COMPARISON WITH OTHER RENEWABLE SOURCES
Geothermal energy is one of the main renewable sources, along with photovoltaic solar, concentrated solar, wind, hydroelectric, and biomass.
Unlike other sources, geothermal is a reliable and continuous resource, independent of weather conditions and the day/night cycle.
It is available 24 hours a day, ensuring a constant energy production.
Thanks to this characteristic, geothermal energy has the highest capacity factor among renewables, which is the ratio between the energy actually produced and the energy that could be produced at full capacity. Currently, the capacity factor of geothermal is estimated to be around 85%, a value significantly higher than other renewable sources.
Unfortunately, despite the high efficiency percentage of geothermal energy, it remains a little-known and under-considered source in national energy plans.
To date, Italy’s energy needs are still largely met by fossil fuels, namely coal, natural gas, and oil.
The coverage from renewable sources is about 37%. Italian renewable electricity comes mostly from solar, followed by hydro and wind. Geothermal plays a small role (5%) but could be greater (about double) if the full potential of this energy source were utilized. Such an action would allow for a reduction in imports from abroad, which currently cover about 17% of Italy’s energy demand (www.terna.it).