The MS Wissenschaft, the floating science centre, will start its tour of Germany on 14 May, stopping at around 30 towns and cities. In keeping with this year's Science Year Future Energy, 30 exhibits on board will offer visitors the opportunity to try out and participate in current research on the question: How can growing energy needs be met in an environmentally friendly, safe and cost-effective way? The topics range from hydrogen as an energy source and offshore wind power to opportunities for citizens to help shape the energy transition.
The GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences is also represented with an interactive exhibit: ‘Heating with geothermal energy: How does geothermal energy work?’
The GFZ exhibit is part of the press tour for the opening ceremony with the new Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space, Dorothee Bär.
First stops of the MS Wissenschaft:
14–18 May: Berlin, Schiffbauerdamm 13, near Friedrichstraße station.
19–21 May: Potsdam, marina at the end of Kastanienallee
The tour continues via Genthin and Burg towards Hanover, the Ruhr area and southern Germany.
Opening hours: daily from 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. Exceptions are listed in the tour schedule.
On 20 May, from 6.30 p.m. to 8 p.m., the GFZ, in cooperation with MS Wissenschaft, invites you to the event ‘Dialogue on Deck’.
Title: Deep geothermal energy: community heating or luxury?
Impulse and discussion
Many consider geothermal energy too expensive, while others fear new risks. Yet geothermal energy is available 24/7 in many places in Germany and can make us less dependent on energy imports and fossil fuels. In conversation with artist and inventor Wolfgang Georgdorf, the head of the Geoenergy Section at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for GeoResearch explains the potential of geothermal energy and how it will be developed in Potsdam.
Speaker: Prof. Ingo Sass, GFZ
Introduced and moderated by Wolfgang Georgsdorf, ZÖM; Osmodrama
The audience is invited to ask questions and join the discussion.
The event is free of charge and no registration is required.
Start: 6.30 p.m.
Potsdam Yachthafen, at the end of Kastanienallee
https://ms-wissenschaft.de/de/besuch/tour/potsdam/
Ingo Sass
Ingo Sass is a geoscientist, head of the Geoenergy Section at the Helmholtz Centre for Earth System Science in Potsdam and professor at the Technical University of Darmstadt, where he teaches applied geothermal energy. He is convinced that the energy transition in Germany will only succeed with geothermal energy and that electricity and heat generation from geothermal energy can make an important contribution to climate protection.
Wolfgang Georgsdorf
Wolfgang Georgsdorf, Austrian, has lived in Berlin and Brandenburg for more than 30 years. He is an artist, researcher, inventor and developer who combines the fields of art and science in his work. As co-founder and spokesperson of the think tank Zukunftswerkstatt Ökogemeinde Münchehofe (ZÖM) in the state of Brandenburg, he is committed to transparent knowledge transfer on topics such as the energy transition and municipal energy planning.
The GFZ exhibit on board the MS Wissenschaft
Heating with geothermal energy: How does geothermal energy work?
How can warm water from deep underground be used to heat houses and apartments in a climate-friendly way? Find out what conditions are necessary for this.
Not all subsoil is suitable for extracting warm water. Test the permeability of different types of rock in a drip experiment. On the screen, you can find out how geothermal energy can be used where you live.
Geothermal energy is a renewable, climate-friendly energy source that is also available in the United Kingdom. It uses the heat beneath the Earth's surface to heat houses or entire settlements. To do this, holes are drilled into rock layers and water is pumped up from them. In order to use geothermal energy efficiently, the rocks must be sufficiently permeable. This is because the water is stored in its pores – like in a sponge. Preliminary investigations help to find out where it is worth drilling.
On flip cards, we provide answers to questions such as: Won't the Earth cool down at some point if we use geothermal energy? Why isn't geothermal energy used much more? Can geothermal energy pollute drinking water or trigger earthquakes?
The design of the exhibit was largely supported by Dr Katrin Kieling and Dr Juliane Kummerow from the Geoenergy Section.