technician, Railroad Commission of Texas
Lessons from the course
Created in conjunction with TOP Energy Training’s highly qualified instructors, each lesson encompasses multiple topics to sharpen your knowledge and technical proficiency.
What is Geothermal Energy?
4 Topics
How can humans harvest Earth’s natural, subsurface heat in the form of geothermal energy? Heat at Earth’s core is similar to the sun. The driving force to get this heat to the surface is the temperature differential between Earth’s surface and its interior. Heat travels via conduction and convection to the surface where humans can utilize this energy in a variety of ways. In areas where the geothermal gradient is greater, geothermal energy is most viable. These areas of high geothermal gradient can be predicted from patterns related to the geologic history of particular regions.
Geothermal Systems
9 Topics
Geothermal Systems vary widely depending upon the heat, fluid and flow capacity available to the system. In addition, systems that are considered naturally ‘imperfect’ can be engineered to meet the necessary criteria for economic projects.
Geothermal Applications
5 Topics
Geothermal applications of subsurface heat reservoirs include geothermal heat pumps, district heating and cooling, direct use and power generation. The current applications of geothermal energy shed light on its future potential to meet many of our energy needs. Geothermal applications have the potential to open the doors to a more sustainable energy future.
Example Geothermal Systems
4 Topics
Since the first documented awareness of geothermal resources several thousand years ago in Italy, the world has built up its geothermal power-generating capacity to ~16GWe. The United States is a leader in geothermal power generation, contributing ~24% of global geothermal electricity. An overview of global geothermal systems highlights the importance of the United States and other countries in their contributions to geothermal power capacity, but also the importance of geothermal as a key power generating primary energy source for certain communities. The U.S. Department of Energy’s goal is to achieve 125 GW of geothermal power-generating capacity by 2050. To gain commercial liftoff in the United States, some $20 billion of investment is required from government agencies, equity investors, corporate ventures and other capital providers.
Oil and Gas Technology Transfer
11 Topics
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Subsurface Environmental Considerations
6 Topics
All energy sources have at least some environmental impact, although these impacts vary significantly in their intensity, persistence and form. Geothermal is considered by many to have the least impact of any energy source. The highlights of geothermal energy’s environmental advantages are lower lifecycle carbon emissions, a small surface footprint and low potential for water contamination. The main environmental concerns related to geothermal development and operations are the impact on water (consumption, contamination, and disposal) and the potential for induced seismicity and land subsidence.
Surface Environmental Considerations
6 Topics
All energy technologies, from traditional fossil based sources to renewables like solar and wind, have some environmental impact. Like many energy technologies, geothermal projects have environmental considerations and impacts at the surface. Careful project planning can reduce and mitigate these impacts.
Geothermal Power Plant Operations
5 Topics
There are three main types of geothermal power plant technologies; and the mechanism for converting the geothermal heat into electricity is part of the power plant design and generally depends on the state of the subsurface fluid and its temperature. Fluids management during geothermal plant operations is an important part of the project design. Based on geofluid content, some facilities could serve a dual purpose: extracting important minerals and generating geothermal power.
Innovative Geothermal Projects for the Future
7 Topics
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Each lesson has a self-assessment at the end to reinforce the information and prepare you for the next lesson.
Who Should Take This Course?
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