文档介绍：PREFACE
Hot springs have been used for balneological purposes from times immemorial.
However, the use of Earth's heat as a source of energy began in the early 20th
century when electricity was produced for the first time from geothermal steam at
Larderello, Italy in 1904. With the passage of time, the global population has in-
creased from billion in 1951 to billion in 2003, and the global energy con-
sumption has increased from 2,710 million metric tons of coal equivalent to 15,178
million metric tons of coal equivalent during the same time. Alternative sources of
energy are gaining importance and geothermal energy is one of them. Being a much
cleaner source of energy, it deserves a special attention. Today, more than 20 coun-
tries generate electricity from geothermal resources and about 60 countries make
direct use of geothermal energy. For several small countries, such as Iceland, Phil-
ippines, etc., geothermal energy constitutes a significant percentage of total electric-
ity production. As of now, globally, the installed capacity is over 8,000 MWe, and
indirect use of geothermal energy amounts to over 15,000 MWt. Considering that
during 1971 total global geothermal electricity production was only 700 MWe, the
growth has been spectacular. A 10-fold increase in geothermal energy use is fore-
seeable at the current technology level.
Geothermal Energy: An Alternative Resource for the 21st Century provides a
readable and coherent account of all facets of geothermal energy development. This
is an updated version of Geothermal Resources." An Energy Alternative published by
the Elsevier in 1980 (Gupta, 1980). The first chapter deals with the ever-growing need
of energy due to increase in global population and the increase in per capita con-
sumption of energy. New methods of power generation are mented upon,
and the role that geothermal energy is playing and the future scenarios are presented.
The second ch