Influence of Geology, Hydrogeology, and Climate on Ground Source Heat Pump Distribution in Slovenia and Selected European Countries

Simona Adrinek (), Mitja Janža and Rao Martand Singh
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Simona Adrinek: Geological Survey of Slovenia, Dimičeva Street 14, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Mitja Janža: Geological Survey of Slovenia, Dimičeva Street 14, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Rao Martand Singh: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science & Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway

Resources, 2024, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-17

Abstract: Shallow geothermal energy (SGE) is a renewable energy that could contribute to the decarbonatization of the heating and cooling sector. SGE is predominantly harnessed through ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems. The choice of which type of GSHP system depends on various factors. Understanding these factors is crucial for optimizing the efficiency of GSHP systems and fostering their implementation. In this paper, we have analysed the spatial distribution of GSHPs in Slovenia. We identified 1073 groundwater and 1122 ground-coupled heat pump systems with a total heat pump capacity of almost 30 MW. We quantitatively assessed the influence of geological, hydrogeological, and climate conditions on their spatial distribution. Using the χ 2 test and information value method, we identified hydrogeological conditions as the most influential factor for the GSHP systems’ spatial distribution. We also performed the spatial analysis of geological and hydrogeological data in 22 European countries, including Slovenia. We collected the reported numbers of installed GSHP units in 2020 and were able to distinguish the shares of groundwater and ground-coupled heat pump systems for 12 of these countries. The analysis showed that ground-coupled heat pumps predominate in most countries, even if the natural conditions are favourable for groundwater heat pumps.

Keywords: shallow geothermal energy; renewable heating and cooling; ground-source heat pump; spatial distribution; natural condition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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