Barriers behind the Retarded Shallow Geothermal Deployment in Specific Areas: A Comparative Case Study between Southern Spain and Germany

Adela Ramos-Escudero and María del Socorro García-Cascales
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Adela Ramos-Escudero: Electronics, Computer Architecture and Projects Engineering Department, Technical University of Cartagena, 30203 Cartagena, Spain
María del Socorro García-Cascales: Electronics, Computer Architecture and Projects Engineering Department, Technical University of Cartagena, 30203 Cartagena, Spain

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-16

Abstract: Shallow Geothermal Energy (SGE) extracted by Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) is a proven clean and profitable technology. Although it is available almost everywhere, its market enjoys different maturity levels along with the other EU Members and even those within the same country. In the Murcia region, in Southern Spain, the presence of GSHP is almost nonexistent. Germany, in contrast, has an extensive tradition of exploiting its SGE resources and is an example of a mature GSHP market. In this work, the technical and non-technical barriers were assessed in both countries to identify the site-specific parameters preventing a better deployment of SGE in Southern Spain. In addition, a SWOT analysis was conducted to highlight the parameters positively and negatively influencing the geothermal resource extraction. Results showed that both study cases showed similar and good technical conditions, such as sufficient resource 80 W/m approx. or a similar impact on the environment mainly due to the use of electricity consumed. However, the regulation and legal framework greatly varied from one area to another. In conclusion, the main factors causing a poor deployment are the lack of specific regulation or regional administration support.

Keywords: renewable energy; shallow geothermal potential; barriers; GSHP (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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