Minim Emisi Gas Rumah Kaca

Pemanfaatan panas bumi menghasilkan emisi yang jauh lebih kecil bila
dibandingkan dengan penggunaan bahan bakar fosil seperti batu bara,
minyak bumi dan gas alam.
Usia Pemanfaatan Panjang
Energi panas bumi bisa dimanfaatkan dalam jangka waktu yang sangat lama.
Pembangkit listrik pertama di Lardarello, Italia, sudah beroperasi lebih dari
100 tahun dan hingga kini masih efektif memproduksi listrik. Sedangkan di
Indonesia sendiri, pembangkit Kamojang sudah beroperasi lebih dari 30
tahun. Pembangkit listrik tenaga panas bumi bisa habis bukan karena
hilangnya energi panas, melainkan karena hilangnya tekanan reservoir akibat
kehilangan cairan selama masa operasi. Dewasa ini hal tersebut bisa
ditanggulangi dengan meningkatkan efisiensi reservoir dan menyuntikan
cairan ke dalam reservoir. Artinya, perkembangan teknologi memungkinkan
operasional pembangkit untuk bertahan lebih lama lagi.
Constant Supply

Unlike other renewable energy technologies (such as solar and wind power), geothermal power can
provide a constant, uninterrupted supply of electricity. Solar panels can only produce electricity during
the day and wind turbines only produce power when there is enough wind.

The benefit of constant supply makes Geothermal energy a far more predictable means of generating
electricity when compared to its renewable energy rivals.

Biaya Rendah

Although geothermal power can only be generated in specific areas, installations in those areas are
considered highly cost effective. Electricity generated by geothermal power stations is considered to be
one of the cheapest power sources in use today.

Although the initial cost of geothermal power plants is considerably high when taking into account the
investment required for exploration, drilling wells and plant installation, once these plants are built, they
are considered to be very low maintenance when compared with other mainstream power plants that
produce their electricity from other sources (such as coal, oil and nuclear.)

Lahan Kecil

Dibandingkan energi surya

Batasan Geografis
Geothermal energy is arguably the most location specific energy source known to man. Geothermal
activity is at its greatest along tectonic fault lines within the earth’s crust and it is in these areas where
geothermal power plants are considered to be most effective.

The United States, Iceland, Kenya, Indonesia, Philippines and Mexico have all found success in generating
significant levels of electricity from geothermal energy resources.

Large Investment Needed

The upfront investment that is needed for a geothermal power plant is considerably high when
compared with the investment required for power plants that produce electricity from other resources
such as coal and oil.

A large proportion of this cost is associated with the exploration and drilling for geothermal energy
resources, two processes that don’t affect traditional power stations. However, it is quite safe to say that
if we take into account the exploration and mining costs of fossil fuels (required for traditional power
stations to function), then geothermal power would be considered the cheaper option.

Environmental Impacts

When looking at the disadvantages of geothermal energy, there are various environmental impacts that
should be noted.

Below the earth’s surface lies an abundance of gases that are harmful to the environment and our
atmosphere. During the production of geothermal power, gases can be released into the atmosphere.
These gases include; hydrogen sulfide (H2S), carbon dioxide (CO2), ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4), and
boron (B), some of which can contribute to global warming.

Water quality is also considered an environmental impact of geothermal energy. Chemicals used at some
geothermal power plants have the potential to pollute the water table should any leakage occur.
Although technology exists for the safe, nonpolluting use of geothermal fluids, there is always the
potential for leakage to occur.

Although there are numerous environmental factors to consider, when compared with fossil fuel
alternatives, geothermal energy is one of the most environmentally friendly energy sources available
today.

Seismic Instability

Earth tremors have been linked to the use of geothermal energy technologies in various parts of the
world. Although often minor, these earthquakes have been known to cause damage to buildings, as was
the case in Basel, Switzerland in 2006 when a geothermal exploration project was blamed for a series of
earthquakes, some measuring up to 3.4 on the Richter scale.

A further study in 2011 of earthquakes in the area around the Salton Sea geothermal field in the United
States found a strong correlation between geothermal exploration and seismic activity.
Several news posts and a report by the DESTRESS geothermal research project team report that on 15
November 2017 at 05.29 UTC (14.29 local time) an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 occurred near
Pohang in South Korea took place. “This earthquake is the second-largest on record in Korea after the
magnitude 5.8 Gyeongju event, which occurred in 2016, 40 km from Pohang. It triggered numerous
aftershocks in the following months

“Injecting water into the earth can reduce friction on a fault line, causing movement and potentially
triggering a major earthquake in an area that is already under pressure. There have been steady reports
of similar incidents overseas,”