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     Geothermal energy offers enormous potential for direct, low-temperature applications. Unlike indirect applications, this new technology relies on the Earth's natural thermal energy to heat or cool a house or multifamily dwelling directly without the need to convert steam or other high-temperature fluids into electricity, using expensive equipment. 

     A geothermal system consists of a heat pump and exchanger plus a series of pipes, called a loop, installed below the surface of the ground or submerged in a pond or lake. Fluid circulating in the loop is warmed and carries heat to the home. The heat pump and exchanger use an electrically powered vapor-compression cycle - the same principle employed in a refrigerator - to concentrate the energy and to transfer it. The concentrated geothermal energy is released inside the home at a higher temperature, and fans then distribute the heat to various rooms through a system of air ducts. In summer, the process is reversed: excess heat is drawn from the home, expelled to the loop, and absorbed by the Earth. 

     Geothermal systems are more effective than conventional heat pumps that use the outdoor air as their heat source (on cold days) or heat sink (on warm days) because geothermal systems draw heat from a source whose temperature is more constant than that of air. The temperature of the ground or groundwater a few feet beneath the Earth's surface remains relatively stable – between 45°F and 70°F. In winter, it is much easier to capture heat from the soil at a moderate 50°F than from the atmosphere when the air temperature is below zero. Conversely. in summer, the relatively cool ground absorbs a home's waste heat more readily than the warm outdoor air. 

          The use of geothermal energy through heat-pump technology has almost no adverse environmental consequences and offers several advantages over conventional energy sources. Direct geothermal applications are usually no more disruptive of the surrounding environment than a normal water well. Additionally, while such systems require electricity to concentrate and distribute the energy collected, they actually reduce total energy consumption by one-fourth to two-thirds, depending on the technology used.  For each 1,000 hones with geothermal heat pumps, an electric utility can avoid the installation of 2 to 5 megawatts of generating capacity. Unfortunately, only a modest part of the potential of this use for geothermal energy has been developed because the service industry is small and the price of competing energy sources is low

What does this passage discuss mainly? 

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________, he began to make friends more easily

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Laboratory tests carried ________ by three independent teams of experts have given similar results

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Although the queen of UK has in fact little authority of her own, she ________ informed of events, and sometimes, she ________ by the government. 

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Of the two landscapes that you have shown me, this one is ________.

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We thanked the hosts for their generous ________ and got under way.

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It was an act of considerable bravery, way beyond the call of duty, and we will forever be in his ________. 

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When his boss dismissed him from his jab, he ________ there for 10 years.

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Scientifically-minded people generally believe in cause-and-effect relationships ________ they feel there is a perfect natural explanation for most things. 

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There was a _______ on board the Bounty and the crew put the captain in a lifeboat and set it drift

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In my opinion, we shouldn't speak to the media at all before the most basic facts concerning the explosion ________ established. 

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Viet Nam has amended requirements for high-tech businesses. This will lure more foreign investment. 

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In 1919, Sir Reginald Fleming Johnston was ________ as a tutor to Puyi, who was the last emperor of China

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The scandal ruined his ________ and he never worked in the stock market again

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The Spring conference will be held in Milwaukee on three successive days, namely May 15, 16, and 17

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