{"id":23397,"date":"2025-12-15T16:06:35","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T16:06:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/chariot-university\/geothermal-vs-solar\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T21:30:27","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T21:30:27","slug":"geothermal-vs-solar","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/chariot-university\/geothermal-vs-solar\/","title":{"rendered":"Geothermal vs. Solar Power"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n.chariot-article {\n  max-width: 800px;\n  margin: 0 auto;\n  padding: 40px;\n  font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, \"Segoe UI\", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, sans-serif;\n  font-size: 18px;\n  line-height: 1.8;\n  color: #333;\n}\n.chariot-article h1 {\n  font-size: 2.5em;\n  font-weight: 700;\n  line-height: 1.2;\n  margin: 0 0 30px 0;\n  color: #1a1a1a;\n}\n.chariot-article h2 {\n  font-size: 1.8em;\n  font-weight: 600;\n  line-height: 1.3;\n  margin: 50px 0 20px 0;\n  color: #1a1a1a;\n  border-bottom: 2px solid #f7931e;\n  padding-bottom: 10px;\n}\n.chariot-article h3 {\n  font-size: 1.4em;\n  font-weight: 600;\n  line-height: 1.4;\n  margin: 40px 0 15px 0;\n  color: #333;\n}\n.chariot-article h4 {\n  font-size: 1.2em;\n  font-weight: 600;\n  margin: 30px 0 10px 0;\n  color: #444;\n}\n.chariot-article p {\n  margin: 0 0 20px 0;\n}\n.chariot-article img {\n  max-width: 100%;\n  height: auto;\n  border-radius: 8px;\n  margin: 30px 0;\n  display: block;\n}\n.chariot-article figure {\n  margin: 30px 0;\n}\n.chariot-article figcaption {\n  font-size: 0.9em;\n  color: #666;\n  text-align: center;\n  margin-top: 10px;\n  font-style: italic;\n}\n.chariot-article ul, .chariot-article ol {\n  margin: 20px 0 20px 30px;\n  padding: 0;\n}\n.chariot-article li {\n  margin-bottom: 12px;\n  line-height: 1.6;\n}\n.chariot-article a {\n  color: #f7931e;\n  text-decoration: none;\n  border-bottom: 1px solid transparent;\n  transition: border-color 0.2s;\n}\n.chariot-article a:hover {\n  border-bottom-color: #f7931e;\n}\n.chariot-article blockquote {\n  border-left: 4px solid #f7931e;\n  margin: 30px 0;\n  padding: 20px 30px;\n  background: #f9f9f9;\n  font-style: italic;\n  color: #555;\n}\n.chariot-article strong {\n  font-weight: 600;\n  color: #1a1a1a;\n}\n.chariot-article em {\n  font-style: italic;\n}\n.chariot-article hr {\n  border: none;\n  border-top: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\n  margin: 40px 0;\n}\n.chariot-article table {\n  width: 100%;\n  border-collapse: collapse;\n  margin: 30px 0;\n}\n.chariot-article th, .chariot-article td {\n  padding: 12px 15px;\n  text-align: left;\n  border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\n}\n.chariot-article th {\n  background: #f5f5f5;\n  font-weight: 600;\n}\n@media (max-width: 768px) {\n  .chariot-article {\n    padding: 20px;\n    font-size: 16px;\n  }\n  .chariot-article h1 { font-size: 2em; }\n  .chariot-article h2 { font-size: 1.5em; }\n  .chariot-article h3 { font-size: 1.25em; }\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"chariot-article\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4206\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" height=\"1001\" src=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/iceland-geothermal-plant.jpg\" width=\"1500\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<p>Geothermal energy and solar energy are worlds apart, literally. However, they have more similarities than differences. After all, they are two of the most environmentally friendly renewable energy sources we have today.<\/p>\n<p>The sun provides us with more than enough <em>radiant <\/em>or solar energy to satisfy the planet\u2019s entire energy use more than 10,000 times. Geothermal energy originates deep within the earth and comes in the form of <em>heat <\/em>or thermal energy. Let\u2019s give you a cursory overview of each, their differences, their similarities and how each plays a role in transforming energy as we know it.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img alt=\"Photovoltaic solar cells\" class=\"wp-image-3196\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/solar-cells-blog.jpg\" width=\"1142\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Solar Energy?\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>Solar energy is a form of radiant or electromagnetic radiation that comes from a star, like our sun. When you hear \u201cradiation,\u201d you might be thinking solar power is <em>radioactive<\/em>, but that\u2019s a different concept entirely. When we refer to solar energy as electromagnetic radiation, we\u2019re talking about <strong>light<\/strong>. And what makes up light? Photons!\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Photons are tiny particles with no mass that travel at the speed of light. They\u2019re the basis of radio waves, microwaves, x-rays, UV rays, and visible light \u2014 and photons can be any one of these depending on how much energy is in a particle. And believe it or not, all climate and weather systems on Earth are caused because of the sun\u2019s photonic discharge.