By Kevin Fan, University of British Columbia and GRC Member
Would it surprise you to know that Indonesia, the world’s 4th most populous country, possesses one-third of the total estimated geothermal energy in the world?
Despite its abundance, the country only uses 6% of this energy source, which converts the Earth’s underground heat energy into electricity. When I discovered this, I teamed up with my friend Sang to try to figure out the root causes, existing solutions, and opportunities available in resolving this missed opportunity.
Through the University of Oxford’s Map the System challenge, we created an infographic and accompanying written analysis [published in the September/October GRC Bulletin - see reference below], and presented our findings. Our team wound up in 3rd place at the Canadian finals in Calgary, won $500, met a host of inspiring students dedicated to pursuing global issues, and became eligible to apply for up to $10,000 of funding for more in-depth field research on this issue.
Would it surprise you to know that Indonesia, the world’s 4th most populous country, possesses one-third of the total estimated geothermal energy in the world?
Despite its abundance, the country only uses 6% of this energy source, which converts the Earth’s underground heat energy into electricity. When I discovered this, I teamed up with my friend Sang to try to figure out the root causes, existing solutions, and opportunities available in resolving this missed opportunity.
Through the University of Oxford’s Map the System challenge, we created an infographic and accompanying written analysis [published in the September/October GRC Bulletin - see reference below], and presented our findings. Our team wound up in 3rd place at the Canadian finals in Calgary, won $500, met a host of inspiring students dedicated to pursuing global issues, and became eligible to apply for up to $10,000 of funding for more in-depth field research on this issue.
Accelerating Geothermal Development in Indonesia: Addressing Underutilization of Geothermal Energy. Kevin Fan, University of British Columbia and Sang Nam, McGill University. GRC Bulletin, Vol. 46, No. 5. September/October 2017.