Useful Links
Geothermal energy Applications in Buildings and Infrastructure (GABI)
The increased need for renewable energy sources has led to expansion of shallow geothermal applications for heating and/or cooling of buildings. The integration of heat exchangers in those elements of the structure that interface with the ground, such as foundations, tunnels and diaphragm walls, is particularly attractive because of the inherent cost saving involved in combining a required structural component with the harvesting of geothermal energy. Thermoactive geostructures present the additional benefit of relying on localized resources (the ground) and therefore do not need additional infrastructural investments. This network ensures an inclusive and open platform for scientific discussion to define European best practice rules for geothermal applications, promote public awareness and confidence in this technique, and foster advancement in knowledge through collaboration.
4DH
In a unique collaboration between industry, universities and the public sector, the 4DH Research Centre (4DH) has investigated the potential for and developed solutions for 4th Generation District Heating (4GDH). 4DH has created focus on and knowledge about the future 4GDH potential within the district heating industry. 4GDH systems and technologies will play a big part in future cost-effective sustainable energy systems and are likely to replace the import of fossil fuels and create jobs and economic growth in Denmark and in Europe.
District Energy in Cities Initiative
The District Energy in Cities Initiative is a multi-stakeholder partnership coordinated by UN Environment, with financial support from DANIDA, the Global Environment Facility, Italian Ministry of Environment and Protection of Land and Sea, and the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP). As one of six accelerators of the Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Energy Efficiency Accelerator Platform, the Initiative aims to double the rate of energy efficiency improvements for heating and cooling in buildings by 2030, helping countries meet their climate and sustainable development targets. The Initiative supports local and national governments to build know-how and implement enabling policies that will accelerate investment in low-carbon and climate-resilient district energy systems. It currently provides technical support to cities in four pilot countries (Chile, China, India and Serbia) and ten replication countries (Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Egypt, Malaysia, Mongolia, Morocco, Russia, the Seychelles and Tunisia).
Energy Cities network
The European association of cities in energy transition monitors and shapes policy developments according to local authorities’ needs and priorities.
Euroheat & Power
Euroheat & Power is a unique network of district energy organisations and professionals, connecting industry players, decision-makers and academia in a joint effort to drive forward sustainable heating and cooling.
European Geothermal Energy Council
EGEC, the European Geothermal Energy Council, is a non-profit international organisation founded in 1998 to promote the European geothermal industry and enable its development both in Europe and worldwide, by shaping policy, improving business condition, and driving more research and development.
European Heat Pump Association
The European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) represents the majority of the European heat pump industry. Its members comprise of heat pump and component manufacturers, research institutes, universities, testing labs and energy agencies. Its key goal is to promote awareness and proper deployment of heat pump technology in the European market for residential, commercial and industrial applications.
European Technology and Innovation Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling
The European Technology and Innovation Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling, officially endorsed by the European Commission since October 2008, aims at playing a decisive role in maximising synergies and strengthening efforts towards research, development and technological innovation which will consolidate Europe’s leading position in the sector. The European Technology Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling (RHC-Platform) became a European Technology and Innovation Platform (ETIP) on 26 January 2016. The horizontal working group 100% RE District and the Geothermal Technology Panel are of special interest for COST Action Geothermal-DHC.
GeoTrainet organization
GeoTrainet is an international non-profit organisation based in Brussels, Belgium. It is a membership organisation, made up of national bodies and run by the European Geothermal Energy Council and the European Federation of Geologists. GeoTrainet began as an EU-funded project which ran from 2008-2011. A lack of appropriately skilled personnel and varying quality of installations had been identified at a barrier to the expansion of shallow geothermal energy use in Europe, so the GeoTrainet project was set up to develop an educational programme which could provide a benchmark standard for training in the sector.
Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy
GCoM is the largest global alliance for city climate leadership, built upon the commitment of over 10,000 cities and local governments. These cities hail from 6 continents and 138 countries. In total, they represent more than 800 million people. The cities and partners of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy share a long-term vision of supporting voluntary action to combat climate change.
Heat and the City
The Heat and the City research team are studying sustainable heating for low energy buildings and cities. Their multi-disciplinary research addresses a major need in European energy and climate policy: how do we reduce the energy used for heating and hot water in buildings and create a low carbon heat supply? Heat and the City examines local heat and energy efficiency strategies, decision-making about options for low carbon heat systems, the development and operation of district heat (and cooling) networks, management of improvements to the fabric of buildings and actions to reduce energy use. The research is funded by the UK Research & Innovation Energy Programme and Scottish Government.