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Different Applications of Solar Energy<\/h3>\n<p>Over time, we have learned to harness the sun\u2019s energy in many different ways. The most popular and widespread methods include:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/blog\/heres-how-solar-energy-works-and-why-you-dont-need-panels-to-use-it\/\"><strong>Photovoltaic, or PV, solar panels<\/strong><\/a> use light directly to create electricity<\/li>\n<li><strong>Concentrating solar power (CSP) plants<\/strong> use the sun\u2019s thermal energy to heat water and spine electrical turbines<\/li>\n<li><strong>Solar water space heaters<\/strong> use the sun\u2019s energy to heat water and indoor spaces<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>PV panels absorb the sun\u2019s energy, which causes electrons to shake loose from atoms. This creates an electrical current that can then be used to power homes and businesses. CSP plants can also create heat energy by using the sun\u2019s heat energy to generate steam and spin a turbine to also produce electricity.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4205\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/geothermal-energy-1-1.jpg\" width=\"1500\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Geothermal Energy?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/chariot-university\/geothermal-energy\/\">Geothermal<\/a> comes from Greek and translates to \u201cearth\u2019s heat.\u201d Therefore, geothermal energy doesn\u2019t deal with the interaction of photons from the sun. Rather, it deals with the energy in molecules deep inside the earth. In fact, it actually has everything to do with that term we referenced above: radioactivity.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The earth\u2019s internal heat in part comes from the formation of our planet billions of years ago, but a lot of it comes from radioactive decay. This natural process releases lots of energy that\u2019s then distributed from the core to the upper mantle and crust. It\u2019s at this point where we can use it to our advantage.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Applications of Geothermal Energy<\/h3>\n<p>Similar to solar energy systems, geothermal has many ways we can harness its power:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Power plants<\/strong> use the earth\u2019s heat to generate steam that spins a turbine to produce electricity<\/li>\n<li><strong>Geothermal water heaters<\/strong> provide homes natural hot water without the use of a hot water heater<\/li>\n<li><strong>Geothermal heating and cooling pump systems<\/strong> are used worldwide to heat and cool homes by leveraging the constant temperature just beneath the earth\u2019s surface<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Similarities and Differences Between Geothermal and Solar<\/h2>\n<p>Now, let\u2019s pit green energy against green energy. Here how solar and geothermal compare:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Solar<\/th>\n<th>Geothermal<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Comes from the sun<\/td>\n<td>Comes from the earth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Uses radiant energy (electromagnetic radiation)<\/td>\n<td>Uses heat energy from radioactive decay<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Can be implemented and used practically anywhere<\/td>\n<td>Limited to only a few locations near tectonic plate boundaries<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>No carbon footprint<\/td>\n<td>No carbon footprint<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Limited to daytime hours<\/td>\n<td>Can produce energy 24-7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which One Takes Home the Gold?<\/h2>\n<p>Shockingly? Both! While we\u2019re clear solar aficionados, we can\u2019t win the battle against greenhouse gas emissions alone. In order for us all to lower our carbon footprints and leave behind a cleaner, brighter future for the next generation, we must all work together \u2014 from solar and wind to geothermal and biofuel.<\/p>\n<p>Geothermal is just as important as solar. Wind, the same. If people want to save money on their electric bills and lower their energy costs, then we need widespread adoption of all renewable energy sources to achieve our dream of a cleaner and affordable path forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>To join the movement for yourself, head on over to our <a href=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/residential\/\">plans page<\/a> to view our <em>stellar <\/em>offers. We offer 100% Texas-made solar without the need for panels on your home. Make the switch to solar today!\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While geothermal energy and solar power have many differences, as two green energy resources, they share more similarities than not.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":23609,"parent":627,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-23397","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23397"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23397\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/627"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}