GEOCOND project began in May 2017 and the first steps were aimed at achieving the optimal specifications of the new products to be developed. New plastic pipes have been developed showing a balance between process ability, thermal conductivity (high and low) and mechanical performance. Development of PCMs included modification of existing formulations and adaptation of manufacturing equipment. Experimental batches were produced for incorporation in the grouts. New hybrid additives have been developed in order to increase the compatibility with the grout constituents and also enhance the thermal conductivity of grouts.
In March 2019, the production of new developed materials (plastic pipes and grout) was upscaled, firstly for the shallow test field at UPV (<15 m depth). With material on site in Valencia in October 2019 drilling and installation could begin, the test field was operational in February 2020, and the tests were carried out until June 2020, with evaluation of the data going on further. The results confirmed the expectations from the lab tests, in particular the improved heat exchange efficiency. Production of material was further upscaled in the first half of 2020 for the full-size installations in Germany and Sweden, with the installation of a 50-m-deep BHE at Borås in Sweden ready in June 2020 and the subsequent thermal tests for PCM-grout running until August 2020. Material for the BHE of 100 m depth in Germany was ready in August 2020, and BHE could be installed at two different sites. The installation at full scale showed good handling properties of the materials, and the TRTs carried out at these BHE (until the very end of the project in February 2021) confirmed the improved efficiency.
Sustainability was validated by assessing environmental, cost and social impacts using GEOCOND’s pipes and grouting. Main contributions to all impacts were ascribed to the electricity consumption and the heat pumps needed. The single U configuration borehole using GEOCOND’s pipes and grouting proved to be the most sustainable solution.
A large number of articles in high impact scientific journals and international conferences have been released promoting the dissemination of the project results. Dissemination materials are available to the public to have a better understanding of the different GEOCOND´s undertakings. The e-learning materials represent the legacy of GEOCOND project’s outcomes whereby the technological developments have the ability to instigate extensive business impacts, across the shallow geothermal sector. Four practical courses were carried out where some of the submodules were presented. All this information has been carefully compiled on an online repository, which we hope is going to be highly educative (for further details, please visit the Project Activities section at GEOCOND´s website).
In terms of exploitation, there is a clear business case for the GEOCOND project and for the future deployment of its solutions to the industry. Several of the enhancements that have been produced during the project have a clear potential to thrive on the market of the shallow geothermal systems due to their proven performance in real environments as shown during the project.
