Iceland: Renewable Energy, Technology, and Resource Economics

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Examine the physical processes of energy utilization and the economics of energy use and its environmental impact. 

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The Iceland: Renewable Energy, Technology, and Resource Economics study abroad program is offered in the summer. The program’s small group size facilitates exemplary student support.

Learning from the Icelandic experience
Iceland is a world leader in developing the use of renewable energy. While this is partly attributable to the country's ample endowment of geothermal and hydroelectric resources, Icelanders have also made unique economic choices, valuing the social benefits of energy independence differently than much of the world. Students gain insight from the Icelandic experience that can be applied elsewhere in the world.

Exploring Reykjavik, Akureyri, and the Westfjord
The program is divided into three components:

• Akureyri, the largest city in the north of Iceland, where students study at the School for Renewable Energy Science, associated with the University of Akureyri and University of Iceland
• The remote Westfjords region, where students conduct independent study projects in conjunction with the University Centre of the Westfjords and learn about village-scale energy problems
• The capital, Reykjavik, where students meet with government ministries, industry leaders, and social activists to develop their understanding of how Iceland's energy policy fits into the country’s larger national agenda.

Students have an interdisciplinary seminar on renewable energy, technology, and resource economics (taught entirely in English), as well as an introductory Icelandic language course, which helps students develop a deeper appreciation of the culture. Typically, students also have the opportunity to live with an Icelandic family during their time in Akureyri.

Why study renewable energy in Iceland, the #1 ranked nation on the Environmental Performance Index, as recently reported in the New York Times?  The SIT Iceland program director explains in her own words.