Shallow Geothermal Applications in Belgium

Abstract

The use of geothermal energy in Belgium is focused on shallow applications. There is little activity according to deep geothermal energy. The market for geothermal heat pumps has grown significant over the past years. In the past, most installations extracted heat from groundwater. Yet, there is a tendency for using vertical borehole heat exchangers as groundwater systems are considered as more expensive and more difficult to operate. At this time, more then ten large cold/heat-storage systems are installed and monitored which all operate with high efficiency. Furthermore, borehole thermal energy storage systems (BTES) has good potential in Flanders. Main advantages compared to aquifer storage concerns less restrictions regarding the local underground, easier permission application, less technical problems and better possibilities of storing high temperature energy. One high temperature storage system was installed in 2002, used for storing heat from a coal-fired power plant (Hoes 2004 and Gysen 2003). Another system collects solar and road energy for heating a social housing area. At this time, some large BTES systems are at an installation phase and several feasibility studies are performed in order to evaluate economical parameters and ecological advantages.