The animations shown on this page are designed and meant to help understand basic geothermal concepts, and are not meant as exhaustive and detailed depictions of technical principles. Rather, they are meant to be used in an introductory or educational context, and should prove helpful in understanding how geothermal energy is being used today.
How a Geothermal Power Plant Works (Simple)
View our How a Geothermal Power Plant Works animation to learn how a geothermal power plant works. While similar to conventional power plants, use of a geothermal energy resource makes thse plants noteworthy.
How an Enhanced Geothermal System Works
View our How an Enhanced Geothermal System Works animation to learn how enhanced geothermal systems can vastly increase geothermal resources used for power production.
EGS - Enhanced Geothermal Systems
View this EGS animation to learn about the steps in the EGS process and the benefits of EGS development. This animation is a Calpine Corporation and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory collaborative project co-funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies Office. It was produced by Baker Hughes in 2012.
Geothermal Drilling at The Geysers
View this Geothermal Drilling at The Geysers animation to learn about the drill rigs and different types of drilling. This animation is a Calpine Corporation and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory collaborative project co-funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies Office. It was produced by Baker Hughes in 2012.
Geothermal Heat Pumps
Geothermal heat pumps use the stable temperatures of the ground (often vertical boreholes typically are 100 to 400 feet deep) as a heat source to warm buildings in winters and as a heat sink to cool them in summer. A heat pump works through application of the "refrigeration cycle." Also called ground-source heat pumps or Geoexchange units. Select an image below to enlarge.