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Defining the Shallow Geothermal Heat-Exchange Potential for a Lower Fluvial Plain of the Central Apennines: The Metauro Valley (Marche Region, Italy)

Author

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  • Marco Taussi

    (Dipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate, Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo, Via Ca’ Le Suore 2/4, 61029 Urbino, Italy)

  • Walter Borghi

    (GEOCON Studio Associato per la Geologia e la Sicurezza, Via Gozzi 10/A, 61032 Fano, Italy)

  • Michele Gliaschera

    (GEOCON Studio Associato per la Geologia e la Sicurezza, Via Gozzi 10/A, 61032 Fano, Italy)

  • Alberto Renzulli

    (Dipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate, Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo, Via Ca’ Le Suore 2/4, 61029 Urbino, Italy
    Geo.In.Tech. srl Spin Off, Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo, Via Ca’ Le Suore 2/4, 61029 Urbino, Italy)

Abstract

In this work we assessed the shallow geothermal heat-exchange potential of a fluvial plain of the Central Apennines, the lower Metauro Valley, where about 90,000 people live. Publicly available geognostic drilling data from the Italian Seismic Microzonation studies have been exploited together with hydrogeological and thermophysical properties of the main geological formations of the area. These data have been averaged over the firsts 100 m of subsoil to define the thermal conductivity, the specific heat extraction rates of the ground and to establish the geothermal potential of the area (expressed in MWh y −1 ). The investigation revealed that the heat-exchange potential is mainly controlled by the bedrock lithotypes and the saturated conditions of the sedimentary infill. A general increase in thermal conductivity, specific heat extraction and geothermal potential have been mapped moving from the coast, where higher sedimentary infill thicknesses have been found, towards the inland where the carbonate bedrock approaches the surface. The geothermal potential of the investigated lower Metauro Valley is mostly between ~9.0 and ~10 MWh y −1 and the average depth to be drilled to supply a standard domestic power demand of 4.0 kW is ~96 m (ranging from 82 to 125 m all over the valley). This investigation emphasizes that the Seismic Microzonation studies represent a huge database to be exploited for the best assessment of the shallow geothermal potential throughout the Italian regions, which can be addressed by the implementation of heating and cooling through vertical closed-loop borehole heat exchanger systems coupled with geothermal heat pumps.

Suggested Citation

  • Marco Taussi & Walter Borghi & Michele Gliaschera & Alberto Renzulli, 2021. "Defining the Shallow Geothermal Heat-Exchange Potential for a Lower Fluvial Plain of the Central Apennines: The Metauro Valley (Marche Region, Italy)," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-18, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:3:p:768-:d:491231
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Lorenzo Chemeri & Marco Taussi & Jacopo Cabassi & Francesco Capecchiacci & Antonio Randazzo & Franco Tassi & Alberto Renzulli & Orlando Vaselli, 2024. "Groundwater and Dissolved Gases Geochemistry in the Pesaro-Urbino Province (Northern Marche, Central Italy) as a Tool for Seismic Surveillance and Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-26, June.
    2. Elisa Heim & Marius Laska & Ralf Becker & Norbert Klitzsch, 2022. "Estimating the Subsurface Thermal Conductivity and Its Uncertainty for Shallow Geothermal Energy Use—A Workflow and Geoportal Based on Publicly Available Data," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-19, May.
    3. Martina Gizzi & Federico Vagnon & Glenda Taddia & Stefano Lo Russo, 2023. "A Review of Groundwater Heat Pump Systems in the Italian Framework: Technological Potential and Environmental Limits," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-13, June.
    4. Marco Taussi & Caterina Gozzi & Orlando Vaselli & Jacopo Cabassi & Matia Menichini & Marco Doveri & Marco Romei & Alfredo Ferretti & Alma Gambioli & Barbara Nisi, 2022. "Contamination Assessment and Temporal Evolution of Nitrates in the Shallow Aquifer of the Metauro River Plain (Adriatic Sea, Italy) after Remediation Actions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-24, September.
    5. Violante, Anna Carmela & Guidi, Giambattista & Proposito, Marco & Mataloni, Simone & Spaziani, Fabio, 2024. "Use of distributed temperature sensing (DTS) coupled to ground source heat exchangers for geological thermo-stratigraphic correlation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).

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