GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
Geothermal direct use is placed thousands years ago when people discovered the beneficial effects of hot springs for bathing, cooking food. Today hot springs are widely in use known as spas. Furthermore, more new sophisticated ways of using this geothermal resource have today been exploited. In modern direct use systems a well is drilled into a geothermal reservoir to provide a steady stream of hot water. Then the water is driven to the surface through the well and a mechanical system consisted of pipes, a heat exchanger and controls, delivers the heat directly for use. A disposal system then either injects the cooled water underground or disposed of it on the surface.
Geothermal heat pumps take advantage of a shallow ground resource with warmer temperature than the air above it during winter time and cooler than the air in the summer period, in order to heat and cool building. Geothermal heat pumps systems consist of basically three parts: the ground heat exchanger, the heat pump unit and the air delivery system. Geothermal heat pumps use less energy than conventional heating systems and are suitable for cooling.