Geothermal Energy Use, Country Update for Norway

Abstract

The emphasis on energy efficiency and new building codes that restrict the use of energy for heating have increased the interest for Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) systems in Norway the last decennium, but the last few years show a decline in new installations. More than 90 % of the GSHP systems utilize energy from boreholes in crystalline rock. A trend towards deeper boreholes has been seen the last 5-10 years, partially due to reduced drilling cost for deeper boreholes. The average borehole depth for systems with four boreholes or more has increased to 230 meters the last two years, and the largest GSHP systems installed in Norway in the same period have an average borehole depth of around 300 meters. Systems involving 500 meter depths have been successfully delivering heat for more than two years. So far Norway has no deep geothermal installations in operation, but Norwegian industry and research institutes are involved in international projects for deep geothermal energy.