Renewable energy supply of buildings

Lecture 06
Geothermal Energy and Heat Pumps
05.06.2023

Fatma Deghim, M.Sc.

Lehrstuhl für energieeffizientes und nachhaltiges Planen und Bauen Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang
Semester plan
Date Lecture Exercise

17.04.2023 L 01 Introduction

24.04.2023 L 02 Technical basics (online)

01.05.2023 - -

08.05.2023 L 03 Demand assessment E 01 Demand assessment of a building

15.05.2023 L 04 Solarthermal power E 02 Exercise solarthermal power

22.05.2023 L 05 Photovoltaics E 03 Exercise PV

29.05.2023 - -

05.06.2023 L 06 Geothermal heat and heat pumps

12.06.2023 L 07 Wind power

19.06.2023 L 08 Biomass

26.06.2023 L 09 Energy storage systems for buildings

03.07.2023 L 10 Power and heat networks

10.07.2023 - Digital excursion Oscar von Miller Forum

17.07.2023 - Q+A

24.07.2023 - Exam
Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang |2
 Sources of energy and form of appearance
Fusion Light

Non-Renewable
Atoms Heat
Fission

Energies
Coal
Oil
past solar radiation
Gas
Other fossil biogen fuels

Solar Global Radiation

Radiation
nuclear

Heat of the atmosphere

Heat of the seas
Heat within the earth‘s surface
present solar radiation Evaporation and precipitation

Renewable Energies
Wind
Waves
Sea current
Biomass

Geothermal
Heat
Heat
nuclear
not

Gravitation Tides

Kaltschmitt, Streicher, Wiese; Erneuerbare Energien: Systemtechnik, Wirtschaftlichkeit, Umweltaspekte. Berlin Heidelberg New York. Springer-Verlag, 2013

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang |3
Geothermal energy

Geothermal Energy

Near-surface Deep
geothermal energy geothermal energy

Geothermal probe Hydrothermal

(with heatpump) geothermal energy

Petrothermal
geothermal energy

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang |4
Global geothermal sites

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang |5
Content of the lecture

1. Current status of the use of geothermal energy

2. Types of geothermal systems
3. Physical basics of a heat pump
4. Near-surface geothermal systems

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang |6
Content of the lecture

1. Current status of the use of geothermal energy

2. Types of geothermal systems
3. Physical basics of a heat pump
4. Near-surface geothermal systems

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang |7
Distribution of the total final energy generation from
renewable energies in Germany in 2022

https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/klima-energie/erneuerbare-energien/erneuerbare-energien-in-zahlen#ueberblick

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang |8
Energy consumption for heating and cooling in Germany in
2022

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang |9
Geothermal energy in Germany

Potential for using geothermal energy in Germany

• Near-surface geothermal energy: uses heat in earth layers up to 400 m

• Hydrothermal geothermal energy: uses water-bearing layers between 400 - 6.000 m
• Petrothermal geothermal energy: uses the heat of the rock between 400 - 6.000 m

https://www.unendlich-viel-energie.de/media/file/971.EWAtlas2017_Mai17_web.pdf

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 10
Geothermal energy use for heat supply in Germany in the
years 2001 to 2022 (in gigawatt hours)

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 11
Content of the lecture

1. Current status of the use of geothermal energy

2. Types of geothermal systems
3. Physical basics of a heat pump
4. Near-surface geothermal systems

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 12
 The earth’s core

The earth consists of

• inner core (solid)
• outer core (liquid)
• mantle
• crust

Main sources of heat

• residual heat from the time
the earth was formed
• radioactive decay

 Temperature gradient: 3K
per 100m

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%27s_core

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 13
Near-surface temperature profile

Temperature of the upper soil layers

• Soil temperatures remain almost constant

throughout the year from a depth of 15m

• From around 50 meters, the heat from the February

earth's interior is noticeable
May
• The temperature rises continuously by about
August
3°C for every 100 meters of depth
November

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 14
Overview of geothermal systems

Deep geothermal Surface-near

systems geothermal system

Bayerisches Landesamt für Umwelt

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 15
Content of the lecture

1. Current status of the use of geothermal energy

2. Types of geothermal systems
3. Physical basics of a heat pump
4. Near-surface geothermal systems

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 16
Working principle of heat pumps and chillers

Heated Chilled
Heat emission Heat absorption
object object
(target value) (target value)

Drive Drive
Heat pump Chiller

Heat absorption Environment Heat emission Environment

(waste heat)

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 17
Principle of heat pumps

A Heat Pump consists of:

• a compressor (Verdichter)
• a condenser (Verflüssiger)
• an expansion valve (Expansionsventil)
• an evaporator (Verdampfer)
https://aspirationenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Screen-Shot-2020-06-22-at-11.56.27-AM.png

