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Environmental Impact Comparison of Geothermal Alternatives for Conventional Boiler Replacement

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  • Carlos Lorente Rubio

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of La Rioja, 26004 Logroño, Spain)

  • Jorge Luis García-Alcaraz

    (Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez, Ciudad Juárez 32315, Mexico)

  • Juan Carlos Sáenz-Diez Muro

    (Department of Electrical Engineering, University of La Rioja, 26004 Logroño, Spain)

  • Eduardo Martínez-Cámara

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of La Rioja, 26004 Logroño, Spain)

  • Agostino Bruzzone

    (DIME (Department of Mechanical, Energy, Management and Transport Engineering), University of Genoa, Via Opera Pia, 15, 16145 Genova, Italy)

  • Julio Blanco-Fernández

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of La Rioja, 26004 Logroño, Spain)

Abstract

In the transition towards a sustainable world with a “green horizon” (something that is also of great importance to the policy of energy self-sufficiency in housing and self-consumption), geothermal energy is seen as quite a feasible alternative for single-family homes. This article focuses on a comparison between the environmental impact and life cycle analysis of three alternatives and provides a base case for the replacement of a conventional type of boiler with a geothermal one for a typical house located in a Mediterranean climate. The first alternative (A) consists of a horizontal catchment system through a field of geothermal probes. The second alternative (B) is a shallow water catchment system, open type, with the return of water to a nearby river. The third option studied (C) is also a shallow water catchment system but with the water, return injected into a well downstream to the underground water flow. The study shows that alternatives A and B have the least environmental impact in most of the categories studied. The total amortization periods for the three alternatives and the base case differ by almost two years, with alternative A taking 6.99 years and alternative C costing 8.82 years.

Suggested Citation

  • Carlos Lorente Rubio & Jorge Luis García-Alcaraz & Juan Carlos Sáenz-Diez Muro & Eduardo Martínez-Cámara & Agostino Bruzzone & Julio Blanco-Fernández, 2022. "Environmental Impact Comparison of Geothermal Alternatives for Conventional Boiler Replacement," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-15, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:21:p:8163-:d:960495
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    References listed on IDEAS

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