IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v17y2024i17p4363-d1468659.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Regional-Scale Assessment of the Potential for Shallow Geothermal Energy Development Using Vertical Ground Source Heat Pumps

Author

Listed:
  • Peng Yu

    (Key Laboratory of Geological Safety of Coastal Urban Underground Space, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao Geo-Engineering Surveying Institute, Qingdao 266061, China
    Key Laboratory of Coupling Process and Effect of Natural Resources Elements, Beijing 100055, China
    Key Laboratory of Geological Disaster Risk Prevention and Control of Shandong Provincial Emergency Management Department (Under Preparation), Jinan 250014, China)

  • Yufeng Xu

    (China Highway Second Highway Survey, Design, and Research Institute Co., Ltd., Wuhan 430058, China)

  • Honghua Liu

    (Key Laboratory of Geological Safety of Coastal Urban Underground Space, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao Geo-Engineering Surveying Institute, Qingdao 266061, China)

  • Xinyu Liu

    (Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China)

  • Jiani Fu

    (Key Laboratory of Geological Safety of Coastal Urban Underground Space, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao Geo-Engineering Surveying Institute, Qingdao 266061, China)

  • Meijun Xu

    (Key Laboratory of Geological Safety of Coastal Urban Underground Space, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao Geo-Engineering Surveying Institute, Qingdao 266061, China)

  • Dankun Zhou

    (Wuhan Center, China Geological Survey (Central South China Innovation Center for Geosciences), Wuhan 430205, China)

Abstract

Shallow geothermal energy (SGE) is a widely prevalent geological resource underground, and its utilization offer significant energy conservation and emission reduction benefits, contributing to the achievement of carbon neutrality goals. Assessing the development potential of regional SGE can ensure sustainable development of these resources and prevent adverse effects induced by overexploitation. Jiangsu Province, a developed region in the eastern coastal area of China, has a strong demand for cooling and heating in urban buildings. The primary form of utilizing SGE in this area is through vertical ground source heat pumps (VGSHP). Based on the analysis of the impact of regional geological conditions on the development of SGE, this study specifically evaluated the suitability of developing SGE through VGSHP. After excluding areas unsuitable for development, the heat exchange capacity, heating or cooling area per unit area, and energy conservation and emission reduction benefits of VGSHP were calculated. The results indicate that the area suitable and moderately suitable for developing SGE through VGSHP in Jiangsu Province amounts to 76,453 km 2 . The total heat exchange capacity for summer is 1.21 × 10 9 kW, which can provide cooling for an area of 1.21 × 10 10 m 2 . The total heat exchange capacity for winter is 8.70 × 10 8 kW, which can provide heating for an area of 1.09 × 10 10 m 2 . The annual available resource amount is 2.68 × 10 12 kWh, equivalent to 3.30 × 10 8 tons of standard coal, and a CO 2 reduction of 7.86 × 10 8 tons.

