Abstract
In this work we assessed the shallow geothermal heat-exchange potential of a fluvial plain of the Central Apennines, the lower Metauro Valley, where about 90,000 people live. Publicly available geognostic drilling data from the Italian Seismic Microzonation studies have been exploited together with hydrogeological and thermophysical properties of the main geological formations of the area. These data have been averaged over the firsts 100 m of subsoil to define the thermal conductivity, the specific heat extraction rates of the ground and to establish the geothermal potential of the area (expressed in MWh y−1). The investigation revealed that the heat-exchange potential is mainly controlled by the bedrock lithotypes and the saturated conditions of the sedimentary infill. A general increase in thermal conductivity, specific heat extraction and geothermal potential have been mapped moving from the coast, where higher sedimentary infill thicknesses have been found, towards the inland where the carbonate bedrock approaches the surface. The geothermal potential of the investigated lower Metauro Valley is mostly between ~9.0 and ~10 MWh y−1 and the average depth to be drilled to supply a standard domestic power demand of 4.0 kW is ~96 m (ranging from 82 to 125 m all over the valley). This investigation emphasizes that the Seismic Microzonation studies represent a huge database to be exploited for the best assessment of the shallow geothermal potential throughout the Italian regions, which can be addressed by the implementation of heating and cooling through vertical closed-loop borehole heat exchanger systems coupled with geothermal heat pumps.
Highlights
The use of shallow geothermal energy represents virtuous, almost carbon-free, renewable energy able to satisfy the energy demand for domestic heating and cooling [1,2,3]
The geothermal potential of the investigated lower Metauro Valley is mostly between ~9.0 and ~10 MWh y−1 and the average depth to be drilled to supply a standard domestic power demand of 4.0 kW is ~96 m. This investigation emphasizes that the Seismic Microzonation studies represent a huge database to be exploited for the best assessment of the shallow geothermal potential throughout the Italian regions, which can be addressed by the implementation of heating and cooling through vertical closed-loop borehole heat exchanger systems coupled with geothermal heat pumps
A Ground Source Heat Exchanger (GSHE) equipped with a geothermal heat pump is a common type of air conditioning system that has a limited environmental impact—e.g., [4,5,6,7]
Summary
The use of shallow geothermal energy represents virtuous, almost carbon-free, renewable energy able to satisfy the energy demand for domestic heating and cooling [1,2,3]. From the GWHE whose installation is strictly related to the hydrogeological framework of the area [3,8], the BHE can be developed virtually anywhere [9,10], a careful monitoring is needed to balance the exploitation of the heat reservoir during winter and summer seasons to ensure the longevity of the system and avoid long-term depletion of the ground thermal reservoir [11]. Despite this versatility, the installation of BHE requires a detailed knowledge of the geological, hydrogeological and thermophysical properties of the ground for its exploitation
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