Timeline

Although using geothermal energy to generate electricity has only been a little over 100 years, the history of making use of geothermal energy directly has been much longer.

•  Dating back to as far as 1500 B.C, the Romans made use of the water heated by geothermal energy ( known as hot springs) by building bath houses wherever they found hot springs. Believing that these hot waters contain healing powers and are associated with the spirits, they built a large temple and a public bath in it, known as the city of Bath today.

• Similarly the Native Americans and the Japanese saw these hot springs as holy and scare and made use of it for bathing as well as cooking and heating.

• By 1830 many businesses saw hot springs as an opportunity to turn it into resorts and hot baths in order to earn money.

• During the year of 1860, Americans took interest into investigating and researching on large scale geothermal heating systems.

• By 1892, technology had enabled the hot waters from nearby hot springs to be pumped into towns to heat homes, establishing the first district heating system.

• Then by 1904 Italian scientist, Prince Piero Ginori Conti discovered geothermal energy can be used to generate electricity by using steam to power a few light bulbs.

• By 1913 Prince Piero Ginori Conti had established the world’s first geothermal electric power plant located in Larderello, Italy.

• By 1960, various oil and electric companies started using geothermal energy for their electric productions.

• When the oil crisis began in 1973 governments started to look into alternative energy sources, geothermal energy being one of the top on the list.

• By 2005 thanks to great research and fundings,over 72 countries started using geothermal energy today

Located in England, is the ancient City of Baths built by the Romans using the hot springs located near the area.

The oil crisis of 1973 encouraged people to look into alternative energy sources.