GeoPLASMA-CE aims to foster the share of shallow geothermal use in heating and cooling strategies in central Europe. Geothermal methods are a locally available, endogenous heat source not affected by emissions, which is a present and future key technology in order to reduce emissions hazardous to climate and air quality. The project intends to create a web-based interface between geoscientific experts and public as well as private stakeholders to make the existing know-how about resources and risks associated to geothermal use accessible for territorial energy planning and management strategies in Central Europe.
What is shallow geothermal energy?
Shallow geothermal energy (also: near surface geothermal energy) is the heat available or rather stored in the ground. It is available everywhere and anytime, regardless of daytime or season. In central Europe, the temperature in a depth of 20 metres amounts to a constant temperature of roundabout 10 °C. Every 100 metres deeper the temperature increases by 3 K. It can be used for cooling and heating purposes (deep geothermal energy also for electricity production). The heat of the ground is usually extracted in closed loop systems, rarer in open loop systems. Geothermal energy is renewable, ecologically friendly and space-saving at the surface.
Closed loop systems
Closed loop systems use pipes made of polyethylene for heating and cooling. They can be installed vertically down to several hundred meters (tube systems) or horizontally meandering in depths of 1,0 to 1,5 meters (collectors). There are also more compact collectors combining vertical and horizontal energy extraction. Furthermore, foundation piles of buildings are also used for geothermal installations. Several tubes, piles or collectors can be combined to install higher capacity systems.
All closed systems use brine (a mixture of water and a refrigerant like gylcol or ethanol) which continuously circulates in the pipes. Below the surface this fluid absorbs heat from the ground and flows back to the top. A heat exchanger transfers the fluid’s heat to the heat pump and its refrigerant fluid. Compression raises the temperature of the refrigerant fluid in the heat pump from around 10 up to 60 °C. After passing the heat exchanger the brine returns to the ground and a new cycle begins. For cooling in summer, the process is reversed: the heat is extracted from the building and carried back to the ground. This can be done in a very economical way as a free cooling process.
Open loop systems
The process of open loop systems is very similar to closed loop systems, but it uses groundwater directly as heat source. No additional water or fluids are needed. In an extraction well ground water is pumped to the surface, where it transfers its energy via heat exchangers to the heat pump. Afterwards the water is reinjected to the groundwater horizons using an injection well.
19.6.2019
News
Gregor Goetzl, GBA, presented GeoPLASMA-CE achievements with the presentation ‘’The possible role of shallow geothermal energy use in Europe in the context of the Clean Energy of all Europeans initiative’’.
See the presentation here…
Partners
Countries
Pilot Actions
e-tools
Web-based portal for decision support and information systems based on 3D data models
Web based expert platform for transfer of knowledge and connecting stakeholders of shallow geothermal use in Central Europe
The portal is under construction and already publicly available via https://portal.geoplasma-ce.eu.
Integrative management strategies for the use of shallow geothermal methods in the selected pilot areas
Harmonized strategies for planning, mapping, management and monitoring of shallow geothermal use based on joint transnational standards
1 july 2016
30 june 2019
NEWS ARCHIVE
GeoTHERM conference and fair in Offenburg, February 2019
Geothermal Congress in Essen, November 2018
5. Slovenian Geological Congress in Velenje, October 2018
National stakeholder's event in Krakow, October 2018
Borehole heat exchangers – current state, barriers and development in Poland, May 2018
EUropa in Wien, May 2018
4. meeting of the European GeoModelling Community, March 2018
26. Meeting of the German Association for Hydrogeology at Ruhr-Universität Bochum, March 2018
Workshop “New horizons in geological and geo‑environmental monitoring”, March 2018
GeoTHERM expo & congress in Offenburg, March 2018
Meeting with stakeholders of the Wałbrzych pilot area, November 2017
Knowledge exchange workshop in Salzburg, November 2017
Climathon 2017 in Krakow, October 2017
Renexpo® Poland fair and VI. PORT PC congress, October 2017
Summary Conference of GeoHeatPol project, October 2017
Networking of Geothermal4PL and GeoPLASMA-CE in Checiny, October 2017
Knowledge exchange workshop in Munich, September 2017
National stakeholders's event in Ljubljana, August 2017
Important visit from Brussels, June 2017
GeoPLASMA-CE at Geothermal Technology Workshop in Brussels, June 2017
GeoPLASMA-CE lecture at TU Bergakademie Freiberg, June 2017
geoENERGIE Tag 2017 in Freiberg, May 2017
Mapping and Assessment Workshop at the DGK in Essen, December 2016
International conference on heat pumps ZEO 2016 in Ljubljana, November 2016
The GeoPLASMA-CE Polish kick-off workshop, November 2016
5th Polish Geothermal Congress, October 2016
Kick-Off Meeting at the European Geothermal Conference in Strasbourg, September 2016