We get questions

The Centre for Energy’s portal is loaded with factual and statistical information about Canada’s energy system. But we still get questions, like this one.

Q:  Is there any difference between geothermal energy and earth energy?

A:  The term “geothermal” is derived from geo (earth) and thermal (of, for or producing heat) and means “heat from the earth.”

Historically, geothermal energy has been associated with high-temperature heat sources such as geysers, thermal springs and steam vents. The naturally occurring hot water and steam are used to heat buildings, such as in Iceland, or turn turbines to generate electricity, such as in California. This type of geothermal energy is also used in China, Japan, New Zealand, Italy and the Philippines.

Earth energy, also known as geoexchange and geothermal heat pump systems, uses much lower temperatures found at shallow depths in the earth, in bodies of water and in circulating groundwater. Heat pumps and compressors are used to transfer heat from the ground to warm a building or to transfer heat to the ground to cool a building.

High-temperature geothermal energy can only be used where there is naturally occurring hot water or steam, usually in areas near volcanoes and active earthquake zones. Earth energy, on the other hand, can be implemented just about anywhere.

Got a question?
Send it to infoservices@centreforenergy.com – we’ll answer it and might even publish it on Flow.