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A natural heater beneath our feet
Geothermal energy uses the soil's natural heat to warm or cool down the living accommodation. This heat is accessible everywhere, and unlike diminishing reserves of fossil fuels, it is inexhaustible. Furthermore, no combustion is necessary to exploit the heat contained in the soil, so it does not give off greenhouse gases.
For 2004 alone, thermal energy derived from subterranean aquifers heated 150,000 housing equivalents, which economised 130,000 TOEs (tonne-oil equivalent), i.e. 1,265 GWh on average, and a reduction of atmospheric emissions of 400,000 tonne CO2.
Encouraging geothermal energy, which is a renewable energy in the same way as solar power, wind generation, hydraulics and the biomass, reduces dependency on fossil fuels and reduces the overall energy bill. This also enables local job creation and the provision of heating solutions at very competitive prices.
At this time, when France is resolutely committed to the Kyoto Protocol and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the fight against climate change, geothermic energy is a major advantage and destined for a brilliant future.
The spectacular growth in numbers of heat pumps sold is the best illustration of this. Geothermal heat is therefore the energy source par excellence for sustained development !
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