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Shallow geothermal potential in Sweden

A large number of skills from different sectors are required to study the many variables affecting the amount of energy that can be extracted from shallow geothermal systems. This research addresses the estimation challenge that arises from this complexity.

Background

According to the latest country update from the World Geothermal Congress 2020 + 1 (Gehlin et al.) The use of shallow geothermal energy in Sweden is 17.1 TWh of heat per year using heat pumps (conservative estimation for year 2019 accounting only heat from the ground). The Majority of the systems are shallow geothermal systems serves single family houses. Multifamily houses are still a market where shallow geothermal can further contribute. The trends are an increased market of large shallow geothermal systems for commercial buildings, and a growing interest in integration or shallow in district heating networks.

Aims and objectives

There is an estimation challenge that has to be met, because the amount of energy that can be extracted from a shallow geothermal systems depends significantly on many variables:

  • Ground thermal properties
  • Hydrogeological conditions
  • Thermal load exchanged
  • Operational strategies
  • Presence of human infrastructure, e.g. buildings, roads.
  • Surface temperature increase due climate change
  • Current geothermal systems installed

A large number of skills are required for this: Energy Engineers, Engineering Geologist, Hydrogeologist and Data Scientists.

Project plan

Large systems operate as seasonal energy storage and can provide much higher energy density (kwh/m2) as compared to smal scale systems, but they require recharging to function.

  • If individual buildings heating and cooling needs do not balance the yearly net exchange with the ground, it is possible to utilize external sources for such purpose, e.g. waster heat from data centers, solar heat.
  • Need of network infrastructure to connect energy systems and fully exploit the potential of shallow geothermal energy.
  • Increase of complexity further increase the skillset required for successful design and operation of the system.
  • Using GIS tools to map the current use of the geothermal resource.
  • Understand how potential future applications can coexist with the current use.
  • Develop improved borehole models capable of better capturing behaviors of interacting systems and storage systems.
  • New modeling tools for the simulations of interacting neihgboring geothermal systems
  • New model for the simulation of borehole storage operation including effects of regional ground water flow

Applied interdisciplinarity

Publications

Papers

  • Fasci M. L., Lazzarotto A., Acuña J., Claesson J. (2021), Simulation of thermal influence between independent geothermal boreholes in densely populated areas, Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 196.
  • Abuasbeh M., Acuña J., Lazzarotto A., Palm B. (2021), Long term performance monitoring and KPIs’ evaluation of Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage system in Esker formation: Case study in Stockholm, Geothermics, vol 96.
  • Acuña J., Lazzarotto A., Garcia J., Mazzotti W., Topel M., Hesselbrandt M., Malmberg M., Abuasbeh M., (2021) Tools for design of high temperature borehole storage in district heating production, REPORT 2021:770, EnergiForsk.

KTH collaborations

Chang Su: integration of of geothermal in district heating network in Stockholm
Monica Topel: SIRIS application, modeling tools for high temperature storage system assessment

Duration

August 2020 – ?

Project participants

Alberto Lazzarotto
Alberto Lazzarotto researcher