Feasibility study of the Danube GeoHeCo project presented at the SDEWES conference

At the 19th Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES), held from September 8 to 12, 2024, in Rome, research findings from the Interreg Danube GeoHeCo project (DRP0200244), as part of Activity 1.4. were presented. This prestigious event brings together experts from around the world to exchange knowledge and innovations in sustainable development of energy, water resources, and environmental protection.

Lead author Marija Macenić, along with co-authors Tomislav Kurevija, Lucija Fir, and Matea Stanić, presented a paper titled “Modelling and Design Aspects of Shallow Geothermal Energy Piles – A Case Study on Large Non-residential Building in Zagreb, Croatia.” The research analyzes the potential for using energy piles in heating and cooling systems for large non-residential buildings, with a particular focus on implementation in a complex in Zagreb, where 260 energy piles connected in series are used to enhance the building’s energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The aim of the study was to optimize a system based on geothermal energy piles for heating and cooling needs of large buildings. The system uses shallow energy piles as part of a bivalent thermo-technical setup, where natural gas meets peak heating demands, and a dry cooler covers peak cooling loads when the geothermal heat pump system cannot fully meet the building's needs. Through thermal response testing (TRT), heat transfer and pile resistance were analyzed, with results showing that energy piles can cover the entire heating needs and 70% of the cooling needs, while the remaining 30% of cooling is provided by the dry cooler.

It was concluded that this system could significantly improve energy efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions, offering a sustainable solution for heating and cooling large buildings through shallow geothermal energy, especially in urban areas of Croatia.