International District Energy Association
The International District Energy Association (IDEA) works actively to foster the success of its members as leaders in providing reliable, economical, efficient, and environmentally sound district heating, district cooling, and combined heat and power. Founded in 1909 as the National District Heating Association, IDEA continues to inform, connect, and advance the district energy industry around the globe. IDEA represents over 2,400 members from more than 25 countries around the world and from across the district energy industry. IDEA members own, operate or provide technology and services to district energy systems that supply steam, hot water, chilled water and energy services to multiple buildings in cities, communities, campuses, airports, military bases, industry and healthcare facilities.
International Geothermal Association
The IGA (International Geothermal Association) is a global geothermal organization uniting the geothermal sector around the globe. It aims at being the leading world authority in matters concerning the research and development of geothermal energy by setting educational standards and offering worldwide energy solutions and in-house technical support, with special support for countries in early stages of geothermal development.
BRUGEO
The Brugeo project receives ERDF funding from the Brussels-Capital region and the European Union. The project's goal is to promote geothermics in the Brussels area, especially shallow geothermal installations with a heat pump. Mapping the geothermal potential of Brussels will make it easier to switch to this clean and renewable source of energy.
CELSIUS
Based on the premise that cities and districts are in a position to take the lead in the energy transition, the European Project CELSIUS, funded under the 7th Framework Programme assembled a network of 72 cities and 68 City Supporters between 2014 and 2017. They joined the project partners (20 organisations from public, private and research institutions) to help cities plan, develop and optimise their district heating and cooling networks. Building on the reputation and the momentum it had created, at the end of the project the City of Gothenburg through Johanneberg Science Park, RISE, IMCG and Euroheat & Power joined forces to create the Celsius Initiative.
Cheap-GSHPs
In order to achieve the objectives of the project Cheap-GSHPs, a multidisciplinary and complementary consortium has been built, composed by specialists in different disciplines involved (physics, climatology, chemistry, mechanics, engineering, architecture, drilling and GSHE technology). The majority of them have a large and comprehensive experience in the framework of the European Commission (EU) Research Programs and particularly in shallow geothermal systems.
FROnT
The purpose of the FROnT project was to promote a level playing field for Renewable Heating and Cooling (RHC) in Europe, and develop strategies for its greater deployment. It provided a better understanding about how to deploy RHC in the market. It improved transparency about costs of heating and cooling options (using RHC or fossil fuels), RHC support schemes and end-user key decision factors. This knowledge has helped towards developing Strategic Policy Priorities for RHC to be used by public authorities in designing and implementing better support mechanisms. It also supported the industry in engaging more effectively their prospective clients. The project was run by eleven organisations from across the continent and was active from 01/04/14 until 31/12/16. It was funded by the European Commission’s IEE programme.
Geocond
By a smart combination of different material solutions under the umbrella of sophisticated engineering, optimisation, testing and on-site validation, the GEOCOND project is developing solutions to increase the thermal performance of the different subsystems configuring an SGES and UTES. The overall aim of the project is to reduce the costs by about 25%, leading to a substantial gain in competitiveness through the development of new pipe materials, advanced grouting additives and concepts, advanced phase change materials and system-wide simulation and optimisation.
GeoDH
GeoDH.eu is an information hub about Geothermal District Heating in Europe. It is managed by the European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC). It has been developed from the website of the EU-Funded GeoDH Project (2011-2014). The GeoDH project aimed to overcome the non-technical barriers to the development of Geothermal District heating. Many of the results and resources available on this website are a result of the GeoDH project.
GeoFIT
GeoFit is an integrated industry-driven project deploying cost-effective enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) in energy efficient retrofitted buildings. This entails the technical development of innovative EGS and their components to be integrated with the novel ground-source heat pumps (GSHP) concepts designed for energy efficient retrofitting projects.
GeoTabs
The overall aim of the GEOTABS project is to improve system design and control of GEO-HP-TABS in office buildings by using monitoring, comfort survey and simulation data. Hereby, improved design is characterized by increased energy performance as well as increased convenience for future commissioning, while comfort is guaranteed. Monitoring data and simulation data constitute a huge source of information, which is not yet fully exploited to improve system design and control. Moreover, very little is known about users’ comfort experience in TABS buildings. Therefore, a generic international comfort survey tool will be developed and applied to TABS buildings. These data form, together with a current practice review, the ideal foundation in the development of scientifically sound guidelines for improved design and control.
