Today was a little different from the rest of our trip since we spent the morning on a university campus instead of out exploring nature. We visited Reykjavík University, where we got a tour of their energy and engineering departments and got to see several of their labs. One interesting thing about the building is that it follows a planets theme. The large central hall is called “the Sun,” and the different wings of the building are named after planets like Mars and Venus. It was a cool design concept and made the building feel very open and modern.
During the visit, we also heard from three master’s students who explained their thesis projects related to geothermal energy. Each project focused on different ways geothermal systems can be studied or improved. The project I was most interested in was focused on the geothermal heating consumption using data from homes across Reykjavík. After that, we attended a lecture about how geothermal energy works in Iceland and how it is integrated into the country’s energy system. It helped connect a lot of what we’ve seen throughout the trip, especially our visit to the Hellisheiði geothermal power plant.
After leaving the university, we headed into downtown Reykjavík to explore the city center. We stopped at a gastropub where we tried a sampler platter of traditional Icelandic foods, including puffin and smoked Arctic char. For my main dish, I ordered sea scallops, which were absolutely delicious!
After lunch we walked along the famous rainbow road, browsing shops and picking up some last-minute souvenirs before we leave tomorrow. Later we headed back to the hotel to get ready for our farewell dinner, which feels bittersweet now that the trip is almost over.
Swanson School of Engineering 