Looking At Geothermal Energy Through An International Lens
Amanda Kolker. Photo by Amy Griffin, NREL
From Iceland to Alaska to France, NREL geoscientist Amanda Kolker has studied geothermal energy all around the world. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in geology, Kolker went to study volcano and glacier interactions in Iceland but was quickly distracted by Iceland’s vast geothermal energy systems.
As an earth scientist, climate change has been on Kolker’s radar for most of her life, so studying geothermal energy was the perfect combination of her interest in earth science and passion for tackling climate change. Now at NREL, Kolker has brought her global perspective to help improve our understanding of geothermal resources and expand our utilization of those resources such as for heating and cooling.
Bringing Lessons Learned to NREL
After her travels, Kolker came to NREL to continue combining her passions for geothermal energy and tackling climate change. Kolker has worked on a variety of projects ranging from resource assessments to techno-economic analysis of geothermal district heating systems.
Now, Kolker is working on an exciting new international project, working with partners in Iceland and four other European countries to explore “supercritical” energy resources and systems and apply lessons learned to demonstration sites in Iceland and Oregon. Because supercritical resources may be able to produce 10 times the amount of energy from one well as a typical geothermal plant, it would be extremely beneficial to tap into these resources.
Looking Beyond Iceland
Kolker dedicated the next phase of her career to exploring for geothermal resources, earning a Ph.D. from the University of Alaska. There, she helped develop the lowest-temperature geothermal resource in the world for a combined heat and power microgrid in Alaska.
That system uses one resource to generate electricity, heat greenhouses and log cabins, and cool an ice museum. Her Ph.D. research and subsequent consulting work focused on looking at replicating that approach at other geothermal systems near remote communities in Alaska with high costs of power, high costs of heat, and low energy resilience.
Many years later, Kolker moved to France and witnessed how lower temperature geothermal resources were used for agriculture, industry, and to heat and cool districts. Many European and Asian countries use shared heating and cooling systems; studying these French systems helped Kolker bring key lessons back to the United States.
“If we want to better utilize the vast potential of geothermal energy in the United States, we need a bit of a paradigm shift,” Kolker said. “Renewable heating and cooling technologies should be given the same degree of attention as renewable electricity technologies, as heating and cooling accounts for up to 40% of U.S. energy demand. That demand is still mostly met by combustion of fossil fuels, producing temperatures well above what is typically needed.”
Amanda Kolker while traveling in Akutan, Alaska. Photo courtesy of Amanda Kolker, NREL
Leveraging Industry Partnerships
Assessing characterization and use of earth’s subsurface resources, she is keeping an eye on the relationship between the fossil fuel and geothermal sectors, as oil and gas companies have useful subsurface data that the geothermal energy sector needs.
She has seen how government involvement in countries like Japan, France, and Iceland have pushed geothermal heat and power projects through to development, and Kolker is excited to see how DOE will continue to help push geothermal energy research to take off even more.
From her global travels, Kolker has been inspired by several things, including:
- Collaborations among subsurface industries
- Governments taking on risks
- Focusing heavily on heating and cooling
- Geothermal Combined heat-and-power (CHP) microgrids for energy resilience.
Notably, Kolker was highlighted in DOE’s Women in Energy series and recently published 2021 U.S. Geothermal Power Production and District Heating Market Report, along with her co-authors.
Learn more about her colleagues and NREL’s geothermal research.
Article courtesy of National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Featured photo by Matt Palmer on Unsplash.
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If you haven’t noticed, Genesis is quickly making a name for itself in the US. The luxury automaker now has 60 sales outlets as it expands into new US states. With new EVs launching, Genesis is eyeing a bigger share of the US luxury market.
Hyundai Motor Group’s Genesis brand is quietly emerging as a powerhouse in the US luxury market. Genesis marked its entry into the luxury segment in 2008 as a Hyundai-branded model.
In 2015, Hyundai announced Genesis would become an independent luxury brand. Since launching its first vehicle in the US, the luxury brand’s sales have surged from 7,000 in 2016 to over 69,000 last year. It even outsold Nissan’s Infiniti.
According to Genesis, this is just the start. The Korean luxury brand wants an even bigger slice of the market as it eyes rivals like Porsche.
A big reason behind the brand’s confidence is its new lineup of stylishly electric models. Genesis sells three EVs in the US: The GV60, Electrified G80, and Electrified GV70.
After introducing the Electrified GV70 just last year, the electric SUV is already Genesis’ top-selling EV in the US. According to Kelley Blue Book, Genesis sold 2,343 electric GV70 models in the US through September.
Genesis eyes a bigger share of the US luxury market
Altogether, the luxury brand’s EV sales reached over 4,600 through the first nine months of 2024, topping Porsche (4,291) and Volvo (3,644).
