Brussels, 21st October 2024 – The European Geothermal Heat Pump Days 2024 successfully concluded its three-day event in Dublin, Ireland, celebrating significant advancements in geothermal HP technology and reinforcing its role in supplying heat, cold and hot water but also thermal storage.
The conference brought together industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers to explore new solutions for deploying geothermal HP and the vital role geothermal technology plays in the heating and cooling sectors. The event, held at the Spencer Hotel in Dublin, featured field trips, presentations, panel discussions, and networking opportunities. These activities were designed to foster collaboration and the exchange of knowledge on the future of geothermal heat pump solutions in Europe and beyond.
Key Highlights
16 October 2024 | Field Trip to Trinity College
Attendees started the event with a tour of Trinity College Dublin’s Rubrics building, showcasing the successful integration of geothermal heat pumps in the campus’s historic architecture. This innovative refurbishment highlights the potential of geothermal energy to combine modern efficiency with the preservation of heritage sites.
17 October 2024 | Full-Day Conference on Geothermal Heat Pumps
The second day opened with a keynote session emphasising the growing significance of geothermal energy in Ireland’s green agenda. Featured speakers included Ian Devlin from Ireland’s Department of Environment, Climate & Communications, Taly Hunter-Williams from Geological Survey Ireland, and Carlos Merino from Celsius Energy sponsoring the event. Their discussions stressed the urgent need to scale up geothermal solutions to meet the increasing demand from buildings, cities, and the industry for decarbonising their heating and cooling consumption.
The day’s sessions also examined the competitiveness of geothermal technologies across Europe, offering insights from experts in Germany, Finland, and Ireland. In some markets, we are seeing a decline or stagnation in sales. It is dramatic, so the heat sector needs immediate fair market conditions, and the EC must release its Action Plan for Heat Pumps now! Innovative projects like Croatia’s Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) and France’s Solar Borehole Thermal Energy Storage (BTES) were highlighted as groundbreaking advancements pushing the boundaries of renewable energy solutions.
18 October 2024 | Morning Conference on the Cooling Market
The final day of the Geothermal Heat Pump Days focused on the potential of geothermal cooling technologies, with presentations centred on renewable energy scenarios and the impact of RES (Renewable Energy Source) cooling technologies. Michele De Carli (University of Padua) and Borja Badenes (Universitat Politècnica de València), representing the Cooling Down project’s first results, discussed efficient, renewable cooling solutions for cities through municipal energy plans (SEAPs). Renewable cooling must be deployed to face the heat urban island effect in cities.
In a dedicated session on data centres in Ireland, Emil Martini (EGEC) emphasised a best practice for renewable cooling in Bergamo for the Euronext data centre, while David McAuley (BitPower) explored Ireland’s growing digital landscape. Ric Pasquali (GAI) presented geothermal cooling as a sustainable solution for reducing carbon footprints and operational costs in data centres. The day concluded with a session on “Innovative and Good Practices in Renewable Cooling,”
ABOUT THE EUROPEAN GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMP DAYS
Geothermal Heat Pump Days is an event dedicated to exploring the transformative potential of geothermal heat pumps in the quest for decarbonized heating and cooling. Building on the legacy of the Shallow Geothermal Days, this conference has evolved since 2019 to spotlight the critical role of geothermal heat pumps, both large and small-scale, in achieving a sustainable and net-zero future.
ABOUT EUROPEAN GEOTHERMAL ENERGY COUNCIL (EGEC)
The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) is a not-for-profit organisation promoting all aspects of the geothermal industry. Founded in 1998, its objective is to facilitate awareness and expansion of geothermal applications across Europe by shaping policy, improving investment conditions and steering research. It has over 200 members from 30 countries, ranging from developers to equipment manufacturers, energy providers, national associations, consultants, research centres, geological surveys, government agencies, departments and public authorities. This allows EGEC to represent the entire geothermal sector.
EGEC is listed in the European Transparency Register No. 11458103335-07. For more information visit www.egec.org
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