Hot H2O: Alaskan Inventor Frees Himself From Oil Dependence
Bernie Karl, the proprietor of the Chena Hot Springs Resort outside Fairbanks, Alaska, has built a portable geothermal generator that he says can provide enough power for 250 houses. The self-proclaimed “imagineer’s” machine uses 165°F water to produce large quantities of electricity.
Mr. Karl collects water from underground hot springs lying beneath his resort and pipes it into his device. The hot water then boils refrigerant contained inside casing surrounding the pipes. Next, the boiling refrigerant causes a connected turbine to spin, thereby generating electricity.
According to a 2007 Massachusetts Institute of Technology report, tapping into 2% of the energy contained inside the Earth as heat could yield 2,000 times more energy than is used globally! I’m all for new, unorthodox technology that can give us energy with minimal damage to the environment. How can one not be a fan of green innovation?
