Geothermal Energy for Heating and Cooling, a Roadmap to 2020 (EU-Project K4RES-H)

Abstract

The promotion of geothermal energy on the European level until now was only considered for electricity, within the EC Directive for the promotion of electricity from renewable sources from the year 2001. Geothermal heating and cooling received little political attention, in spite of its considerable potential. In the framework of activities to increase the use of renewable energies on the heating and cooling sector, also geothermal energy received new attention as one of the most reliable sources of renewable energy. The goal of the current EU policy is to increase market deployment in all relevant energy sectors: electric power, transport, and heating/ cooling. While transport for geothermal energy only is an option via secondary energy carriers like electricity or hydrogen, both the sectors of electric power generation and heat/cold-supply are now in the focus for support measures.