Defining the Shallow Geothermal Heat-Exchange Potential for a Lower Fluvial Plain of the Central Apennines: The Metauro Valley (Marche Region, Italy)
In this work we assessed the shallow geothermal heat-exchange potential of a fluvial plain of the Central Apennines, the lower Metauro Valley, where about 90,000 people live. Publicly available geognostic drilling data from the Italian Seismic Microzonation studies have been exploited together with...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/3/768 |
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| author | Marco Taussi Walter Borghi Michele Gliaschera Alberto Renzulli |
| author_facet | Marco Taussi Walter Borghi Michele Gliaschera Alberto Renzulli |
| author_sort | Marco Taussi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this work we assessed the shallow geothermal heat-exchange potential of a fluvial plain of the Central Apennines, the lower Metauro Valley, where about 90,000 people live. Publicly available geognostic drilling data from the Italian Seismic Microzonation studies have been exploited together with hydrogeological and thermophysical properties of the main geological formations of the area. These data have been averaged over the firsts 100 m of subsoil to define the thermal conductivity, the specific heat extraction rates of the ground and to establish the geothermal potential of the area (expressed in MWh y<sup>−1</sup>). The investigation revealed that the heat-exchange potential is mainly controlled by the bedrock lithotypes and the saturated conditions of the sedimentary infill. A general increase in thermal conductivity, specific heat extraction and geothermal potential have been mapped moving from the coast, where higher sedimentary infill thicknesses have been found, towards the inland where the carbonate bedrock approaches the surface. The geothermal potential of the investigated lower Metauro Valley is mostly between ~9.0 and ~10 MWh y<sup>−1</sup> and the average depth to be drilled to supply a standard domestic power demand of 4.0 kW is ~96 m (ranging from 82 to 125 m all over the valley). This investigation emphasizes that the Seismic Microzonation studies represent a huge database to be exploited for the best assessment of the shallow geothermal potential throughout the Italian regions, which can be addressed by the implementation of heating and cooling through vertical closed-loop borehole heat exchanger systems coupled with geothermal heat pumps. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:10:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-787d5eb9abad484ab10ad8d484545635 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:10:28Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-787d5eb9abad484ab10ad8d4845456352023-12-03T11:59:18ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732021-02-0114376810.3390/en14030768Defining the Shallow Geothermal Heat-Exchange Potential for a Lower Fluvial Plain of the Central Apennines: The Metauro Valley (Marche Region, Italy)Marco Taussi0Walter Borghi1Michele Gliaschera2Alberto Renzulli3Dipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate, Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo, Via Ca’ Le Suore 2/4, 61029 Urbino, ItalyGEOCON Studio Associato per la Geologia e la Sicurezza, Via Gozzi 10/A, 61032 Fano, ItalyGEOCON Studio Associato per la Geologia e la Sicurezza, Via Gozzi 10/A, 61032 Fano, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate, Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo, Via Ca’ Le Suore 2/4, 61029 Urbino, ItalyIn this work we assessed the shallow geothermal heat-exchange potential of a fluvial plain of the Central Apennines, the lower Metauro Valley, where about 90,000 people live. Publicly available geognostic drilling data from the Italian Seismic Microzonation studies have been exploited together with hydrogeological and thermophysical properties of the main geological formations of the area. These data have been averaged over the firsts 100 m of subsoil to define the thermal conductivity, the specific heat extraction rates of the ground and to establish the geothermal potential of the area (expressed in MWh y<sup>−1</sup>). The investigation revealed that the heat-exchange potential is mainly controlled by the bedrock lithotypes and the saturated conditions of the sedimentary infill. A general increase in thermal conductivity, specific heat extraction and geothermal potential have been mapped moving from the coast, where higher sedimentary infill thicknesses have been found, towards the inland where the carbonate bedrock approaches the surface. The geothermal potential of the investigated lower Metauro Valley is mostly between ~9.0 and ~10 MWh y<sup>−1</sup> and the average depth to be drilled to supply a standard domestic power demand of 4.0 kW is ~96 m (ranging from 82 to 125 m all over the valley). This investigation emphasizes that the Seismic Microzonation studies represent a huge database to be exploited for the best assessment of the shallow geothermal potential throughout the Italian regions, which can be addressed by the implementation of heating and cooling through vertical closed-loop borehole heat exchanger systems coupled with geothermal heat pumps.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/3/768borehole heat exchangersgeothermal potentialshallow geothermal energyheat-exchangethermal conductivityspecific heat extraction |
| spellingShingle | Marco Taussi Walter Borghi Michele Gliaschera Alberto Renzulli Defining the Shallow Geothermal Heat-Exchange Potential for a Lower Fluvial Plain of the Central Apennines: The Metauro Valley (Marche Region, Italy) Energies borehole heat exchangers geothermal potential shallow geothermal energy heat-exchange thermal conductivity specific heat extraction |
| title | Defining the Shallow Geothermal Heat-Exchange Potential for a Lower Fluvial Plain of the Central Apennines: The Metauro Valley (Marche Region, Italy) |
| title_full | Defining the Shallow Geothermal Heat-Exchange Potential for a Lower Fluvial Plain of the Central Apennines: The Metauro Valley (Marche Region, Italy) |
| title_fullStr | Defining the Shallow Geothermal Heat-Exchange Potential for a Lower Fluvial Plain of the Central Apennines: The Metauro Valley (Marche Region, Italy) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Defining the Shallow Geothermal Heat-Exchange Potential for a Lower Fluvial Plain of the Central Apennines: The Metauro Valley (Marche Region, Italy) |
| title_short | Defining the Shallow Geothermal Heat-Exchange Potential for a Lower Fluvial Plain of the Central Apennines: The Metauro Valley (Marche Region, Italy) |
| title_sort | defining the shallow geothermal heat exchange potential for a lower fluvial plain of the central apennines the metauro valley marche region italy |
| topic | borehole heat exchangers geothermal potential shallow geothermal energy heat-exchange thermal conductivity specific heat extraction |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/3/768 |
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