Assessing the potential of subsurface structures to facilitate efficient and renewable district heating and cooling systems in Ireland

Project Description

This proposal aims to provide information on whether it is possible to heat groups of houses or apartments using energy that comes from the ground. The energy would be recovered using structures that are buried in the ground as part of new developments such as basements and piles which are holes drilled into the earth and filled with concrete or grout. Given that the majority of the costs of installing geothermal systems is drilling holes into the earth, using structures that are already buried makes this more cost effective to incorporate into new developments. This study will put sensors which record temperature into boreholes (or wells) around a residential construction site and also into piles going in as part of that building. The information collected will be used to design a small test system that will demonstrate how this type of heating system could operate and how efficient it is. This information can then be used by others to design more of these types of heating systems into the future.