Shallow geothermal energy

In Germany, the temperature just below the earth’s surface in shallow depths is about 10 °C all the year round. With the help of heat pumps this near-surface geothermal heat can be used to operate heating and cooling systems, for example. Today, vertical geothermal heat exchangers are generally used to harness shallow geothermal heat. EnBW is supporting the further development of individual system components as well as assisting the development of planning tools to make these systems even more effective in the future.

For commercially viable and sustained operation, a geothermal heat exchanger must be optimally dimensioned: if the heat source is too large, initial costs increase and inevitably spell the end when these are compared with alternative energy systems. On the other hand, if the system is too small, this will result in an increasing demand for electricity and operating costs and reduced efficiency. In the worst case it could even cause damage to the plant. Careful planning, therefore, is a basic prerequisite for cost-effective exploitation of near-surface geothermal heat.