Sustainability of Shallow Geothermal Energy for Building Air-Conditioning
Geothermal heat pumps have a widespread diffusion as they are able to deliver relatively higher energy output than other systems for building air-conditioning. The exploitation of low-enthalpy geothermal energy, however, presents crucial sustainability issues. This review investigates the primary fo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/21/7058 |
| _version_ | 1797512562149949440 |
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| author | Andrea Aquino Flavio Scrucca Emanuele Bonamente |
| author_facet | Andrea Aquino Flavio Scrucca Emanuele Bonamente |
| author_sort | Andrea Aquino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Geothermal heat pumps have a widespread diffusion as they are able to deliver relatively higher energy output than other systems for building air-conditioning. The exploitation of low-enthalpy geothermal energy, however, presents crucial sustainability issues. This review investigates the primary forms of the environmental impact of geothermal heat pumps and the strategies for their mitigation. As life-cycle analyses shows that the highest impacts arise from installation and operation stages, most optimization studies focus on system thermodynamics, aiming at maximizing the energy performance via the optimization in the design of the different components interacting with the ground and serviced building. There are environmental studies of great relevance that investigate how the climate and ground properties affect the system sustainability and map the most suitable location for geothermal exploitation. Based on this review, ground-source heat pumps are a promising technology for the decarbonization of the building sector. However, a sustainable design of such systems is more complex than conventional air-conditioning systems, and it needs a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to include the broad environmental boundaries to fully understand the environmental consequences of their operation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:03:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4e989c9166dd47588c921f526600e8d9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:03:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-4e989c9166dd47588c921f526600e8d92023-11-22T20:43:03ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732021-10-011421705810.3390/en14217058Sustainability of Shallow Geothermal Energy for Building Air-ConditioningAndrea Aquino0Flavio Scrucca1Emanuele Bonamente2Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, ItalyDepartment of Sustainability, Circular Economy Section, ENEA, Italian National Agency for New Technologies Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, 00059 Rome, ItalyLeach Science Center, Physics Department, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36832, USAGeothermal heat pumps have a widespread diffusion as they are able to deliver relatively higher energy output than other systems for building air-conditioning. The exploitation of low-enthalpy geothermal energy, however, presents crucial sustainability issues. This review investigates the primary forms of the environmental impact of geothermal heat pumps and the strategies for their mitigation. As life-cycle analyses shows that the highest impacts arise from installation and operation stages, most optimization studies focus on system thermodynamics, aiming at maximizing the energy performance via the optimization in the design of the different components interacting with the ground and serviced building. There are environmental studies of great relevance that investigate how the climate and ground properties affect the system sustainability and map the most suitable location for geothermal exploitation. Based on this review, ground-source heat pumps are a promising technology for the decarbonization of the building sector. However, a sustainable design of such systems is more complex than conventional air-conditioning systems, and it needs a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to include the broad environmental boundaries to fully understand the environmental consequences of their operation.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/21/7058geothermal heat pumpssustainabilityLCAenergy analysisexergy analysisGWP |
| spellingShingle | Andrea Aquino Flavio Scrucca Emanuele Bonamente Sustainability of Shallow Geothermal Energy for Building Air-Conditioning Energies geothermal heat pumps sustainability LCA energy analysis exergy analysis GWP |
| title | Sustainability of Shallow Geothermal Energy for Building Air-Conditioning |
| title_full | Sustainability of Shallow Geothermal Energy for Building Air-Conditioning |
| title_fullStr | Sustainability of Shallow Geothermal Energy for Building Air-Conditioning |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sustainability of Shallow Geothermal Energy for Building Air-Conditioning |
| title_short | Sustainability of Shallow Geothermal Energy for Building Air-Conditioning |
| title_sort | sustainability of shallow geothermal energy for building air conditioning |
| topic | geothermal heat pumps sustainability LCA energy analysis exergy analysis GWP |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/21/7058 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andreaaquino sustainabilityofshallowgeothermalenergyforbuildingairconditioning AT flavioscrucca sustainabilityofshallowgeothermalenergyforbuildingairconditioning AT emanuelebonamente sustainabilityofshallowgeothermalenergyforbuildingairconditioning |