1. Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Vaasa Energy Institute, FI-65101 Vaasa, Finland 2. Vaasa Energy Institute, FI-65101 Vaasa, Finland
Geothermal energy is a renewable and alternative energy with the potential to replace fossil fuels and help mitigate global warming. However, the development of geothermal energy has environmental, economic and social-cultural consequences, which needs to be predicted beforehand and then mitigated. To guarantee a sustainable development, it is, therefore, essential to consider the relative potential impacts. From a sustainability point of view, in the present study, a comprehensive analysis of consequences of geothermal energy development is conducted, including environmental, economic and societal & cultural dimensions. The geothermal energy industry will prosper only if sustainable aspects can be integrally considered.
– Cause soil erosion, geothermal hazards and direct or indirect land use changes; – Damage groundwater, interrupt hydrologic cycles, and affect the water quality; –Dust pollution and gaseous emissions from the discharge of non-condensable gases; – Detrimental effects on local ecosystems, affecting the habitats
– Start-up phase is expensive, requiring overwhelming investments; – The expense of storage and management of geothermal energy is also very high; – Supporting facilities might be needed, creating additional costs
– Local people might suffer from the noise in the drilling and well-testing phase, the construction phase, and the plant operation phase; – Landscape aesthetics might be damaged; – It requires time for people to adapt and accept geo-energy
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