Lightning Talk: Renewables + Rails: A Love Story

by Sarah Sausan

In her lightning talk at RailsConf 2021, geologist Sarah Sausan shares her passion for renewable energy, particularly geothermal energy, and how it led her to embrace Ruby and Rails for data accessibility in this field.

Main Topic:

Sausan discusses the significance of geothermal energy as a reliable and cleaner alternative within the renewable energy spectrum, highlighting its potential amidst other traditional sources like solar and wind.

Key Points:

- Understanding Geothermal Energy:

- Defined as energy generated from the Earth's underground heat.

- Reliable and provides 24/7 energy output, making it suitable for powering cities or countries.

- Comparison with Other Renewable Sources:

- Unlike solar and wind, which are dependent on weather conditions, geothermal energy offers a consistent energy supply.

- Less land is required to harness geothermal heat, which underscores its scalability and environmental benefits.

- Current Challenges:

- High costs hinder widespread adoption of geothermal energy, making it less competitive with other renewable sources.

- The need for lower costs can emulate the development cycles seen in solar energy technology.

- Role of Software & Programming:

- Sausan emphasizes her journey into software, particularly how her experience as a former product manager aided her understanding of technology.

- Her interest in Ruby and Rails developed when she realized programming could help lower costs associated with accessing critical geological data, thus improving geothermal energy feasibility.

- She encourages viewers that one doesn’t need to know all aspects of programming to create something useful, paralleling her journey in geology.

- Community Reflection:

- Expressed gratitude for the Ruby community and shared the joy of participating in RailsConf 2021, highlighting the connections and learning opportunities within the tech space.

Conclusions:

Sausan's talk encapsulates how interdisciplinary engagement, combining geology with software development, can drive innovative solutions in renewable energy. Her journey exemplifies the integration of different fields and encourages others to explore the intersections between their passions and technology.

00:00:04.860 Thank you.

00:00:06.540 Hello everyone! My name is Sarah. I'm a geologist, and today I'd like to talk to you about my passion for renewable energy and how it led me to fall in love with Ruby and Rails.

00:00:11.099 When you hear the term 'renewable energy,' you might typically think about solar, wind, biomass, or hydroelectric power. However, did you know that there is another type of renewable energy called geothermal? The term 'geo' means Earth, and 'thermal' means heat. It is a type of renewable energy derived from the Earth's underground heat, and I am really passionate about this. In fact, that was the reason why I got into geology in the first place—because it has so much potential!

00:00:26.640 For instance, geothermal energy is reliable; it provides constant energy output 24/7 for decades. This makes it a great option for powering entire cities or even entire countries. In contrast, the problem with solar energy is that it is inevitable that you cannot generate power for at least half of the day. Additionally, with wind energy, the weather is very hard to predict, which makes it challenging to have a consistent energy output. Geothermal energy, on the other hand, requires a very small amount of land because access to underground heat is achieved by drilling wells. These wells can be added as needed, making geothermal systems scalable and clean—the only byproduct is water.

00:01:12.060 Now, if geothermal energy is so advantageous, then why haven't we heard more about it? Unfortunately, it is still expensive, which makes it less competitive compared to other energy sources. I see this as a challenge, as it is not a new problem; solar energy had the same issue until it became affordable enough to be ubiquitous. Even Brian in the Rails keynote mentioned a similar challenge in the cloud space. I have been obsessed with this problem for over a year now, and I've realized that we can help lower the cost of geothermal energy access by making geological, geochemical, and environmental data more accessible.

00:02:03.299 This brings me to how I met Ruby and Rails. I am not new to software development; I am a product manager. In my previous company, we developed a single-page application using a microservices architecture with multiple databases and an Agile framework. For this project, I wanted to try something different. It amazes me how now I can actually build things—it feels somewhat miraculous. Along the way, I've learned that programming, especially in Ruby, is incredibly fun! Initially, I was intimidated by how much there was to learn, but I found that to create something useful, I don't need to know everything about programming. Similarly, I don't need to know all the different types of rocks in the world to be a good geologist.

00:02:49.500 Lastly, I am grateful for the opportunity to talk with you all today at RailsConf. I hope to see all of you again soon. Thank you very much for welcoming me into the community, and goodbye!