Regional-scale assessment of the thermal potential in a shallow alluvial aquifer system in the Po plain (northern Italy)

Previati, Alberto; Crosta, Giovanni B.

doi:10.1016/j.geothermics.2020.101999

Cited by 15 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 25 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Energies 2021, 14, 768 2 of 18 All these features are necessary to describe the geothermal (or heat-exchange) potential of an area, defined as the thermal power that can be exchanged with the ground through a GSHE with a certain setup [12,13]. For this purpose, the geothermal potential, which is the indicator of the efficiency and suitability for the implementation of a BHE, has been mapped in a great variety of environments and areal scales, with many different techniques, combining climatic, geological, hydrogeological and thermophysical information, usually in GIS environment-e.g., [1][2][3]9,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defining the Shallow Geothermal Heat-Exchange Potential for a Lower Fluvial Plain of the Central Apennines: The Metauro Valley (Marche Region, Italy)

Taussi

Borghi²,

Gliaschera³

et al. 2021

Energies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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−1). 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−1 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.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defining the Shallow Geothermal Heat-Exchange Potential for a Lower Fluvial Plain of the Central Apennines: The Metauro Valley (Marche Region, Italy)

Taussi

Borghi²,

Gliaschera³

et al. 2021

Energies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Ref. [32] performed a regional scale assessment of the potential for a shallow alluvial aquifer in the Po plain (northern Italy) to host lowenthalpy geothermal systems. Ref.…”

Section: Shallow Geothermal Energy Systems: European and Italian Fram...mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of Groundwater Heat Pump Systems in the Italian Framework: Technological Potential and Environmental Limits

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

For new buildings in densely urbanised cities, groundwater heat pump systems (GWHPs) represent a concrete, effective solution for decarbonising existing energy systems. Environmental factors must be considered to limit the GWHP system’s impact on the subsurface. Particular attention must be given to the long-term sustainability of groundwater abstraction modalities and the development of a thermally affected zone around re-injection wells. Simplified solutions and numerical models have been applied to predict subsurface heat transport mechanisms; these simulations allow researchers to consider site-specific geological conditions, transient heat and groundwater flow regimes, and anisotropies in the subsurface media. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the current research on GWHPs and discusses the benefits and limitations of their diffusion in Italy. The sources used provide information on and examples of the correct methodological approaches for depicting the induced variations while avoiding the overestimation or underestimation of the impact that GWHPs have on exploited aquifers.

show abstract

“…Hydrogeological information were derived collecting and digitalizing 5319 qualitative borehole logs reaching at least − 100 m below the ground surface from the regional geological database ([dataset] Regione Lombardia, 2022a). Following the methodology proposed by Previati and Crosta (2021) for a smaller area, the hydrogeological parametrization of the subsurface was done combining the qualitative hydro-facies classification of the borehole stratigraphies with empirical estimations of the porosity and hydraulic conductivity from the analysis of 1467 grain-size distributions. Finally, for each available borehole, equivalent hydraulic parameters for a reference depth of 100 m were computed as the thickness-weighted average of the values assigned to each stratigraphic unit, and interpolated over the study area (the spatial distribution of the equivalent horizontal hydraulic conductivity (K) and porosity (n) is provided in the Supplementary material).…”

Section: Hydrogeologic Settinginput Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

On Groundwater Flow and Shallow Geothermal Potential: A Surrogate Model for Regional Scale Analyses

Previati

Crosta

2023

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Regional-scale assessment of the thermal potential in a shallow alluvial aquifer system in the Po plain (northern Italy)

Cited by 15 publications

References 25 publications

Defining the Shallow Geothermal Heat-Exchange Potential for a Lower Fluvial Plain of the Central Apennines: The Metauro Valley (Marche Region, Italy)

Defining the Shallow Geothermal Heat-Exchange Potential for a Lower Fluvial Plain of the Central Apennines: The Metauro Valley (Marche Region, Italy)

A Review of Groundwater Heat Pump Systems in the Italian Framework: Technological Potential and Environmental Limits

On Groundwater Flow and Shallow Geothermal Potential: A Surrogate Model for Regional Scale Analyses

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About