Intensive thermal exploitation from closed and open shallow geothermal systems at urban scale: unmanaged conflicts and potential synergies

Perego, Rodolfo; Santa, Giorgia Dalla; Galgaro, Antonio; Pera, Sebastián

doi:10.1016/j.geothermics.2022.102417

Cited by 17 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Power densities of GSHP systems in an urban quarter ranging from 14 W m -2 to 93 W m -2 can be inferred from 425 Tissen et al (2019). GSHP systems typically induce much smaller thermal anomalies in the subsurface explaining these consistently higher power densities compared to the values of the open systems in this study (Perego et al, 2022).…”

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confidence: 48%

City-scale heating and cooling with Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES)

Stemmle

Lee

Blum

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Abstract. Sustainable and climate-friendly space heating and cooling is of great importance for the energy transition. Compared to conventional energy sources, Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) systems can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from space heating and cooling. Hence, the objective of this study is to quantify the technical potential of shallow low-temperature ATES systems in terms of reclaimable energy in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. Based on 3D heat transport modeling, heating and cooling power densities are determined for various hydrogeological subsurface characteristics and ATES configurations. High groundwater flow velocities of up to 13 m d-1 cause high storage energy loss limiting power densities to a maximum of 3.2 W m-2. Nevertheless, comparison of these power densities with the existing thermal energy demands shows that ATES systems can achieve substantial heating and cooling supply rates. This is especially true for the cooling demand, for which a full supply by ATES is determined for 92 % of all residential buildings in the study area. For ATES heating alone, potential greenhouse gas emission savings of up to about 70,000 tCO2eq a-1 are calculated, which equals about 40 % of the current greenhouse gas emissions caused by space and water heating in the study areas’ residential building stock. The modeling approach proposed in this study can also be applied in other regions with similar hydrogeological conditions to obtain estimations of local ATES supply rates and support city-scale energy planning.

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confidence: 48%

City-scale heating and cooling with Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES)

Stemmle

Lee

Blum

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…If the analysis is limited to the technical potential evaluation, mapping heat sources and considering hydrogeological conditions, such as the groundwater flow, are essential elements for modelling heat transport and accounting for interferences [17][18][19]. Numerical models provide a broad application field and enhanced flexibility in reproducing realistic urban soil conditions, although they require a significant amount of input data and computational effort.…”

Section: Geothermal Potential Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shallow geothermal systems in dense urban areas: The issue of thermal interference and long-term sustainability

Angelotti,

Sterpi

2024

E3S Web Conf.

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Shallow geothermal systems, namely Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP) and Ground Water Heat Pumps (GWHP), are expected to give an increasing contribution to the decarbonization of the buildings climatization sector. A fully sustainable use should guarantee fair access to the shallow geothermal sources for new systems, given the potential thermal interference among neighbouring ones in dense urban areas, and address environmental concerns related to thermal pollution of ground and groundwater. In this paper the state of the art concerning environmental concerns, regulation approaches and sustainability metrics is firstly reported. Then, focusing on closed-loop systems, a simulation case study is developed to study the long-term thermal footprint in the ground. The Energy Imbalance indicator, summarizing the annual energy balance in the ground, drives the thermal drift produced by the bore-field and is therefore proposed as the main sustainability indicator. For given ground conditions, a maximum Energy Imbalance is identified, which limits the thermal perturbation distance to the borehole spacing and minimizes thermal interference with other systems.

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“…On the one hand, holistic and adaptive underground planning and management can prevent thermal overexploitation of the subsurface. During the permission process, it can also prevent excluding subsurface space from future thermal utilisation due to inefficient permissions of vast capacities, which are often not fully used (García-Gil et al 2020;Bloemendal, Olsthoorn, and Boons 2014b;Perego et al 2022). A comprehensive legislative framework should also factor in the counteractive effects of groundwater ecosystem protection and the thermal use of groundwater as a renewable energy source.…”

Section: Property 4: No Ultimate Test For Solutionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wicked facets of the German energy transition – examples from the electricity, heating, transport, and industry sectors

Biehl¹,

Missbach²,

Riedel³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Wicked problems occur when decision-makers face constant change or unprecedented challenges and when uncertainty, complexity, and stakeholder divergence are high. We shed light on wicked problems in the German energy transition. Our methods consist of a multiple-case study and comparative multi-criteria analysis, utilising the wicked problems theoretical framework introduced by Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber (1973). Based on four exemplary cases, our research covers four core energy transition sectors: energy supply (developing onshore wind power), heating/cooling (using shallow geothermal energy systems), transport (decarbonising the transport sector), and industry (decarbonising the chemical industry sector). Cross-case results illustrate where and how the 10-point frame of wicked problems manifests in the German energy transition. We do not argue that the German energy transition is inherently wicked, yet we stress the need to consider potentially wicked facets of energy transition challenges. Our results show that the four cases exhibit more wicked tendencies in the governance domain than in the technical dimension. All cases exhibit wicked facets in the governance dimension, given strong normative assumptions, value divergence, and complex governance structures with a plurality of actors. From a technical perspective, the four cases still exhibit some wicked tendencies, e.g. raw material provision, skilled workforce, and waste management. The cases differ in technology maturity, state of knowledge, and degree of policy output and regulations. In applying the wickedness lens, we acknowledge that energy transition problems cannot be solved merely by technical measures but need to be tamed. Our work reflects which challenges and main barriers pertain to the four cases of the German energy transition. Understanding the elements of wickedness in a specific problem in the first step offers insights for addressing and managing these challenges in the next step.

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Intensive thermal exploitation from closed and open shallow geothermal systems at urban scale: unmanaged conflicts and potential synergies

Cited by 17 publications

References 29 publications

City-scale heating and cooling with Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES)

City-scale heating and cooling with Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES)

Shallow geothermal systems in dense urban areas: The issue of thermal interference and long-term sustainability

Wicked facets of the German energy transition – examples from the electricity, heating, transport, and industry sectors

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