Suggested Citation

  • Peng Yu & Yufeng Xu & Honghua Liu & Xinyu Liu & Jiani Fu & Meijun Xu & Dankun Zhou, 2024. "Regional-Scale Assessment of the Potential for Shallow Geothermal Energy Development Using Vertical Ground Source Heat Pumps," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-17, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:17:p:4363-:d:1468659
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/17/4363/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/17/4363/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Schiel, Kerry & Baume, Olivier & Caruso, Geoffrey & Leopold, Ulrich, 2016. "GIS-based modelling of shallow geothermal energy potential for CO2 emission mitigation in urban areas," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 1023-1036.
    2. Walch, Alina & Li, Xiang & Chambers, Jonathan & Mohajeri, Nahid & Yilmaz, Selin & Patel, Martin & Scartezzini, Jean-Louis, 2022. "Shallow geothermal energy potential for heating and cooling of buildings with regeneration under climate change scenarios," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 244(PB).
    3. Francesco, Tinti & Annamaria, Pangallo & Martina, Berneschi & Dario, Tosoni & Dušan, Rajver & Simona, Pestotnik & Dalibor, Jovanović & Tomislav, Rudinica & Slavisa, Jelisić & Branko, Zlokapa & Attilio, 2016. "How to boost shallow geothermal energy exploitation in the adriatic area: the LEGEND project experience," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 190-204.
    4. Wang, Yuqing & Liu, Yingxin & Dou, Jinyue & Li, Mingzhu & Zeng, Ming, 2020. "Geothermal energy in China: Status, challenges, and policy recommendations," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Angelo Arcuri & Lorenzo Giolli & Cosimo Magazzino, 2025. "Harnessing a Renewable Resource for Sustainability: The Role of Geothermal Energy in Italy’s Business Sector," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-16, March.
    2. Lin, Yaoting & Zhou, Wei & Chauhdary, Sohaib Tahir & Zuo, Wenshuai, 2025. "4E assessment of a geothermal-driven combined power and cooling system coupled with a liquefied natural gas cold energy recovery unit," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chang, Honglin & Kong, Gangqiang & Liu, Hanlong, 2025. "Estimation of the technical geothermal potential through energy piles at a small regional scale: A campus case study," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 320(C).
    2. Jordi García-Céspedes & Ignasi Herms & Georgina Arnó & José Juan de Felipe, 2022. "Fifth-Generation District Heating and Cooling Networks Based on Shallow Geothermal Energy: A review and Possible Solutions for Mediterranean Europe," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-31, December.
    3. Cassina, Lisa & Laloui, Lyesse & Rotta Loria, Alessandro F., 2022. "Thermal interactions among vertical geothermal borehole fields," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 1204-1220.
    4. Li, Xiang & Yilmaz, Selin & Patel, Martin K. & Chambers, Jonathan, 2023. "Techno-economic analysis of fifth-generation district heating and cooling combined with seasonal borehole thermal energy storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 285(C).
    5. Andreas Nascimento & Diunay Zuliani Mantegazini & Mauro Hugo Mathias & Matthias Reich & Julian David Hunt, 2025. "O&G, Geothermal Systems, and Natural Hydrogen Well Drilling: Market Analysis and Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-22, March.
    6. Aizhao Zhou & Xianwen Huang & Wei Wang & Pengming Jiang & Xinwei Li, 2021. "Thermo-Hydraulic Performance of U-Tube Borehole Heat Exchanger with Different Cross-Sections," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-20, March.
    7. Epting, Jannis & Böttcher, Fabian & Mueller, Matthias H. & García-Gil, Alejandro & Zosseder, Kai & Huggenberger, Peter, 2020. "City-scale solutions for the energy use of shallow urban subsurface resources – Bridging the gap between theoretical and technical potentials," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(P1), pages 751-763.
    8. Yu, Ruyang & Zhang, Kai & Ramasubramanian, Brindha & Jiang, Shu & Ramakrishna, Seeram & Tang, Yuhang, 2024. "Ensemble learning for predicting average thermal extraction load of a hydrothermal geothermal field: A case study in Guanzhong Basin, China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 296(C).
    9. Böttcher, Fabian & Casasso, Alessandro & Götzl, Gregor & Zosseder, Kai, 2019. "TAP - Thermal aquifer Potential: A quantitative method to assess the spatial potential for the thermal use of groundwater," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 85-95.
    10. Castaldo, Veronica Lucia & Pisello, Anna Laura & Piselli, Cristina & Fabiani, Claudia & Cotana, Franco & Santamouris, Mattheos, 2018. "How outdoor microclimate mitigation affects building thermal-energy performance: A new design-stage method for energy saving in residential near-zero energy settlements in Italy," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 920-935.
    11. Zhang, Sheng & Liu, Jun & Zhang, Xia & Wang, Fenghao, 2024. "Properly shortening design time scale of medium-deep borehole heat exchanger for high building heating performances with high computational efficiency," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 290(C).
    12. Tsagarakis, Konstantinos P. & Efthymiou, Loukia & Michopoulos, Apostolos & Mavragani, Amaryllis & Anđelković, Aleksandar S. & Antolini, Francesco & Bacic, Mario & Bajare, Diana & Baralis, Matteo & Bog, 2020. "A review of the legal framework in shallow geothermal energy in selected European countries: Need for guidelines," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(P2), pages 2556-2571.
    13. Stegnar, Gašper & Staničić, D. & Česen, M. & Čižman, J. & Pestotnik, S. & Prestor, J. & Urbančič, A. & Merše, S., 2019. "A framework for assessing the technical and economic potential of shallow geothermal energy in individual and district heating systems: A case study of Slovenia," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 405-420.
    14. Mengting Jiang & Camilo Rindt & David M. J. Smeulders, 2022. "Optimal Planning of Future District Heating Systems—A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-38, September.
    15. Erika Buday-Bódi & Ali Irfan & Richard William McIntosh & Zsolt Zoltán Fehér & József Csajbók & Csaba Juhász & László Radócz & Arnold Szilágyi & Tamás Buday, 2022. "Subregion-Scale Geothermal Delineation Based on Image Analysis Using Reflection Seismology and Well Data with an Outlook for Land Use," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-21, March.
    16. Halilovic, Smajil & Böttcher, Fabian & Zosseder, Kai & Hamacher, Thomas, 2024. "Spatial analysis of thermal groundwater use based on optimal sizing and placement of well doublets," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    17. Antonio Barragán-Escandón & Julio Terrados-Cepeda & Esteban Zalamea-León, 2017. "The Role of Renewable Energy in the Promotion of Circular Urban Metabolism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-29, December.
    18. Xiaoyan Zhang & Muyan Xu & Li Liu & Lang Liu & Mei Wang & Haiwei Ji & KI-IL Song, 2020. "The Concept, Technical System and Heat Transfer Analysis on Phase-Change Heat Storage Backfill for Exploitation of Geothermal Energy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-22, September.
    19. Yoshitaka Sakata & Yuma Akeyama & Takao Katsura & Katsunori Nagano, 2023. "Evaluating Long-Term Performance of a Residential Ground-Source Heat Pump System under Climate Change in Cold and Warm Cities of Japan," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-16, March.
    20. Chen, Zhi & Lian, Xingwei & Tan, Jinjia & Xiao, Henglin & Ma, Qiang & Zhuang, Yan, 2023. "Study on heat-exchange efficiency and energy efficiency ratio of a deeply buried pipe energy pile group considering seepage and circulating-medium flow rate," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:17:p:4363-:d:1468659. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.