Geothermal Heat Pump Days 2024 Concludes in Dublin!
Innovations and Renewed Commitment to the Development of Geothermal Heat Pumps – Presentations Available!
Dublin, October 18, 2024 – The European Geothermal Heat Pump (GeoHP) Days 2024 wrapped up its three-day programme in Dublin (Ireland), after offering an array of insightful presentations, interactive panel discussions, and collaborative networking opportunities aimed at advancing geothermal heat pumps in Europe.
Key Highlights
16th October 2024 | Field Trip to Trinity College
Held at the Spencer Hotel, the event kicked off with a fascinating field trip to Trinity College Dublin’s historic Rubrics building, where attendees learned about the successful integration of ground-source heat pumps in one of the oldest structures on campus, blending architectural preservation with modern energy efficiency.
17th 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.
The day was finalised with presentations highlighting the role of the end-users through the presentation of current projects in Northern Ireland for large buildings and the new methods for designing clusters of individual systems and planning in the Netherlands.
The day closed on a high note with a networking dinner at Fade Street Social, where industry professionals and experts continued to discuss the future of geothermal energy and shared ideas on moving the sector forward.
18 October | Morning Conference on 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”.
Luc Pockelé from ETIP Geothermal opened the session by presenting the latest innovation and research trends in geothermal, shedding light on the future of sustainable energy systems.
Iñigo Arrizabalaga Valbuena of TELUR GEOTERMIA Y AGUA shared insights from the ATELIER Bilbao project, which explores the use of very low-temperature district heating and cooling (DHC) in positive energy districts.
Emilie Monaco from the Province of Liège showcased the “B3” project, a case study from Belgium that demonstrates how geothermal energy can replace fossil fuels in urban environments.
Finally, Ken Gordon from the Ground Source Heat Pump Association (GSHPA) discussed the UK’s approach to networked geothermal heat pumps and shared ground loops, emphasising the potential for scaling up geothermal solutions in residential and commercial settings.
Access Event Presentations
Presentations from the event are now available! Please note that these materials are intended exclusively for conference participants. Presentations are available here!
A Special Thank You to the Sponsors
We extend our heartful gratitude to our sponsors, whose invaluable support is instrumental in making this event a resounding success. Thank you for being an integral part of Geothermal Heat Pump Days 2024.
