Concordia's Sustainable Energy and Infrastructure Systems Engineering (SEISE) lab has partnered with an independent Quebec-based engineering consulting firm to spearhead a new project in some of the country's most remote northern communities.
Together, SEISE and BBA Inc. aim to unlock the potential of geothermal energy for residents of the Nunavik region of Quebec, the vast majority of whom are Inuit.
The lab's team is led by Fuzhan Nasiri, assistant professor in the Department of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering. The researchers are currently hard at work identifying the technical and economic feasibility of geothermal systems in the northern Quebec region.
Their focus is on different aspects of implementation, from well depth to permafrost stability.
"Energy security and resilience is a day-to-day challenge for remote northern communities that are off-grid," says Nasiri. The areas having no connection to the national electricity grid or natural gas pipelines, thus making diesel shipped from the south their dominant fuel means for both electricity and heat.
"Geothermal energy is a local source that could enhance the self-sufficiency of these communities while offsetting carbon emissions by reducing the use of diesel."