GEOTeCH
GEOTeCH project aimed to stimulate and promote greater utilization of renewable heating and cooling using shallow geothermal GSHP systems through advancement of innovative drilling and ground heat exchanger technologies that are significantly more cost-effective, affordable and efficient than current technology. The proposed GEOTeCH project intends not only to develop and innovate drilling and ground heat exchanger technologies but also develop system solutions that make the best use of hybrid heat pump and control technologies so that efficient replicable “plug and play” whole systems can be offered to the housing and small building market sectors. A slightly different approach is to be taken regarding the large tertiary building sector. In this market a key means to innovation and widening application of GSHPs is by improving the uptake of foundation heat exchanger technology through better design, robust control systems, optimal hybridization and integration as well as improved life-cycle cost effectiveness.
Geothermal4PL
The project aimed to support the sustainable development and the use of shallow geothermal energy in Poland, particularly in the areas covered by the Mieszkanie Plus programme through the exchange of experience and the acquisition of new knowledge by PIG-PIB experts and target users of the project in cooperation with a Norwegian partner (CMR AS) and experts (NGU, NTNU). The actions scheduled for implementation between 20 April 2017 and 30 October 2017 will contribute to an increase in the use of shallow geothermal energy in Poland.
Geothermica
GEOTHERMICA's objective is to combine the financial resources and know-how of geothermal energy research and innovation programme owners and managers from 16 countries and their regions. Together with financial support from the European Commission GEOTHERMICA launches joint projects that demonstrate and validate novel concepts of geothermal energy deployment within the energy system, and that identify paths to commercial large-scale implementation.
GRETA
GRETA was an interregional project covering six countries to promote the use of near-surface geothermal energy (NSGE) to meet increasing heating energy demand in the Alps. GRETA executed several activities and stakeholder interactions to close knowledge gaps and to create tools for implementing NSGE policies. The project developed various methods and integrated in a WEB-GIS tool to quantify the potential of NSGE.
GROUND-MED
The GROUND-MED project demonstrates the next generation of geothermal heat pump (GSHP) systems for heating and cooling in 8 demonstration sites of South Europe. A measured seasonal performance (SPF) higher than 5,0 will be demonstrated. As the SPF is determined not only by the heat pump unit, but by its operating conditions imposed by both the ground heat exchanger and the heating/cooling system of the building, integrated GSHP systems incorporating defined technological solutions will be developed, designed, constructed, installed, monitored and evaluated.
Heat Roadmap Europe 4
The goal of Heat Roadmap Europe 4 (HRE4) s to develop low-carbon heating and cooling strategies, called Heat Roadmaps, by quantifying and implementing changes at the national level for 14 EU Member States, which together account for approximately 85-90% of total heating and cooling in Europe.
Hotmaps
The overarching goal of Hotmaps is the development of an open source heating / cooling mapping and planning toolbox and to provide default data for EU28 at national and local level. These data and tool allow public authorities to identify, analyse, model and map resources and solutions to supply energy needs within their territory of responsibility in a resource and cost efficient way. Those results will help authorities to develop heating and cooling strategies on local, regional and national scale which are in line with RES and CO2-Emission targets on national and EU level.
MUSE
MUSE investigates resources and possible conflicts of use associated with the use of shallow geothermal energy (SGE) in European urban areas and delivers key geoscientific subsurface data to stakeholders via a user-friendly web based GeoERA information platform (GIP). The assessment of geothermal resources and conflicts of use will lead to the development of management strategies considering both efficient planning and monitoring of environmental impacts to feed into general framework strategies of cities like Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs). The developed methods and approaches will be tested and evaluated together with input from local stakeholders in 14 urban pilot areas across Europe representative for different conditions of SGE use.
PLANHEAT
The PLANHEAT project develops and validates an integrated and easy-to-use tool to support local authorities in selecting, simulating and comparing alternative low carbon and economically sustainable scenarios for heating and cooling. It will be validated in the three PLANHEAT cities.
progRESsHEAT
The progRESsHEAT project aims at assisting local, regional, national and EU political leaders in developing policy and strategies to ensure a quick and efficient deployment of renewables in heating and cooling networks. The project’s aim is in line with the objectives of the Renewable Energy Directive and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive that require Member States to develop ambitious policies as regards the use of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency in heating and cooling networks.
ReUseHeat
There is enough waste energy produced in the EU to heat the EU’s entire building stock; however despite of this huge potential, only a restricted number of small scale examples of urban waste heat recovery are present across the EU. The ReUseHeat project will showcase replicable models enabling the recovery and reuse of excess heat available at urban level, with the aim to increase energy efficiency of district heating and cooling systems in cities across Europe.
