E D U C AT I O N
ACEP's Erin Whitney and Chris Pike with a solar panel in the Energy Technology Facility at the UAF campus. Amanda Byrd | ACEP
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Educating Industry
Private sector leans on University for innovation, answers By Danny Kreilkamp
22 | July 2021
ack in April, Alaska Business explored some exciting developments in the state’s geothermal industry. In “Heating Up,” we spoke with Gwen Holdmann, who is not only one of Alaska’s most respected thought leaders on geothermal but also the director of UAF’s Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP). Our conversation ran the gamut from early versions of Organic Rankine cycle generators to the steps necessary for developing a national energy strategy. At one point, Holdmann touched on a previous project at Pilgrim Hot Springs where her team at ACEP combined basic thermal imaging with a novel data processing technique that offered a more comprehensive look at the area’s geothermal resources. She noted that by using this method, her team was able to identify thermal signatures that were well away—almost a mile—from the primary hot spring area. “And that’s the first time we’ve identified that the overall footprint of that system is much larger than just the signature at the surface.” This finding served as the groundwork for their 2013 project, and based on the overall results of their research, a power purchase agreement was signed between the City of Nome, the landowner, and a private developer regarding a 2 megawatt power plant. The project is still in the works today. The importance of projects like these, and their applications to Alaska industry, can’t be understated. “People don’t always understand the value of research being conducted at the University. I come from an industry background and I really value what the University can contribute. This is a perfect example of innovation and
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
