Question

In three sentences or fewer, explain the difference between using geothermal energy to generate electricity and using the geothermal gradient to heat your home with an underground heat pump.

Answer 1

Tapping of geothermal energy to produce electricity is done on a larger scale compared to the tapping of the geothermal gradient using a geothermal heat pump. Harnessing geothermal energy is also reliant on geological conditions such as in the area of convection boundaries while geothermal gradient can be harnessed virtually anywhere on the earth surface.