Chris Cheng, Manager, Development Engineering at Eavor, was invited to attend an event titled “Let’s Talk About… The Grid” as a panelist to discuss clean energy and human impact at the Calgary Central Library.
Cheng was joined by Richard Harrison (poet, essayist, and editor), Eveline Kolijn (printmaker and Installation artist), Kelly Edzerza-Bapty (architect and industrial designer), and Maggie Hanna (geologist, scientist, and communicator) to share ideas about human ambition and the utilization of clean energy.
The panel was a supplement and basis for the presentation of a new art installation called “The Electromagnetic Field,” made by artists Allora and Calzadilla.
In terms of the challenges we face in transitioning to renewable energy, Cheng explained that hope for a sustainable future is evident in the history of human innovation.
“Remember, we discovered flight in the early twentieth century, and within six decades, we were in space. So, my optimism comes from not underestimating our resilience and ability to innovate. As long as we don’t stop trying, I think we’ll get there,” said Cheng.
Additionally, Cheng emphasized that as more sources of clean energy become accessible, expenses no longer act as a barrier for investment and installation.
“Solar used to be pretty expensive just 15 years ago. So, let [Eavor] build as much as possible and that price will come down, because we’re smart and we’ll learn how to make it better, faster, and cheaper.”
The purpose of the panel was to analyze the technological advances that were born from the Industrial Revolution, and the impact such technology has had on the environment since. Civilizations have drastically changed their relationship with nature in pursuit of technological progress, and the panel’s mission was to discuss solutions in navigating increased energy demand while building a cleaner power grid.
Eavor is determined to meet that demand by implementing more closed-loop systems around the world. An Eavor-Loop™ not only mitigates risks and costs associated with traditional geothermal, but it also provides baseload energy that is reliable and scalable. By using a conduction-based method of extracting energy from hot bedrock, Eavor’s brand of geothermal can deliver energy autonomy for any community, any country, anywhere in the world.