Abstract
This article argues that the sociotechnical context in which near-surface geothermal energy is embedded draws out its characteristic of being temporarily depletable. Thereby, the minimization of unavoidable side effects, such as cold plumes, which result from the social constitution of geothermal energy, is a crucial area of consideration. Using the situation in Germany as a touchstone, we discuss how cold plumes and interferences from neighboring ground source heat pumps test the limits of the existing regulatory framework, requiring negotiations between different knowledge sets stemming from areas as diverse as planning law, geology, cultural habits, and engineering. This makes the operation of geothermal energy highly uncertain and continuous negotiations on sustainable modes of extractions a pressing issue.
Highlights
The Transition to Low Carbon Heating in GermanyGeothermal Energy through SpacingGrowing awareness of the negative consequences of fossil fuel-based energy production has led Germany to plan taking all coal-fired power generation off-grid by no later than 2038 and to meet its energy demand with mainly non-fossil energy sources
This program funds technologies that use renewable energy for heating or cooling, including heat pumps, as well as deep geothermal systems and heat storage systems. These government incentives have contributed to the rising popularity of near-surface geothermal energy, and by 2020 there were over 440,000 ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) installed in Germany [4]
As we will elaborate in the following case study, the design of boreholes for GSHPs seems to affect geothermal energy’s status as a renewable energy resource, with the science, laws, rules, and regulations which govern the integration of geothermal energy in the sociotechnical system of energy playing a crucial role
Summary
Growing awareness of the negative consequences of fossil fuel-based energy production has led Germany to plan taking all coal-fired power generation off-grid by no later than 2038 and to meet its energy demand with mainly non-fossil energy sources. This program funds technologies that use renewable energy for heating or cooling, including heat pumps (air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, and exhaust air heat pumps), as well as deep geothermal systems and heat storage systems These government incentives have contributed to the rising popularity of near-surface geothermal energy, and by 2020 there were over 440,000 ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) installed in Germany [4]. The embedding in specific sociotechnical contexts brings certain characteristics of geothermal energy to the fore in the form of unintended side effects which had previously been unknown, ignored, or regarded as irrelevant.
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