Supervisor - Dr. Richard Lord, University of Strathclyde
PhD Student - Ross Donaldson, University of Strathclyde
Status - Complete
Geothermal heat exchange technology is well established, however its use as a valid renewable energy technology in the urban environment has not yet been fully developed. The mining legacy in Scotland represents a significant opportunity where the use of geothermal energy and ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) can be fully explored and established within design and planning protocols.
This project therefore aims to examine how geothermal energy can be coupled with factors affecting energy utilisation, moving towards widespread uptake of the technology. These include understanding the demands of geothermal technology within a major urban environment, and also how its use can benefit demand-side energy management. The Government run Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme allows cash back payments to be made to producers of renewable heat; as such, the main focus of this project will be to explore how all of these factors can aid in optimising geothermal energy usage within the RHI.