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Dear GeoPLASMA-CE community,
Time is passing quickly and GeoPLASMA-CE has already reached its final year. Since the last newsletter, we harmonized our workflows and approaches to assess, model and map resources and conflicts of use linked to shallow geothermal energy. Since the beginning of this year, we are applying and evaluating our workflows in the 6 pilot areas. Currently, we focus our harmonization activities on joint concepts and minimum standards for managing shallow geothermal energy use. The GeoPLASMA-CE approach supports integrative management strategies. What exactly does this mean? We would like to create a closed management circle, which links web based information systems to the resource assessment and planning as well as monitoring of operating installations. By doing so, we want to create “intrinsically learning” management procedures, which are updated by new installations and help to avoid negative mutual influences of shallow geothermal installations, especially in densely settled urban areas. However, we were not only working on harmonization. Our various field campaigns are ending soon and we started to develop recommendations / strategies / and actions how to better include shallow geothermal energy in heating and cooling energy supply concepts. As the first step, we performed SWOT analyses on the present and future role of shallow geothermal energy in our pilot areas, which present basis for our strategic work there. Last but not least, we have already put the GeoPLASMA-CE web portal to life. Our platform’s main aim is to share knowledge and interconnect people interested in the shallow geothermal energy. Have a look at portal.geoplasma-ce.eu/ and explore our knowledge platform. Our web-services will be launched soon at the same web address! Interested in our outcomes? More information on the highlights achieved can be found in this newsletter and on our website. Just follow us! Gregor GOETZL, GeoPLASMA-CE coordinator, Geological Survey of Austria |
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In-depth view in the user demands and barriers for the implementation of shallow geothermal methods in Energy Planning Strategies
In the beginning of 2018, we decided to get into direct contact with stakeholders relevant for energy planning in our pilot areas. We wanted to know from them how they feel about the current and future relevance of shallow geothermal for heating and cooling. Furthermore, we wanted to identify possibilities for cooperation on the inclusion of shallow geothermal in regional policies and strategies. We chose SWOT analyses as the main communication tools. The outcomes of the interviews were analysed and summarized in a joint report. We were happy to see that most stakeholders believe that shallow geothermal energy will play an important role in future heating and cooling supply in Central Europe. In the report, you also find the identified main barriers and opportunities for using shallow geothermal. Joint report is available here… |
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EEAB meeting in Bratislava
The GeoPLASMA-CE team met our international Evaluation and Advisory Board on April 12, 2018 in Bratislava. We had very fruitful meeting and our Evaluators were quite happy with the outcomes of the project so far. In addition, they gave us some valuable recommendations how to enhance the impact and relevance of GeoPLASMA-CE. We would like to share those recommendations, which are important for the use of shallow geothermal also beyond the scope of GeoPLASMA-CE: 1. It is important to address authorities for transferring concepts how to foster the use of shallow geothermal for heating and cooling and to ensure an efficient and sustainable use of the technology. However, authorities are only executing stakeholders, so addressing political decision makers and end-users (investors) is of the same relevance. This is often forgotten in (international) research projects. 2. Strategies for including shallow geothermal energy in heating and cooling supply concepts are very important. However, the meaning of the term strategies needs to be clearly defined in the beginning of the conceptual process. Furthermore, one should differ between 1) existing present field of applications (e.g. single-family homes or commercial buildings) and 2) promising future fields (e.g. seasonal storage and low temperature heating and cooling grids). 3. Establishing a web portal is crucial, but its sustainability should be ensured, not to become one of the many “dead web portals” from past projects existing on the web. It is important to identify and convince relevant actors to undertake the maintenance of the created web infrastructure. International non-profit organizations like EuroGeoSurvey might be a suitable candidate for this. The evaluators gave us more hints on specific aspects of GeoPLASMA-CE and we will try to realize them as many as possible in the remaining lifetime of the project. |
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