Geothermal Energy Laboratory
Vision: “Geothermal Anywhere” through improved exploration, drilling efficiency, well layouts, reservoir management, surface facilities, energy conversion, heat re-use, and close collaboration and buy-in from the community.
Geothermal Energy Research
Geothermal energy is heralded as a significant green energy source globally and has been identified as a potentially accessible source in western Canada. Challenges associated with the economic development of geothermal currently include high costs of geothermal wells, poor thermal efficiency of carrier fluids, depths of appropriate geothermal reservoirs and an incomplete understanding of the thermal flows within reservoirs. Sustainability and social acceptance of geothermal development is also key to ensure widespread adoption.
The Geothermal Energy Lab is a multidisciplinary collaboration between members of the Departments of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering and Civil Engineering in the Schulich School of Engineering, the Department of Geoscience in the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Law.
Research Focus Areas
GEL research spans the development cycle of geothermal energy, from exploration geology to facilities to regulation and social acceptance.
Research Team
The academic research team consists of researchers from Engineering, Sciences and Law.
Industry Partnerships
Joint research projects with industry partners are supported through matching contributions from the provincial and federal governments.
Virtual Launch Workshop
On Tuesday, May 11th, the Geothermal Energy Laboratory hosted a virtual Launch Workshop where we presented our vision and capabilities. If you want to learn more about what was discussed, please reach out to a member of the research team and we would be happy to have a discussion.
Interview with Dr. Roman Shor
Dr. Shor participates in an interview with Markham Hislop of Energi Media regarding the new Geothermal Energy Lab at the University of Calgary.
‘Energy of the future’ finds new home at University of Calgary
In an article from the Schulich School of Engineering, Joe McFarland discusses the new Geothermal Energy Lab and its vision.