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| William Harvey, P.E., Project Engineer at POWER Engineers |
This is the second in a three-part series discussing the trajectory of the geothermal industry: past, present and future. It is written from my perspective working at POWER Engineers, and draws on our company’s history of engagements in the surface facility aspects of geothermal projects. It spans conceptual design and feasibility studies, detailed flash and binary plant design, monitoring of projects as an owner’s engineer, and performing independent engineering for lenders.
The first installment was a retrospective: how have things changed from 1997 to 2017? What major trends are evident?
This second installment addresses the life of people engaged in this industry. What are geothermal projects like? Why do we enjoy this work? It is a bit more qualitative than the first article, but nevertheless discusses topics central to our efforts.
The third installment will be speculation about the future of the industry. How does geothermal stack up against other conventional or renewable power generation options? How can our industry continue to contribute and be competitive in the coming years?
Now, what perspective are we writing this from, and what is the appeal of geothermal?
POWER Engineers, Inc. will be exhibiting at the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GeoExpo+ from October 1-4 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.