Low-power Geothermal Entalpia – The future of air conditioning

The low-entalpia geothermal is a renewable energy source generated by the exploitation of the temperature of the most surface layers of the subsurface, and used with excellent results to air-condition buildings in the winter and summer season.

Andrea Fiorentini Architect

The soil temperature in the first layers of the soil is generally around 12-13 degrees of temperature and always constant during the year, by installing plant systems such as "geothermal probes" or "wells", together with electrical machinery called "heat pumps", it is possible to air-condition the environments in the winter and summer seasons with significant economic savings of up to 50%, compared to traditional systems consisting of fossil combustion boilers.

The most widely used systems in the territory of the Po Valley, which has one of the largest aquifers in the world, consists of systems with "geothermal probes" or "taking wells" of groundwater.

The first called "closed" systems are composed of rather small diameter pipes inserted into the ground at varying depths depending on the geological characteristics of the site, within which circulates the fluid that exchanges heat with the ground and the transfers to the property's heat pump systems.

The seconds called "open" consist of groundwater intake wells at varying depths and diameters depending on the geological characteristics of the site, water that is used thermally by heat pump plants and then returned generally in the ground water by yield wells, sometimes if allowed even directly in sewers or in surface channels.

These are rather sophisticated systems that are generally suitable for multi-family buildings or large buildings for the cost of construction, which allow for a lower return time than the investment, but are generally suitable for multi-family buildings. however recommended for even more single-family buildings.

The advantages of geothermal energy are very successful if all aspects are taken into account, on the environmental level for the total lack of local emissions into the atmosphere, the renewableity of the energy source, the absence of technical volumes in coverage often unsightly, and especially in a country like ours forced to import significant amounts of energy, geothermal energy could be the solution for the future, at least in the field of construction.