CFI and Québec government invest in renewable energy research
Geothermal energy is a promising solution for reducing greenhouse gases and providing a local source of heat in the northern areas. However, the drilling required to install geothermal systems presents technological challenges that are undermining the development of this energy sector.
With the new open laboratory for geothermal energy, professor Jasmin Raymond of The National Institute of Scientific Research (INRS) Centre Eau Terre Environnement will have new experimental capabilities to investigate solutions that reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Funded equally by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)'s John R. Evans Leaders Fund and the Québec government for a total of $400,000, this new facility combines the techniques of infrared scanning and tomodensitometry, a first for a geothermal energy laboratory. Researchers will be able to characterize the thermal and hydraulic properties of rock samples and model the impact of subsurface heterogeneity on the performance of geothermal systems.
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