Page 39 - European Energy Innovation - Summer 2014
P. 39
Summer 2014 European Energy Innovation 39
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
Geothermal heating and cooling:
where we are and where we
should be
Geothermal energy production or Combined Heat After a long period of fairly steady
has the potential to and Power. growth, markets are beginning to
deliver sustainable, slow and juvenile markets are not
reliable and secure Shallow geothermal energy is the progressing as they should. Lack
supplies of both electricity most widely deployed and there of awareness continues to be a
and heating and cooling right are very few areas in Europe where cause for this slow progress, but
across Europe thanks to new it is not in use. The EGEC Market two new issues have emerged.
and emerging technologies. Report 2013-14, bringing together Firstly the economic crisis and
The industry is growing but studies from across Europe, shows low construction rate in Europe
the potential is still widely that around 1.3 million geothermal has naturally had a negative
underestimated and the resource heat pumps are installed, with a impact on this cost efficient but
under used. capacity of 17,000 MWth. capital intensive technology,
although we could expect this
The reasons for this vary Around 64% of this European trend to reverse as construction
according to the type of energy installed capacity is in and renovation rates rise. The
and final use. Geothermal energy Sweden, Germany, France, second issue is more complex;
use can roughly be divided and Switzerland. These mature whilst shallow geothermal
into three categories: shallow markets are projected to see systems can be completive, they
geothermal used for heating and the greatest increase in terms of struggle in a distorted European
cooling, deep geothermal used installations 2010-2015, whilst the market which can make the use
for direct uses, notably district highest growth rate will be seen of gas and other fossil fuels
heating and cooling, and deep in Italy, Poland, and the Czech financially favourable. European
geothermal used for electricity Republic. fuel dependency is largely gas
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
Geothermal heating and cooling:
where we are and where we
should be
Geothermal energy production or Combined Heat After a long period of fairly steady
has the potential to and Power. growth, markets are beginning to
deliver sustainable, slow and juvenile markets are not
reliable and secure Shallow geothermal energy is the progressing as they should. Lack
supplies of both electricity most widely deployed and there of awareness continues to be a
and heating and cooling right are very few areas in Europe where cause for this slow progress, but
across Europe thanks to new it is not in use. The EGEC Market two new issues have emerged.
and emerging technologies. Report 2013-14, bringing together Firstly the economic crisis and
The industry is growing but studies from across Europe, shows low construction rate in Europe
the potential is still widely that around 1.3 million geothermal has naturally had a negative
underestimated and the resource heat pumps are installed, with a impact on this cost efficient but
under used. capacity of 17,000 MWth. capital intensive technology,
although we could expect this
The reasons for this vary Around 64% of this European trend to reverse as construction
according to the type of energy installed capacity is in and renovation rates rise. The
and final use. Geothermal energy Sweden, Germany, France, second issue is more complex;
use can roughly be divided and Switzerland. These mature whilst shallow geothermal
into three categories: shallow markets are projected to see systems can be completive, they
geothermal used for heating and the greatest increase in terms of struggle in a distorted European
cooling, deep geothermal used installations 2010-2015, whilst the market which can make the use
for direct uses, notably district highest growth rate will be seen of gas and other fossil fuels
heating and cooling, and deep in Italy, Poland, and the Czech financially favourable. European
geothermal used for electricity Republic. fuel dependency is largely gas
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
