Geothermal heating

Figure 1. Geothermal hot spots around the world.

Geothermal heating is the use of the Earth's natural thermal energy, known as geothermal energy, for one's heating needs. It has been used for thousands of years, as geysers, steam vents, and hot springs have long been known about. The use back then was not nearly as advanced as it is now, as this heat can be harnessed in order to provide heating needs to many applications.

There are generally three categories this heating can be grouped into:

• Geothermal district heating - the heating of a group of buildings by use of an underground hotspot
• Geothermal industrial heating - heat provided to industries to fulfill their low-quality energy needs
• Geothermal heat pumps - the use of the stable temperatures of shallow ground to provide heating for individual homes and buildings

The pages above describe the use of geothermal energy for many uses. Generally only countries located on geothermal hotspots may tap into this energy efficiently, and there are over 70 countries around the world doing so. Geothermal heat pumps however do not require the use of hot spots since they make use of relatively low temperature soil.

Geothermal energy can also be harnessed in the generation of electricity - to learn about this click here.