Harvey W. Hottel, Inc.

Since 1945

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Five Advantages of Geothermal Energy in Your Northern Virginia Home

Water beneath the earth’s surface contained in reservoirs is hot and can be used for geothermal energy and geothermal heat. Used to produce steam that in turn powers turbines and generators to produce electricity. A major benefit of geothermal energy is the vast reduction in pollution since producing geothermal electricity does not result in harmful emissions. This not only helps keep the air clean, it also reduces our dependency on fossil fuels, again adding to the reduction of pollutants in the air supply.

There is virtually an inexhaustible supply of geothermal energy below the earth’s surface, since just a few miles beneath the crust the temperature reaches approximately 500 degrees Fahrenheit. The natural heat needed to create geothermal energy is abundant.

The amount of property need to actually build and operate a geothermal energy plant is minimal in comparison to traditional power plants. Other types of power producing plants require the harvesting of trees, digging mineshafts, damming rivers or simply taking up a lot of land mass. Geothermal energy stations are built directly over the energy source, easily providing heat or electricity to the surrounding areas. The power plants are reliable and again, this natural resource will not be exhausted.

Rather than relying on windy days or high water levels, geothermal energy plants rely solely on the water in the earth – and that is available around-the-clock throughout the year. Weather-related power outages and natural disasters are of little concern – of course barring a natural disaster that destroys the geothermal energy plant – and if the steam drops below required levels, pumps are easily able to inject water back into the rock to generate more steam.

The production costs of geothermal energy is much lower than that of traditional electric plants. The energy needed to operate the plant is actually produced on-sight, making the plant rather self-sufficient.

The use of geothermal energy has spurred significant growth in geothermal heating and cooling, not surprisingly so. Geothermal energy technology has been developed into the geothermal heating and cooling industry, making it a viable way to heat and cool your home.

For information on how to use geothermal heating and cooling your Northern Virginia home, contact the experts at Harvey Hottel. Serving all of Maryland and Northern Virginia, including Herndon, VA, Glenn Burnie, MD, Silver Spring, MD, Reston, VA and all of the surrounding area, Harvey W. Hottell can help!