2008-08-21

Google's Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS)


As a part of its commitment to a clean energy future Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, recently announced a substantial investment in a new alternative energy technology called Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS).

News


Clipped from: Looking For Energy, Google Goes To Hell - Forbes.com



Geothermal Power
Looking For Energy, Google Goes To Hell

[...] on Tuesday, Google.org, the philanthropic arm of search giant Google [...], announced it would try to help spur companies to reach underground to produce clean electricity. It is investing a total of $10 million in a geothermal energy company called AltaRock Energy and a drilling company called Potter Drilling, and it is funding research and mapping efforts and a policy agenda.

It is part of Google.org's effort to help bring about renewable energy that is cheaper than coal by investing in companies, research and policy development. The organization is focusing on three main technologies: solar thermal power, which uses the sun's heat to generate electricity; advanced wind technology; and, now, a way of tapping geothermal energy called enhanced geothermal systems, or EGS.

An animation of the EGS system


Clipped from: YouTube - SketchUp Model - Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS)



Info from Google Org


Clipped from: Google.org

A Googol of Heat Beneath Our Feet

The energy from the heat beneath the earth's surface is essentially an unlimited resource. What if it could be developed to help solve our energy challenges and fight global warming? Enhanced Geothermal Systems, or EGS, attempts to do just that. EGS produces heat and electricity by harnessing the energy from hot rock deep below the earth's surface, expanding the potential of traditional geothermal energy by orders of magnitude. EGS is a big challenge, but with the potential to power the world many times over, it demands our immediate attention. At Google we've launched an effort to advance EGS through R&D, investment, policy and information.

U.S. Geothermal Resource (3-10km depth)

Open in Google Earth (672 KB - last updated: 8/19/08)
Learn about the great potential for EGS with this video from google.org


Related:

Looking For Energy, Google Goes To Hell - Forbes.com
Google.org
Google.org Invests More Than $10 Million in Breakthrough Geothermal Energy Technology
For Its Next Act, Google Brings Cheap Energy
Google & G.E. Want Cheaper Renewable Energy · Environmental Leader · Green Business, Sustainable Business, and Green Strategy News for Corporate Sustainability Executives
Google Investing Over $10 Million in Geothermal Energy : CleanTechnica