The Illinois Geothermal Coalition in partnership with iSEE, Facilities & Services, and the Illinois Water Resources Center (IWRC) is hosting a Nov. 5 workshop on the future of geothermal at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
“Low-Temperature Geothermal Research and Applications” is set for 8:30 -11:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020, on Zoom. To join the meeting that day, click the link (Password is 226197) >>>
A 2016 geothermal installation on U of I farmland.
This technical workshop brings together scientists, engineers, practitioners, decision-makers, and stakeholders involved in low-temperature geothermal energy studies, developments, and policy-making. A group of experts from the U of I and national and international organizations will present on innovative research undertaken for low-temperature geothermal exchange, direct use heating and cooling, and underground thermal energy storage.
The event will provide a forum for the exchange of ideas on the design, development, and use of these geothermal energy technologies. The event is free and open to the public to enable prompt and open reporting of progress. Organizers strongly encourage attendees to participate in the panel discussion and input sessions that follow the brief technical presentations.
“We envision the forum as a launching pad for planning a larger geothermal research program at the U of I and developing collaborations with our national and international partners,” said Yu-Feng Forrest Lin, IWRC Director, Principal Research Hydrogeologist at the Prairie Research Institute, Clinical Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Research Professor in Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences. “With the expected growth in low-temperature geothermal energy systems for renewable energy portfolios that address zero-carbon goals and improve resiliency and grid independence, we are working to make U of I the leading Midwest institution for geothermal energy research.
“Because flowing groundwater greatly impacts the efficiency of low-temperature geothermal energy systems, and is a critical component of the water-energy nexus, we are engaged in better understanding the thermophysical and heat flow dynamics in the subsurface. This is the focus of our future research program.”
More details — including an agenda and a list of expert speakers, may be found at geothermal.illinois.edu >>>