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 18
Principle of heat pumps
2

Step 1: Refrigerant is evaporated using environmental heat with low temperatures 

becomes a gas
Step 2: Refrigerant is compressed using driving energy  becomes more dense and hotter
Step 3: Refrigerant is cooled down, the heat is used  becomes a liquid
Step 4: Refrigerant is expanded  becomes less dense and cools down further

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 19
Working principle of heat pumps

Input Output
Environmental Heat Warm Water

Possible heat sources Description of the pump

• Ground or surface water Water-Water heat pump
• Ground, ground heat exchanger/ground collector Brine-Water heat pump
• Soil, earth probe Brine-Water heat pump
• Ambient air Air-Water heat pump
• Waste heat e.g. from industrial processes Air-Water or Water-Water heat
pump

German names:
Air-Water heat pump Luft-Wasser Wärmepumpe
Brine-Water heat pump Sohle-Wasser Wärmepumpe
Water-Water heat pump Wasser-Wasser Wärmepumpe

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 20
Possible refrigerants
Chlorofluorocarbon - CFC (Ger.: Fluor-Chlor-Kohlenwasserstoff - FCKW)
Strongly damaging to the ozone layer, prohibited in new installations since 1996

Hydrofluorocarbon – (H)PFC (Ger.: Fluorkohlenwasserstoff FKW)

Not damaging to the ozone layer, but high greenhouse potential  often used refrigerant today

Hydrocarbon (Ger.: Kohlenwasserstoff)

Low Global warming potential, but flammable

Alternatives: carbon monoxide, ammonia and water

Non- flammable and very low Global warming potential

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 21
Ideal and real performance figures
𝐏
Energy Balance of a heat pump Qሶ out = Qሶ in + P
𝐐ሶ 𝐢𝐧 𝐐ሶ 𝐨𝐮𝐭
Qሶ out Qሶ out
Coefficient of performance (COP) ϵ= =
P Qሶ out −Qሶ in

 Gives the performance of the heating pump under standardized conditions

 Allows the comparison of the performance of different heat pumps

Qout
Performance factor ϵa = with W = actual energy input over a period of time
W
 Gives the actual performance of the system over a period of time under real conditions

Example
A performance factor of 3 means, that by putting in 1 kWh of driving energy, 3 kWh of heat can be
generated

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 22
Exercise 1: Calculating the Coefficient of Performance
(COP) of a Heat Pump
The objective of this exercise is to calculate the Coefficient of Performance (COP) of a heat
pump system using heat transfer rates.
1. Heat transfer rate into the heat pump (Qሶ in ): 3000 watts
2. Heat transfer rate out of the heat pump (Qሶ out ): 9000 watts

COP = Qሶ out / (Qሶ out - Qሶ in )

1. COP: Coefficient of Performance
2. Qሶ out : Heat transfer rate out of the heat pump
3. Qሶ in : Heat transfer rate into the heat pump

COP = Qሶ out / (Qሶ out - Qሶ in ) = 9000 / (9000-3000) = 1.5

 COP of 1.5 indicates that for every watt of electrical energy consumed, the heat pump transfers
1.5 watts of heat energy. Higher COP values indicate greater energy efficiency in transferring heat.

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 23
Ideal and real performance figures

 High performance factor at low temperature

difference between the environmental heat
Tin = 10°C source and the system temperatures of the
heating system
Performance factor

−5°C

−20°C

Temperature of the heat sink 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 °𝐂

Kaltschmitt, Streicher, Wiese; Erneuerbare Energien: Systemtechnik, Wirtschaftlichkeit, Umweltaspekte. Berlin Heidelberg New York. Springer-Verlag, 2013

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 24
Installation modes of air-water heat pumps

Outdoor installation Split installation Inside installation

 Evaporator is installed  Heat pump is installed

 Heat pump is installed
outside, the rest inside completely indoors
completely outdoors
+ little space requirement + minimal heat losses
+ noise reduction inside
inside - noise inside
+ no space requirement
- Little heat losses - space requirement inside
inside
- heat losses of the heat
pump

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 25
Operating modes of heat pumps
in combination with other heat generators

Monovalent The heat pump covers the entire heat demand alone
Bivalent In addition to the heat pump, other heat generators are used

Bivalent parallel Bivalent partially parallel Bivalent alternative

The second heat generator
switches on when the heat
pump can no longer
generate the required heat
on its own. The heat pump
remains in parallel
operation, even at the
lowest outside
temperatures.
The second heat generator The second heat generator
switches on when the heat switches on when the heat
pump can no longer generate pump can no longer generate
the required heat on its own. the required heat on its own
and generates the heat alone.
Up to a set outside
temperature, both heat
generators run in parallel,
below this temperature the
heat pump switches off.
SG: Second Generator
HP: Heat Pump

