The European Union has set out on an ambitious mission to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To accomplish this feat, the EU will need to drastically reduce its emissions and will likely turn towards its largest energy end-use sector—heating and cooling—when considering potential remedies. With only 23% of all heating and cooling in the European Union generated from renewable sources, serious change must occur within the sector, requiring a reduction in both fossil fuel and total energy consumption (Eurostat, 2023).
One potential solution is geothermal heating and cooling. This renewable technology, suitable for both residential and commercial applications, takes advantage of the earth’s relatively constant temperature just three meters below the surface to heat or cool any space. Having been in use for over 60 years in Europe and beyond, geothermal energy has proven to be a reliable, clean alternative to the standard fossil-fuel-burning furnace.
What is Geothermal and How Does it Work?
Geothermal technology relies on the fact that the temperature underground remains relatively constant year-round and does not fluctuate as dramatically as the outdoor temperature. This underground temperature tends to stay around 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit) regardless of whether it is snowing outside or if it is a sunny, summer day (Dandelion Energy, 2021). A geothermal system, typically composed of a heat pump inside a home or building and a connected, buried pipe system referred to as a ‘ground’ or ‘earth loop,’ harnesses this sustained temperature.
Unlike ordinary heating and cooling systems that burn fossil fuels in a furnace to generate heat, a geothermal system exchanges heat with the earth via its buried ground loop. The ground loop is filled with a water solution which changes temperature as it circulates through the loop. In winter, the water will travel through the loop, absorb the stored heat from the ground, and return to the heat pump contained within the home or building (Egg, 2013). The heat pump will then exchange the heat, warming water or air within the unit which is then distributed normally through radiant heating or air ducts. In summer, this process is reversed with the water depositing heat into the earth and returning cool air throughout the home or building.
Benefits, Adoption, and Opportunities for Growth
One clear benefit of geothermal systems is their efficiency. Instead of creating heat like fuel-based furnaces, geothermal heat pumps simply transfer it. With the small amount of electricity necessary to run a geothermal heat pump, it can deliver 4 units of energy for every 1 unit of energy supplied, making them 400% efficient. Even the most advanced fuel-based furnaces are only 97% efficient, delivering less than 1 unit of energy for every unit of energy supplied (Dandelion Energy, 2021). This increased efficiency translates into cost savings for home and business owners, while at the same time drastically reducing (or eliminating, if using renewable electricity) the related CO2 emissions.
Despite defined advantages, widespread adoption of geothermal technology has historically been impeded by general misconceptions as well as a poor reputation due to stories of failed installations or quickly-declining system performance. As the technology has improved, geothermal heating and cooling has become increasingly reliable and mainstream. According to the European Geothermal Market Report of 2019, two million heat pumps have been installed in Europe as of 2019 (Richter, 2020). Though this is an important milestone in geothermal’s growth, individual and community adoption of this technology may not be enough to realize the EU’s carbon neutrality goals.
Geothermal district heating and cooling presents an important opportunity for growth, allowing entire cities to connect to a single distribution network. Comprised of homes, commercial, and industrial buildings, the diverse mix of heating and cooling needs ensures maximum efficiency. Countries such as Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic have already installed geothermal district heating (Developing Geothermal District Heating in Europe, 2014). With many successful examples documented, further development of geothermal districts has become more of a question of government policy and planning. If the EU is to achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, actions will need to be taken to phase out fossil fuel-based heating systems and replace them with geothermal and other innovative, renewable heating and cooling technologies.
- Benjamin Tremblay
Works Cited
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Fleiter, Tobias, et al. European Commission, 2016, Mapping and Analyses of the Current and Future (2020 - 2030) Heating/Cooling Fuel Deployment (Fossil/Renewables) , https://ec.europa.eu/energy/studies_main/final_studiesmapping-and-analyses-current-and-future-2020-2030-heatingcooling-fuel_en. Accessed 7 Oct. 2021.
Garabetian, Thomas, et al., editors. European Geothermal Energy Council, 2020, 2019 EGEC Geothermal Market Report: Key Findings, https://www.egec.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/MR19_KeyFindings_new-cover.pdf. Accessed 7 Oct. 2021.
“Heating and Cooling.” European Commission: Energy, European Union, 11 Mar. 2021, https://ec.europa.eu/energy/topics/energy-efficiency/heating-and-cooling_en?redir=1.
Richter, Alexander. “Exponential Growth of Geothermal Sector in Europe, despite Insufficient Market Conditions.” Think GeoEnergy, 8 June 2020, https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/exponential-growth-of-geothermal-sector-in-europe-despite-insufficient-market-conditions/.
Roberts, David. “The Earth Itself Could Provide Carbon-Free Heat for Buildings.” Vox: Energy and Environment, Vox Media, 13 Nov. 2020, https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2020/11/13/21537801/climate-change-renewable-energy-geothermal-heat-gshp-district-heating.
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