Application of Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage for Heating and Cooling of Greenhouses in France: a Prefeasibility Study

Abstract

In the present context of predicted shortage of fossil energies and awareness of environmental preoccupations (greenhouse gases for example), saving energy and converting it to renewable one become priorities. As energy-intensive consumers, greenhouses are directly concerned. That?s why Ctifl (Technical Institute for Fruit and Vegetables) would like to develop the concept of ?sustainable greenhouses? in France, using renewable energy. In this case, the method which retains the attention is the concept of reversible heating and cooling through Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES). This technique is already in application in other European countries, especially in the Netherlands, but has never been tested in France for greenhouses. This paper presents the research project actually led by Ctifl and Brgm (French Geological Survey). The objective of this project is to determine the parameters to take into account (and their relative importance), to evaluate the pre-feasibility of this technique on an agricultural site. This was done through numerical modeling of theoretical aquifer. The model used is a finite volumes software developed by Brgm, which can treat both water flow and thermal transfers. A sensitivity analysis is led on several sets of parameters sets, which depend either on exploitation conditions (pumping and injection discharge, distance between wells, etc.), or on aquifer conditions (geometry, thermal and hydraulic characteristics, etc.).