Treasure under your feet

  • What is geothermal energy?

    Geothermal is the natural heat of the Earth.  It is derived from the decay of the radioactive elements in the Earth’s crust and transferred to the subsurface by conduction and convection.

  • What is geothermal used for?

    For centuries, geothermal springs have been used for bathing, heating and cooking. But only in the early 20th century people start to consider geothermal as a practical source of energy with huge potential. Geothermal energy is now used to produce electricity, to heat and cool buildings as well as for other industrial purposes like fruit and vegetable cultivation.

  • Where can geothermal energy be found?

    The exploitable geothermal resources are found throughout the world and are utilized nowadays in 83 countries.

Quick Geothermal Power History

By the end of the 19th Century, Prince Piero Conti conceived an idea to harness the natural steam of the Larderello geothermal field in Italy to produce electric energy. He started to conduct technical experiments in 1903, and a year later, the first geothermal-electric energy was produced that lighted five lamps of 5-watts.

In 1913, Conti put in commercial operation a power plant of 250 kW fed by pure steam, and in 1916 two power units of 3.5 MW each. This is how geothermal power production was born.

  • 300 BCE

     

    Ancient people use hot springs for bathing and cooking

  • First known use of a device that later became known as a geothermal heat pump

     

    1850

  • 1904

     

    Prince Piero Ginori Conti invents the first geothermal power plant in Italy

  • Iceland begins exploiting geothermal fluids for domestic heating

     

    1928

  • 1950

     

    New Zealand develops geothermal for commercial use

  • The USA uses geothermal for electricity production

     

    1960

  • 1990

     

    The geothermal heat pumps become commonplace

  • 83 countries report the use of geothermal energy

     

    2015

IGA ‘Geothermal Quick guide’ Brochure
(pdf, 4 MB)

Download

Our Geothermal Legacy
(pdf, 1 MB)

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Something special for each letter

  • A
    Available
  • B
    Baseload
  • C
    Cozy
  • D
    Domestic
  • E
    Economical
  • F
    Friendly
  • G
    Genuine
  • H
    Homemade
  • I
    Independent
  • J
    Joyous
  • K
    Known
  • L
    Local
  • M
    Majestic
  • N
    Natural
  • O
    Observable
  • P
    Paramount
  • Q
    Qualified
  • R
    Reliable
  • S
    Safe
  • T
    Terrestrial
  • U
    Universal
  • V
    Valuable
  • W
    Wondrous
  • X
    Xenial
  • Y
    Young
  • Z
    Zero CO2

Why choose geothermal?

It is a beautiful renewable energy source, supplying Iceland with close to 70% of its needs for primary energy. Through its variations in nature, it can combine beauty, wonders and great practical benefits.

Lúdvík S. Georgsson.Director of United Nations University Geothermal Training Programme - UNU-GTP

Geothermal energy is a baseload, low cost, environmentally clean, and indigenous source of energy for all countries of the world. In particular, geothermal energy has a huge potential to contribute to the development of the remote areas.

Peter Ayodo OmendaManaging Partner of Scientific and Engineering Power Consultants Limited

Why choose geothermal? For me it’s simple. It is clear that geothermal is a clean, sustainable and reliable energy source. It is one of the best renewables to reduce the CO2 Emissions.

Abadi PoernomoPresident of Indonesian Geothermal Association