STEP UP
The STEP-UP project brought together four European cities – Glasgow, Ghent, Gothenburg and Riga, along with research organisations and businesses – with the aim to improve the integration of energy and urban planning, to help cities enhance their Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs), as developed under the European Commission’s Covenant of Mayors initiative, and to develop innovative projects at the intersection of the transport, energy and ICT sectors. STEP-UP took an integrated approach to energy planning, project design and implementation by addressing three themes together: energy and technology, economics, and organisation and stakeholders.
TESSe2b
TESSe2b project will enable the optimal use of renewable energy and provide advantageous solutions for correcting the mismatch that often occurs between the supply and demand of energy in residential buildings. TESSe2b design, develop, validate and demonstrate a modular and low cost thermal storage technology based on solar collectors and highly efficient geothermal heat pumps for heating, cooling and domestic hot water (DHW) production. That is achieved by integrating compact Thermal Energy Storage Tanks with Phase Change Materials (PCM TES) coupled with enhanced Phase Change Materials inside the borehole heat exchangers (BHEs) exploiting both solar and geothermal energy.
Thermomap
The ThermoMap project focuses on fostering the information environment on shallow geothermal potential across Europe. The key objective of the ThermoMap project is to provide an adequate, area-covering estimation of the superficial geothermal potential (up to 10 metres) of the nine countries which are involved in this project (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Romania and United Kingdom) on a large to medium scale. To achieve this objective ThermoMap will develop a strategy to combine already existing data sets in the partner countries for an area-wide visualization of shallow geothermic resources by soil, climatological, topographical, geological, groundwater and administrative data.
THERMOS
THERMOS (Thermal Energy Resource Modelling and Optimisation System) is an EU Horizon 2020 funded research project which will provide advanced energy system data and models in a user-friendly open-source software to make heat network planning faster, more efficient, and more cost effective. THERMOS kicked off in October 2016 and will be running until June 2020. A range of experts from universities, local and city-wide authorities, energy and environmental agencies, and specialist consultancies based in the UK, Spain, Poland, Latvia, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, and Romania are taking part in the project.
DHC+ Technology Platform
Set up under the umbrella of Euroheat & Power, DHC+ Technology Platform is the European hub for research & innovation in district heating and cooling. It is today a strong group of stakeholders from academia, research, business and industry committed to move to a sustainable energy system.
European Technology & Innovation Platform on Deep Geothermal
The European Technology & Innovation Platform on Deep Geothermal (ETIP-DG) is an open stakeholder group, endorsed by the European Commission under the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), with the overarching objective to enable deep geothermal technology to proliferate and reach its full potential everywhere in Europe.The primary objective is overall cost reduction, including social, environmental, and technological costs. It brings together representatives from industry, academia, research centres, and sectoral associations, covering the entire deep geothermal energy exploration, production, and utilization value chain.
GeoPLASMA-CE
The GeopLASMA-CE web portal deals with the use of shallow geothermal energy in central Europe and hosts a knowledge & communication platform as well as web based information systems on geoscientific parameters for six selected regions in Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Slovenia. .
Repowermap - Renewable energies and energy efficiency in your neighbourhood.
Repowermap.org is a non-profit initiative to promote renewable energies and energy efficiency by making visible real-world examples and related local information in each person's neighborhood on an interactive map. To this objective, an interactive map is developed jointly by a large network of organizations, institutions, regional and local authorities and other energy actors. The idea of the initiative is to encourage people to use renewable energies and energy efficiency. The information presented on the map furthermore aims to facilitate information exchange and the spread of innovative technologies at local level and across borders.
Clean energy for all Europeans package
COST association – European Cooperation in Science and Technology
DIRECTIVE (EU) 2018/2001 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 December 2018
DIRECTIVE (EU) 2018/2001 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 December 2018 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (recast)
DIRECTIVE 2008/50/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 21 May 2008
DIRECTIVE 2008/50/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe,
DIRECTIVE 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009
DIRECTIVE 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and amending and subsequently repealing Directives 2001/77/EC and 2003/30/EC (Text with EEA relevance)
Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on energy efficiency
Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on energy efficiency, amending Directives 2009/125/EC and 2010/30/EU and repealing Directives 2004/8/EC and 2006/32/EC Text with EEA relevance
The European Green Deal
The European Strategic Energy Technology Plan