Due to climate change and new political reasons to use more sustainable energy forms (turning away from nuclear, coal and other non-renewable resources), alternative energy sources are needed. Therefore, the geothermal energy sector can become one of the important energy resources in the future. Geothermal energy (heat) is CO2-neutral, quasi-inexhaustible and available decentrally at any time and almost everywhere. The exploitation of deep geo-thermal resources for producing electricity is an important component for creating innovative and renewable energy systems, but the use of shallow (focus: up to 400 metres depth) and even very shallow (focus: up to 10 metres depth) geothermal potentials is also significant, e.g. for sustainable heating and cooling of residential and industrial buildings, etc. Furthermore in Europe, the installation and operation of very shallow heat collector systems is not as restricted by national and regional legislation as for deeper systems. Compared with the well-researched and already implemented solar, wind and hydropower domains, less research has been done into the of very shallow geothermal energy potential at the European level.

Abstract of an Oral Presentation or a Poster