Shallow subsurface heat recycling is a sustainable global space heating alternative.

ABSTRACT: Despite the global interest in green energy alternatives, little attention has focused on the large-scale viability of recycling the ground heat accumulated due to urbanization, industrialization and climate change. Here we show this theoretical heat potential at a multi-continental scale by first leveraging datasets of groundwater temperature and lithology to assess the distribution of subsurface thermal pollution. We then evaluate subsurface heat recycling for three scenarios: a status quo scenario representing present-day accumulated heat, a recycled scenario with ground temperatures returned to background values, and a climate change scenario representing projected warming impacts. Our analyses reveal that over 50% of sites show recyclable underground heat pollution in the status quo,

SUBMITTER: Benz SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9270455 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature