| Title | An outlook of geothermal energy and underground thermal storage legal status in Portugal |
|---|---|
| Authors | Coelho, Tavares, Lourenço, Joyce, Madureira, Costa |
| Year | 2013 |
| Conference | European Geothermal Conference |
| Keywords | thermal storage, open and closed systems, legislation, dissemination. |
| Abstract | Shallow geothermal energy legislation concerning Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP) installation codes and environmental protection is incomplete and unclear, worldwide. In Portugal geothermal resources and geothermal energy usage are also not properly regulated. Underground Thermal Energy Storage (UTES) is not clearly defined, and finding the appropriate authority to license the well’s drilling works is a hard task. Open circuit GSHP’s are not yet common in Portugal and a license application for such a system is a cumbersome situation. There are several entities involved in the evaluation of an UTES project. For closed loop systems, the lack of legislation allows some market players to work without technical qualifications and the appropriated means, endangering the environment and prejudicing the image of geothermal energy; and designing and performing not sustainable or inefficient installations. A National Platform called PPGS (Portuguese Platform for Shallow Geothermal) is now working towards the definition of the general framework for geothermal energy. It is imperative to distinguish the concepts of geothermal resources and geothermal energy, and to analyse and regulate if the soil itself (in the absence of a fluid) should be considered as a natural resource, given its energy storage potential. The final target is to regulate the sector, to contribute to the development of shallow geothermal energy in Portugal and to produce some materials that will help players to act according with best practices. |