Sustainability

Advantages and limits

During the World Congress on Energy that took place in Houston (Texas) in 1998 it emerged that in 1996 geothermal energy provided 79.6% of the electric energy produced from renewable sources. The use of this energy can contribute to a sustainable development, a higher independence from geo-politically sensitive countries and ensures energy procurement thanks to a diversification of energy sources. The characteristic that makes this renewable source better than the others is its constant availability. Geothermal energy, in fact, allows to have electric energy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Unfortunately, it releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when it is used. However the quantity of carbon dioxide produced (380 grams per kilowatt per hour) is lower than the emission of carbon dioxide coming from natural gas plants (453 grams per kilowatt per hour), oil plants (906 grams per kilowatt per hour) or coal plants (1,042 grams per kilowatt per hour). At the moment in Italy the production of electricity from geothermal sources allows to avoid releasing 1 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The direct use of geothermal heat in buildings, greenhouses, etc. allows to save quite high quantities of fossil fuels. When talking about geothermal plants, it is necessary to mention drilling and soil occupation, whose negative effects negatively affect the surrounding landscape.