GIS-based modelling of shallow geothermal energy potential for CO2 emission mitigation in urban areas

Abstract

Keywords: GIS Urban planning Energy demand Geothermal energy iGuess Smart city energy a b s t r a c t Due to the rapidly increasing percentage of the population living in urban centres, there is a need to focus on the energy demand of these cities and the use of renewable energies instead of fossil fuels. In this paper, we develop a spatial model to determine the potential per parcel for using shallow geothermal energy, for space heating and hot water. The method is based on the space heating and hot water energy demand of each building and the specific heat extraction potential of the subsurface per parcel. With this information, along with the available space per parcel for boreholes, the percentage of the energy demand that could be supplied by geothermal energy is calculated. The potential reduction in CO 2 emissions should all possible geothermal energy be utilised, is also calculated. The method is applied to Ludwigsburg, Germany. It was found that CO 2 emissions could potentially be reduced by 29.7% if all space heating and hot water requirements were provided by geothermal energy, which would contribute to the sustainability of a city. The method is simple in execution and could be applied to other cities as the data used should be readily available. Another advantage is the implementation into the web based Smart City Energy platform which allows interactive exploration of solutions across the city.

Factores que influyen en la selección de energías renovables en la ciudad

“…Las aplicaciones en ciudades pueden servir para aprovechamientos en proyectos urbanos e industriales (idae, 2011). El incremento anual de instalaciones de este tipo supera el 10%, pero los costos de instalación han provocado que su expansión se ralentice (Schiel, Baume, Caruso & Leopold, 2016). Esta tecnología requiere una bomba de calor que permite transferir energía en forma de calor de un ambiente a otro, pero consume energía auxiliar.…”

“…En la urbe, la solución de perforación vertical es preferible (Zhang, Choudhary & Soga, 2015), pues el emplazamiento horizontal requiere considerable ocupación. En contraparte, el sistema vertical requiere alcanzar profundidades de entre 50 y 400 metros, dependiendo de la energía por extraerse y del potencial del suelo (Schiel et al, 2016).…”

The Role of Renewable Energy in the Promotion of Circular Urban Metabolism

“…Geothermal energy has not been extensively studied, despite being a resource with unlimited availability. Geothermal energy does not depend on external factors, as aeolic (wind) and solar (radiation) energy do [69]. The geothermal capacity is profitable in places with important thermal oscillations (winter-summer, day-night), where constant temperature under the ground can be more profitable, even without a heat pump.…”

“…Between 51% and 66.6% of buildings can be supplied with the disposal wells underneath or around them. In Ludwigsburg, Germany, the model made by Schiel et al was tested [69] to determine the potential for a geothermal energy plot to provide heating and hot water. A theoretical 40% of the plots could supply 100% of the demand.…”

Relationship between City and Energy Based on Economics Theory

“…There are few studying on relationship between energy and city at home and abroad, and most studies explored the relationship between urban expansion and energy consumption [1,2], urban energy efficiency measurement [3,4], urban energy use and CO 2 emissions [5,6], urban development and energy consumption [7], urban energy consumption and effect on environment [8,9], urban planning and energy efficiency [10], urban building and energy utilization [11], etc. It can be found out from above analysis that the most studying of energy only referred to some phenomena, but not the mechanism that interprets why urban and energy can promote mutually.…”