Online Course Announced - Introduction to Ground Source Heating and Cooling

"Geothermal energy uses the flow of thermal energy from beneath the Earth's surface to heat homes and businesses and generate electricity. Geothermal energy is also used in many industrial and commercial applications, such as agriculture, fish farming, food dehydration, gold processing and milk pasteurizing. Geothermal energy has many advantages over other forms of energy. It is cleaner and more abundant than fossil fuels. In fact, the thermal energy in the uppermost six miles of the Earth's crust amounts to 50,000 times the energy of all oil and gas resources in the world. With advances in technology, geothermal energy is becoming a more economically viable energy choice for many applications.

In this course, the student will review the document "Geothermal Energy... Power from the Depths" published by the U.S. Dept. of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory. This publication describes the basics of geothermal energy and outlines its advantages relative to other energy sources. This course is relevant to engineers who are interested in learning about an alternative energy source that can potentially reduce the energy costs and emissions of a plant, business or residence.

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

· Merits of geothermal energy relative to other forms of energy
· Types and geographic locations of different types of geothermal resources
· Types of geothermal power plants
· Direct uses of geothermal energy
· Heat pump basics

This course is part of the outreach efforts of B.F. Environmental Consultants Inc to promote alternative and renewable energy" (Website Content).

Geothermal Energy Systems Online Course