Abstract
A steady increase in the use of shallow geothermal energy can be observed worldwide in past years. In order to highlight the necessity of a specific detailed legal framework for shallow geothermal energy systems, an overview of the current legal framework in Spain is carried out in this paper. Findings show complex legislation at the national level and a high diversity among regional governments in Spain. There is no legally binding definition of shallow geothermal energy resources and the deep geothermal approach of the past is embedded in the legislation inherited from 40 years ago. In consequence, the lack of specific legislation makes the licensing process of systems an effective barrier for the further development of the market, thus indicating the need for a common approach. This work highlights the need for a shallow geothermal energy management framework structure and a governance model based on an adaptive management approach, including both management planning and implementation as well as control cycles.
Highlights
The use of shallow underground areas up to 400 m below the ground surface as a heat source/sink reservoir has been revealed as a promising measure for saving energy
The first approach results in shallow geothermal energy systems known as closed-loop systems and the second in open loop systems
The objective of this paper is to provide an outlook of the limited legal framework in Spain in relation to shallow geothermal energy systems in order to promote further development of a national market
Summary
The use of shallow underground areas up to 400 m below the ground surface as a heat source/sink reservoir has been revealed as a promising measure for saving energy. A combination of borehole heat exchangers (BHE) and heat pumps, known as geothermal heat pump systems, is nowadays used in residential houses and building blocks to extract/dissipate heat into the subsurface for indoor air conditioning and heating. Heat exchangers can be buried underground and can circulate a water antifreeze solution through the inside of the pipe network, transferring heat from the ground to the heat pump or,. Journal of Sustainability Research alternatively, groundwater can be pumped from underground and circulated through a liquid-liquid heat exchanger situated on the surface. The first approach results in shallow geothermal energy systems known as closed-loop systems (or ground source heat pump, GSHP) and the second in open loop systems (or groundwater heat pump systems, GWHPs). When seasonal offsets between thermal energy demand and supply are considered, Underground Thermal Energy Storage (UTES) technology has been of great success using open-loop systems (referred to as Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES)) or closed-loop systems (referred to as Borehole Thermal Energy Storage (BTES)) [1]
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