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Courses/Engineering/Energy Management

An Introductory Guide to Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is energy in the form of heat radiating from the Earth’s mantle.

Created byMark Rossow, PhD, PE (retired)
4.1
(27 reviews)
BeginnerUpdated Jan 5, 2025
An Introductory Guide to Geothermal Energy

What You'll Learn

check_circleUnderstand the principles of geothermal energy and its potential applications for electricity generation, heating, and cooling.
check_circleLearn about different types of geothermal energy systems, including hydrothermal resources, enhanced geothermal systems, and heat pumps.
check_circleExplore the technical and non-technical barriers to geothermal energy development and industry growth.
check_circleRecognize the benefits of geothermal energy as a sustainable and renewable domestic energy source.

About This Course

Geothermal energy is energy in the form of heat radiating from the Earth’s mantle. It is a sustainable, renewable, and practically inexhaustible energy source for the United States, potentially being used for electricity generation, heating, and cooling, while emitting only small amounts of greenhouse gases. Geothermal resources can be found nationwide, are “always on,” and represent a potentially vast domestic energy supply. Only a fraction of these resources have been used thus far, because of technical and non-technical barriers that constrain industry growth. In this course various types of geothermal energy systems are described, and the problems that must be solved before these systems can be widely implemented are outlined.

Topics: Hydrothermal resources Enhanced geothermal systems Geothermal heat pumps Electric power generation Geothermal direct use Geothermal energy benefits Technical barriers to geothermal development Non-technical barriers to geothermal development. 

Intended Audience: This course is intended for civil, electrical, and mechanical engineers concerned with the future of the power industry. 

Publication Source: The course is based on Chapter 2 of the U.S. Department of Energy report, GeoVision: Harnessing the Heat Beneath our Feet, DOE/EE-1306, Washington, D.C., 2019.

Your Instructor

Mark Rossow, PhD, PE (retired)
Mark Rossow, PhD, PE (retired)

Civil Engneering faculty member for 27 years

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star3,893 reviews

Dr. Rossow is a graduate of the University of Michigan with B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois. He taught civil engineering for over 35 years, including six years at Washington University in St. Louis and 29 years at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where he was the Chair of the Civil Engineering Department for ten years. His areas of expertise are in civil engineering and mechanics. He has consulted for various organizations, including government agencies and an international offshore drilling company. He has published numerous technical journal articles and technical reports for a variety of governmental agencies and private sector organizations. Mark P. Rossow, PE, PhD Licensed Professional Engineer in State of Illinois License No. 062.040560 Dr. Rossow is a graduate of the University of Michigan with B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees. He taught civil engineering for over 35 years, including six years at Washington University in St. Louis and 29 years at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where he was the Chair of the Civil Engineering Department for ten years. His areas of expertise are in civil engineering and mechanics. He has consulted for various organizations, including government agencies and an international offshore drilling company. He has published many journal articles and technical reports.

Credit Information

Do these courses count toward my professional development requirements?

This portal is provided as a training and development resource for City of Markham employees. Every course is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, is quantifiable in hours, and is verifiable — you receive a documented certificate of completion for every course you finish, stored on LearnFormula indefinitely.

If you hold a professional designation (for example in engineering, accounting, human resources, or law), courses may be counted as professionally relevant, verifiable learning activities toward your continuing professional development. Individual practitioners are responsible for confirming that an activity meets the requirements of their professional body. For questions about the City of Markham's training and development policies, please speak with your people leader or Human Resources.

What Students Are Saying

4.1
Student's Choice
27 reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

We are a registered provider with 327+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 29 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.