Activities and studies of Emilia-Romagna Region for the ... - geo.power

Slide title 

Inter-department working group on geothermal energy 

(small local uses) 

Activities and studies of 

Emilia-Romagna Region for 

the development of low 

enthalpy geothermal systems 

EUROPEAN REGIONAL 

DEVELOPMENT FUND 

The D.Lgs. 11/2/2010 n. 22 delegates the Regional Administrations to regulate the 

exploitation of the subsoil for the geothermal plants < 2 MW (small local uses). 

In Italy exploitation by open-loop systems is already regulated by national (RD 

1933, D. Lgs 152/2006) and regional codes (es. RER: RR 41/2001). 

With act n. 4963/2010 of the General Manager to the Productive Activities, Trade 

and Tourism (competent also for the energy policy), the Emilia-Romagna Region 

established an inter-department working group. 

This working group is composed by expert from: 

• Productive activities, trade and tourism Department (coordination) 

• Environment, Soil and Coastal Defence Department 

• Territorial Planning and negotiated agreements, European relations and 

international relations Department 

1 > Contents 

Ferrara, 2-3 December 2010 

2 > GEO.POWER Inception meeting 


Slide title 

Slide title 

The Geological, Seismic and Soil Survey (SGSS) is an office of the 

Department Environment, Soil and Coastal Defence. 

About the exploitation of low enthalpy geothermal systems for 

Ground Coupled Heat Pumps (GCHP) the SGSS is working with: 

1) Centro Geo-Tecnologie, Siena University, for a software of testing 

and processing of geological, hydrogeological and geotechnical 

parameters to characterize the geothermal heat pump systems in 

Emilia-Romagna; 

2) regional Order of Geologists (OGER) for a guideline on geological 

studies to support the geothermal heat pumps design. 

Activity 1: key results expected 

- inventory of equipment installed in Emilia-Romagna 

- creation of a database 

- preliminary map of the thermal conductivity of the 

subsoil (until depth = 100 m) 




Ferrara, 2-3 December 2010

Entity - Relationship flow-chart 

Slide title 

Structure of the database 

Structure of the database 

Slide title 

Tool to centralize 

and manage a large 

amount of data 

Can provide easily 

access data and 

consultation 

Geothermal Database 

of open/closed-loop 

in Emilia Romagna 



Plants 

Num_Rel 

ID_REG 

ID_IMP 

sequence number 

Latitude 

Longitude 

Type of systems 



N 

E 

Location 

Supplier 

Liq_term_heat pump 

Heating Power 

Heating_Power_ 

_Power_max 

Cooling_Power 

T_Heating_min 

Technical parameters 

T_Cool_Max 

T_Cool_Min 

Winter yield 

Summer yield 

Annual consumption 

COP 

EER 

Structure of the database “BDSGRER” 

GCHP known in Emilia-Romagna 

56 GCHP 

56 GCHP 

No horizontal closed 

loop plants 

Source 

Request 

Subjects 

Loop 

Each table is related 

to Feature Class 

"Plant" 

Parameters 

Stratigraphy 

Monitoring 

Annexes 

Type Plants 

11 Open Loop 

0 Horizontal Closed Loop 

45 Vertical Closed Loop 

Data obtained: 

‣ by companies 

‣ by regional offices 





Potenza installata (kW) 

Installed Power 

10000 

1000 

100 

10 

Statistics today … 

Potenza Heatingriscaldamento 

Power 

Potenza Cooling raffreddamento 

Power 

Most of the installed plants reaches 

power, both heating and cooling, 

below 20 kW 

Acqua 

Acqua con glicole etilenico 

Acqua con glicole propilenico Acqua distillata 

Acqua glicolata 

Acqua addolcita 

Non specificato 

1 1 

5 

2 

2 

1 

44 

Heat transfer fluid that circulates inside 

the geothermal loop 

In most cases it is not specified ... 

The more fluid used is water with 

propylene glycol 

R407C R410A R134A non specificato 

2 

2 

1 

1 

3 

6 

7 

8 

9 

Fluid coolant that circulates in the 

heat pump 

15 

16 

22 

23 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 

32 

Identification Numero identificativo Numberimpianti of vertical a sonde loop verticali systems 

We can reach heating power of 2200 kW 

33 

34 

35 

36 

37 

38 

39 

40 

41 

43 

45 

47 

48 

49 

50 

51 

Is almost never 

specified ... 

51 

We can reach cooling power of 1600 kW 





From geological knowledge, supported by maps and data bases, 

was performed 

Lithological reclassification 

Assigning values of thermal conductivity from 

bibliography 

Map of the preliminary thermal conductivity 

Areas with geological characteristics comparable 

in terms of performance, potential, environmental 

impact and preparing for installation 





Preliminary thermal conductivity map 

of Emilia-Romagna lithologies 

Activity 2: guideline on geological studies 

to support the GCHP design 

For this purpose, the SGSS is preparing cognitive maps on: 

- main acquifers, 

- basal surfaces of the aquifers for drinking water, 

- basal surface of coastal salt wedge intrusion, 

Work in progress! 





Data Base: geolithological map of Emilia Romagna plain 

Subsoil geological database 

Parma 

Bologna 

Ravenna 

61.150 points: 

14.749 stratigraphy of water wells 

13.018 exploration bore-holes 

33.383 geothecnical tests 





http://www.regione.emilia-romagna.it/geologia/ 

Hydrostratigraphy of Ferrara Province 

97 regional geological cross-sections, 217 bore-holes and more than 

2500 geothecnical tests 





Other initiatives 

The promotion is not only economic incentives but also: 

- dissemination 

Thanks for your attention 

- professional training in favour of designers, planners, 

installers, engineers, geologists and public 

administration for the territory government.

Activities and studies of Emilia-Romagna Region for the ... - geo.power

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