Alternative Power: Moving Beyond Wind and Solar with Geothermal Energy

Harvesting Earth’s internal heat has been practiced since Roman times, but recent interest has grown in geothermal as a reliable, continuous clean power source.

Brian Schmidt of Geothermal Rising will overview the industry’s history and technological advances. Jill Karpinski and Andy Feick of Swarthmore College will share details about transitioning their campus heating and cooling systems to geo-exchange as a cost-effective climate mitigation strategy with minimal campus disruption.

About the Speakers

Brian Schmidt has served as librarian and industry analyst for Geothermal Rising since 2011. Previously, he served in a variety of library and research related roles, including reference librarian and archivist. He is one of the authors of the 2021 U.S. Geothermal Power Production and District Heating Market Report as well as the follow-up report, which is currently in development. Brian holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) from University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Jill Karpinski is director of sustainable energy at Swarthmore College, where she leads the campus-wide transition to the Geoexchange Plant, a key initiative supporting the college’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2035. With over 30 years of experience in facilities management, Jill brings a deep understanding of infrastructure upgrades and operational efficiency. Before joining the higher education, she spent 17 years managing facilities in the healthcare sector, preceded by 16 years in the transportation industry. Jill holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in management with a concentration in sustainability.

Andy Feick is associate vice president for sustainable facilities operations and capital planning at Swarthmore College. Andy has spent the last 25 years as a higher education facilities management professional after serving as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His experience includes service to small private colleges and large urban public research institutions, including Temple University, Babson College, and Olin College of Engineering. In Andy’s current role he is responsible for leading Swarthmore College’s capital program and facilities operations in a manner that achieves the college’s 2035 carbon neutrality goals, including a campus-wide heating and cooling infrastructure replacement and a new, net-zero energy dining facility and a comprehensive accumulated deferred maintenance action plan. Andy‘s team is coordinating a comprehensive campus planning effort that includes strategic plan implementation support, campus master planning, energy planning, athletics, wellness, and recreation planning and deferred maintenance campus renewal.

About the Series

The Joseph Priestley Society (JPS) promotes a deeper understanding of science, technology, and industry, with an emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship. Speakers are leaders from a wide variety of large and small chemical companies and the financial, consulting, and academic communities. Watch past events at sciencehistory.org/jpsvideos.

For more information about this event, please contact jps@sciencehistory.org.

Featured image: Plate II: Various furnaces, part of A Dictionary of Chemistry, Vol. III, 1777