Revolutionary trucks could detect locations to extract game-changing energy from earth: 'Hurdles would be significantly reduced'
While wind and solar generate most of the headlines, there's another type of clean energy that is on the rise: geothermal.
Geothermal energy refers to using heat trapped in the earth to generate renewable electricity that produces no air pollution once the system is up and running.
Now, a German company has developed a special kind of truck that can drive around cities identifying good places to tap into the earth and extract geothermal energy.
Herrenknecht AG, a company that specializes in tunneling technology, recently released a simulation video that shows how its Urban Vibro Trucks identify the best places for geothermal development, by deploying a "thumper device" that sends seismic waves into the ground. Sensors then record the waves that bounce back, providing a map of the underground.
This type of technology could be a big deal for the development of geothermal energy in urban environments, where companies can have a hard time getting permits for more invasive types of underground mapping.
