CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2020 WINNERS!

“Geothermal energy is difficult to understand because it is located underground. How can geospatial mapping increase our understanding of this important renewable energy resource? How can GIS improve how we visualize and communicate about geothermal energy?”

Create a map (digital interactive or static) showing how GIS could portray or enhance the communication of geothermal technology.

Questions/Ideas for competition topic

• Educational approaches to GIS/EGS
• Economic impacts of using GIS in identifying geothermal power sources
• Recent innovation and challenges in the field of GIS-related geothermal topics
• EGS is expanding – what role does GIS play?
• Energy in the earth – how is geothermal energy investigated?
• What are challenges faced in locations that are not near optimal geothermal areas?
• Integrating geospatial technologies in geothermal research – what are the advantages?
• Using GIS to identify areas for EGS and geothermal power production

This is not a comprehensive list of topics, just something to consider when contemplating your mapping ideas!

1. Each submission must be submitted by the deadline stated on the website.
2. Submission must exclude personal identifiable information (e.g., names, emails).
3. Data can be used from any source, however at least one source must come from the GDR site (https://gdr.openei.org/). All sources must be cited.
4. Each submission should contain a consistent file type, and should be one of the following: TIFF, JPG, PNG. If a digital format is submitted, provide the URL to the project.
5. Each project must include a list of all data used. Sources should be referenced as footnotes at the bottom of the project.
6. Each submission must be the contestants’ original work and must not plagiarize, infringe, misappropriate, or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or any other rights of any person or entity.
7. Project must be suitable for general audiences (i.e., contain no explicit language, crude/suggestive humor, drug innuendo, or mature/suggestive themes).
8. Each team may only submit one project.
9. Submissions may not endorse a particular company or entity, nor display a trademarked product, without the explicit permission of the DOE.
10. Contestants will not have the right to mark technical data in submissions as “Confidential” or “Proprietary” because the Government has unlimited rights in the data being provided to contestants. DOE does not anticipate that technical data will be generated by contestants.
11. Each contestant grants to the Government permission to use and make publicly available any site proposal provided or disclosed to DOE in connection with the competition.
12. Each contestant grants to the Government, and others acting on its behalf, a paid-up nonexclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, and perform publicly and display publicly, by or on behalf of the U.S. Government, for any and all copyrighted works that are or make up any submission.
13. Failing to meet submission requirements or other submission screenings will result in submission being deemed disqualified.
14. 2020 Geothermal Design Challenge™ and any associated nicknames and logos (“Competition Marks”) are trademarks owned by DOE. The trademark license granted to contestants is below. Non-contestants can request individualized trademark licenses (for the purpose of engaging with contestants and/or expressing interest in the competition); the decision to grant such licenses is under the sole discretion of DOE.
    1. Contestants are granted, for the duration of the Competition, a revocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the Competition Marks for the purposes of producing materials for the competition and other approved competition-related activities as long as the use does not suggest or imply endorsement of the contestant by DOE, and the use of the Competition Marks by a contestant does not imply the endorsement, recommendation, or favoring of the contestant by DOE.
    2. Contestants may not use the Competition Marks for any other purpose. Contestants may not sublicense the Competition Marks.
    3. All contestants can request individualized trademark licenses; the decision to grant such requests is under the sole discretion of DOE.

Suggestions for project resolution:

• For print, use photos/images in poster construction that are at least 10″ wide by 150 dpi in resolution.
• If you are building in PowerPoint, the rest of the elements (text, shapes, etc.) should be vector-based, so the poster will print sharp.
• For web, export the poster out of PowerPoint as a 3000 px jpeg.

High school (grades 9-12) and university (both undergraduate and graduate) students (full or part-time) enrolled at an accredited academic institution at the time of submission are eligible to participate. Only U.S. citizens are eligible to participate in the 2020 Geothermal Design Challenge™.

Students are asked to form teams of no more than three members. All members must be eligible to participate in the same bracket (high school or university). Students are encouraged to find a team mentor.

An educational sponsor is required for each team. This person can be a class instructor/teacher with the registrant’s educational institution or faculty/staff member affiliated with the registrant’s university. The sponsor should help guide the students to ensure their products are accurate. Additionally, this information may be used to verify student’s submission.

Information for the educational sponsor will be collected during Round 1 and is required as part of the Compliance Review.

You must register your team on the registration site. Each team member must register and activate their account on the registration site.

Submissions and communication throughout the competition are coordinated through the registration site.

Teams can utilize any software suite/package they choose, or multiple packages of software.  Some examples are:

• Tableau
• CityScape
• ArcGIS

Free GIS Mapping Resources

• MapWindow
• GRASS
• QGIS

You are not limited to only the above software examples.

• Registration opens Jan. 6, 2020 (8 a.m. ET)
• Round 1 – Draft Submission Compliance Review: April 20 (Registration site temporarily closed at 10 p.m. ET) – April 24, 2020 (Registration site re-opens 5 p.m. ET)
• Participants must pass the Compliance Review to advance to Round 2

Compliance Review checklist:

• • • Subject matter
      • Geothermal energy and its depiction must be the primary theme of the map
    • Data
      • Analyzed data must be cited
      • Must include at least one dataset sourced from the Geothermal Data Repository (https://gdr.openei.org/)
    • Accuracy
      • Map must make sense
      • Technically accurate
      • Demonstrate the mapmaker’s knowledge of geothermal energy
    • All team members registered and active on Skild
    • Project suitable for all audiences
    • Educational Sponsor information is included

• Participants advancing to Round 2 notified: April 24, 2020
• Round 2 – Final Submissions due: May 4, 2020 (10 p.m. ET)
• Winners announced: May 13, 2020

A winning team will be selected from each category:

1. Digital/Interactive
2. Print/Static

Each winning team will receive a cash prize of $5,000.

The five runners up will be featured on this website and that of DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Office.

Entries will be judged according to established merit review criteria:

• Cartographic design – creativity, text (including spelling and grammar), balance, unity, visual hierarchy, clarity, use of color (50%)
• Analytical Depth – logical, clear analysis, range of complexity (25%)
• Creativity and innovation – unique product, compelling to a broad audience, impact (25%)

The Promotional Toolkit contains shareable content about the 2020 Geothermal Design Challenge. Take a look!

• https://www.energy.gov/eere/geothermal/national-geothermal-data-system-ngds-initiative
• https://www.energy.gov/eere/geothermal/geothermal-maps
• https://public.tableau.com/profile/efields#!/vizhome/Utah_Geothermal/GeothermalDashbaord

• https://visual.ly/tag/mapping
• https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/help/mapping/navigation/infographics.htm
• https://gisgeography.com/what-gis-geographic-information-systems/
• https://www.govpilot.com/blog/how-to-tell-story-with-gis-infographic
• https://bluecottage.com/?infographics=gis-mapping-providing-consumer-awareness
• https://mangomap.com/gis-mapping
• https://www.esri.com/en-us/what-is-gis/overview#image6
• https://www.usgs.gov/products/maps/gis-data
• https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geosphere/article/11/6/1651/132271/integrating-geophysical-data-in-gis-for-geothermal

Free GIS Mapping Resources

• MapWindow
• GRASS
• QGIS

Webinars

2020 GDC Webinar 1 Presentation

2020 GDC Webinar 1 Video

2020 GDC Webinar 2 Presentation

2020 GDC Webinar 2 Video

Other Resources

Did you know Boise, ID has a small geothermal system that serves the downtown area and Boise State University? Interested in this study area for the competition? Contact ewing@cityofboise.org.