Planning of geothermal district heating systems

This handbook deals with the analysis of the influence of different parameters that may affect the energy balances and economic feasibility of geothermal district heating systems. First of all, the technical description and critical analysis is carried out of different possible configurations for the energy production stations connected to district heating systems and supplied by low-enthalpy geothermal energy. Then, by means of a computer program, the behaviour of the proposed systems during yearly operation is simulated and the performances (both from a technical and from an economical standpoint) of the different designs are compared, with critical evaluation and conclusions. The discussion of the subject is detailed by evaluating the behaviour of different systems as the basic parameters fluctuate. The results are presented in the form of representative graphs and tables, which allow, by means of interpolations and extrapolations, a rough evaluation of the technical and economic figures relevant to cases characterized by basic data which are different from the ones assumed for the examined cases. In this regard, they represent a useful instrument for the first stage of the planning of a geothermal district heating system, allowing a fast screening of possible solutions.