Genesis made a statement at the LA Auto Show, unveiling the updated 2026 Electrified GV70. The luxury electric SUV now includes more range and an NACS port so drivers can charge at Tesla Superchargers. It will go on sale in the first half of 2025.
Meanwhile, Genesis showcased its new GV60 Magma Concept at the event, its first dedicated high-performance EV. The brand sees its Magma performance brand rivaling that of Geman luxury brands like Mercedes AMG, BMW M, and Audi RS.
The Genesis GV60 Magma EV will launch next year, spearheading the brand’s “expansion into the realm of high-performance vehicles.”
Genesis enhanced the battery and motor while fine-tuning the chassis, thermodynamics, and profile for more power and efficiency.
It also features an aggressive new design, sitting much lower and wider than the current GV60 model. Genesis added a Magma-exclusive sound system to give it a sports car-like feel in the cockpit.
In April, we got our first look at the G80 EV Magma concept, which could be a potential challenger to Tesla’s Model S Plaid and the Porsche Taycan GT Turbo.
The luxury brand is expected to launch its flagship electric three-row SUV next year, the GV90. Genesis previewed the ultra-luxury EV in March after unveiling the Neolun concept.
Genesis now has 60 sales bases in the US, with new stores in Washington, Minnesota, New York, and Florida. It’s also building 30 in Canada as it expands its presence in the North American luxury market.
The luxury brand is opening a new dedicated design center in California. The “Genesis Design California” will open in the first half of 2025 as it builds out its US network.
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A rumor spreading like wildfire on social media claims BYD will be taking over NIO (NYSE: NIO) as the EV giant gobbles up market share in China. The rumor was posted by a suspected BYD employee, but NIO is denying the claim.
BYD acquiring NIO would be a massive move as China’s leading EV maker continues to dominate the market. But that’s not going to happen.
According to CnEVPost, NIO’s assistant vice president for branding and communications, Ma Lin, denied the rumors that BYD is taking over the company on Friday.
Ma posted a screenshot on social media asking BYD’s general manager of branding and PR, Li Yunfei if the person who posted the fake rumor was an employee.
Earlier today, the suspected employee claimed BYD and NIO were setting up a joint venture. In a Weibo post, the suspect said BYD would have majority control of the partnership with a 51% share while NIO would get the remaining 49% ownership.
Ma told Li that if it was, in fact, a BYD employee, he needed to issue an official clarification and apologize. If not, they can get the police involved together. Li also denied the rumors, saying the claim was seriously untrue.
NIO denies rumors that BYD is taking over the company
This is not the first time rumors surfaced that BYD will be taking over NIO, but because it is a suspected employee, the post has garnered more attention.
BYD is on a major hiring spree as it ramps up production to meet the higher demand. The EV giant now has over 900,000 employees, making it by far the largest A-share listed company in China.
After selling over 500,000 vehicles for the first time in a single month in October, BYD’s surge is heating up as the EV giant expands overseas for growth.
October was BYD’s fifth consecutive record sales month as it closes in on auto leaders like Ford in global deliveries.
NIO is also gaining momentum, with sales topping the 20,000 mark for the sixth straight month in October. With output of its new lower-priced Onvo L60 electric SUV ramping up, NIO expects to continue seeing higher demand.
Ma said on Friday that NIO’s “recent situation is quite good.” The company’s head of PR added, “Cash flow turned positive in the third quarter, gross profit improved in October, earning an extra RMB 100 million, and Onvo (deliveries) will exceed 10,000 in December.”
NIO is launching its third brand, Firefly, with deliveries kicking off in the first half of 2025. The company expects sales to double next year as it works to become profitable by 2026.
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Hyundai Motors is recalling 145,235 EVs and other “electrified” vehicles in the US, citing concerns about a loss of driving power, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Friday.
The NHTSA announced this morning that the recall affects selected IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 EVs, as well as certain luxury Genesis models, including the GV60, GV70, and G80 electrified variants, from the 2022-2025 model years, Reuters reported.
It looks like the issue stems from “the integrated charging control units in these vehicles, which may become damaged and fail to charge the 12-volt battery. This malfunction could lead to a complete loss of drive power, posing safety risks for drivers,” the NHTSA stated.
If you’re an owner of one of these Hyundai models dating 2022-2025, stay tuned. Hyundai has not yet provided a timeline as to when affected vehicles will be repaired.
To make that happen, the company’s dealers will inspect and replace the charging unit and its fuse if necessary, NHTSA said. Free of charge, of course.
Importantly, no crashes, injuries, fatalities, or fires due to this issue have been reported in the US, Hyundai reported.
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