The Use of Geothermal Energy in Building Material Production
The growth of green building systems is such that renewable sources of energy such as geothermal energy are fast becoming the key drivers in transforming the manufacture of building products.
Renewable geothermal heat, derived from the warm temperature of the earth, provides a cheap method of electricity generation.
This article seeks to analyze how geothermal heat is incorporated in the production of construction materials, the advantages of geothermal energy, and how it can revolutionize the construction industry in the future.
Geothermal Energy and Its Uses
Geothermal power is, therefore, energy harnessed from the heat that resides beneath the ground level.
This energy is available in plenty, requires no replenishment, and constantly supplies power throughout the day and night, like the solar or wind power.
Geothermal heat is produced from hot water or steam stored deep under the surface of the earth’s crust, which can be used to directly produce electricity or to heat processes in industries.
In the context of building material production, geothermal power is utilized in multiple ways:
1. Direct Heating:
One application of geothermal heat is in drying of materials including bricks, ceramics and other composites that can now be dried with minimal use of the energy-intensive furnace fired with fossil fuel.
2. Energy Generation:
Customers of geothermal power plants include factories for cement, glass, steel, which are commonly used in the construction industries.
3. Material Processing:
It is used in heating processes such as calcination, which is useful in cement making, cuts on emissions, which results from fuel burning.
In Iceland, the Philippines, and New Zealand, among others, exploitation of geothermal energy in industrial processes has been well achieved.
For instance, a huge geothermal network in Iceland supports the cement production, where such renewable energy is proved to be feasible in high energy sectors.
Benefits of Using Geothermal Energy in Building Material Production
There are many advantages of conversion of geothermal heat in building material production in terms of environmental, economic, and social impacts.
1. Reduced Carbon Emissions
Historical production systems of materials such as cement and steel are utterly dependent on fossil energy, which leads to substantial CO2 emissions.
Geothermal energy can actually help in these emission reductions since it is clean, and considered carbon neutral.
For example, by replacing coal by geothermal heat to dry raw materials in cement kilns, the carbon footprint of cement production can be decreased by more than 75 percent.
2. Energy Efficiency and Cost Savings
Geothermal electricity generation is generally very efficient because heat energy from the earth is harnessed directly, excluding the conversion losses occurring at thermal power stations where fossil fuels are burnt.
Although it may cost a lot of money to set up geothermal system, the cost of running geothermal system is greatly reduced compared to the initial cost.
This is so much preferred especially by power hungry industries like cementation and glass making that rely of affordable and reliable supply of energy.
3. Resource Sustainability
Geothermal power, on the other hand, is renewable, and can be considered as having an almost infinite supply if well utilized.
This helps guarantee the continuity of long-term energy supply for the production of construction materials, which aids in the change of the construction industry to sustainability.
4. Local Economic Development
The use of geothermal energy enhances local energy self-sufficiency, especially given the areas possessing reserves with this energy type.
This helps to cut down the dependence on imported fuels, give a fillip to local economies, and project man-power intensive discoveries in the energy as well as in the construction industrial sectors.
Geothermal energy has the potential to revolutionise the production of building materials for its reduced environmental footprint as well as spur the development of new renewable energy businesses.
Challenges and the Future of Geothermal Energy in Material Production
While geothermal energy holds great promise, several challenges must be addressed to scale its adoption in building material production:
1. High Initial Costs
Implementing geothermal resources demand considerable initial costs such as exploration, drilling and construction of power stations or direct utilization systems.
Such costs can be a problem to companies, especially where geothermal power is not popular.
But these are some of the challenges that have been facing the growth of solar energy and the good news is that governments and private sectors are actively offering incentives and subsidies to counteract these challenges.
2. Geographic Limitations
It is a site-specific and depends mostly on geological conditions like availability of hydrothermal reservoirs.
However, this limits the scale of implementation because not all areas boast a rich supply of geothermal energy.
This is well handled by new inventions such as the enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) which actually create artificial geothermal reservoirs where the real ones are nonexistent.
3. Integration with Existing Systems
Adapting conventional industrial structures for the use of geothermal energy is a challenging task that is likely to prove expensive.
It is a great challenge to shift from the conventional fossil fuels to geothermal power; it needs analysis, professionals, and cooperation between the energy sector and the construction sector.
Future Outlook
However, these are some of the hurdles which remain in the way of geothermal energy in providing building material manufacturing with a clear path forward into a more sustainable future.
These investments are likely to increase in the future due to the potential increased demand for geothermal technology within the global sustainable construction circuit.
Advances in drilling technologies, better resource utilization and material processing will not only make it easier for industries to harness geothermal energy but also cheaper to do so.
Fortunately, governments and organizations are already starting to make efforts toward this process.
For example, The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) stresses using geothermal energy in industrial sectors.
Synergetic approaches between countries with rich experience in geothermal and those in search of actionable practices will expedite the use of geothermal energy in the production of construction materials.
Also read: Using Sustainable Wood Products for Eco-Conscious Construction