SG SG
SG

HP HP
HP

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 26
Use of heat pumps in existing buildings

Problems with old buildings

• High heat demand
• High flow temperatures necessary
 Large dimensioning of the source (high investment
costs)

http://hauseigentuemermagazin.com/waende-im-altbau-
aufmoebeln-befestigen-ohne-boese-ueberraschungen/

Possible solutions
• Reduction of the heating circuit temperatures
• Renovation of the thermal building envelope
• New radiators or possibly panel heating
• …
• Use of hybrid systems
• Combination with a gas boiler
• Combination with solar thermal energy
https://apps.derstandard.de/privacywall/story/2000055149370/z

• … u-hohe-miete-im-altbau-abwarten-und-miete-checken

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 27
Content of the lecture

1. Current status of the use of geothermal energy

2. Types of geothermal systems
3. Physical basics of a heat pump
4. Near-surface geothermal systems

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 29
Near-surface geothermal energy (up to max. 400m)

air-soil heat exchanger production- and

geothermal probe injection well
soil heat collector
building

wall absorber

floor absorber groundwater

energy piles soil

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 30
Near-surface geothermal energy (up to max. 400m)

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 31
Soil as a heat source – Soil heat collector
• Use of the heat stored near the surface in the soil
• Laying of the plastic pipes horizontally at a depth
of ca. 1 m (at least 20 cm below the frost line)
with ca. 0,5 m distance between the parallel
pipes
• Water-glycol mixture (brine) flows through the
pipes, Brine-Water heat pump in the house
• Freezing of the surrounding soil is possible
• The collector area should be 1,5 - 2 times the
size of the area to be heated
• Investment costs for geothermal heat collectors:
250-350 € per kW of heat output
www.ipp.mpg.de
Comparison to probes
• lower operating temperatures in winter and higher
temperatures in summer
• Lower investment costs but also smaller
performance factor

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 32
Soil as a heat source – Soil heat collector
Types of soil heat collectors
1
1

Horizontal
heat collectors

Trench 2
heat collectors

3 Kaltschmitt, Streicher, Wiese; Erneuerbare Energien: Systemtechnik,

Wirtschaftlichkeit, Umweltaspekte. Berlin Heidelberg New York. Springer-Verlag, 2013

Soil heat
baskets

Koenigsdorff, 2011

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 33
Soil as a heat source – Geothermal probe
• More space-saving than area collectors
• Vertical bore, in which pipes with a heat transfer
medium flow
• Hole filled with highly heat-conducting special
concrete
• Heat transfer via brine to the brine/water heat
pump
• Flexible application possibilities: from the single
family home to large buildings for heat/cold
supply or storage
• Typical depths: 40-100 m
• Distance of the probes to the property boundary
www.ipp.mpg.de
at least 3 m and among each other at least 6 m
• Investment costs of geothermal probes:
550-850 € per kW of heat output

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 34
Soil as a heat source – Geothermal probe

• Geothermal probes decrease the temperature of the soil

• The more heat is taken, the colder the soil gets

Oliver Kohlsch: „Erdwarmesysteme im Siedlungsbau“

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 35
Soil as a heat source – Geothermal probe

• Probes influence each other

• The distance between probes has to be considered when planning a geothermal probe
system

Oliver Kohlsch: „Erdwarmesysteme im Siedlungsbau“

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Water as a heat source – Two well systems
• Utilization only possible at a suitable location
 Groundwater available at a suitable depth
• Groundwater is tapped via the production well,
used by the heat pump, and returned via the
injection well
• Continuously new ground water available
 constant temperature of ca. 7-12°C
• Distance between the wells ca. 10-15m, arranged
in such a way that no cooled water reaches the
production well
• Typical depths: for detached and semi-detached
houses, depths up to 30 m are economical

www.ipp.mpg.de
• Water law permit required
• Investment costs: Two wells including feed pump;
depending on depth and subsoil conditions for a
single or multiple family house about 3.000 -
9.000 €

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 37
Air as a heat source – Air systems
• Heat is extracted from the air with large fans
• Low heat capacity of air
• large quantities are needed to provide the
heat required for the temperature rise in the
heat pump
• lowest efficiencies of all geothermal systems
• Advantages compared to other systems
• Significantly lower costs for investment and
installation
• Easier accessibility in case of repairs…
www.ipp.mpg.de • Air as a heat source can be used practically
anywhere

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 38
Air as a heat source – Air systems

Weishaupt, Vaillant; Daikin

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 39
The building as a heat source – Underground elements

• Utilization of the heat in building elements reaching

deep into the soil
• No significant additional expenditure necessary,
especially suitable for large buildings
• Concrete already has good thermal conductivity
• HDPE pipes with brine flowing through them
 used in a Water-Brine heat pump
• Examples: energy piles, floor and wall absorbers

Bayrisches Staatsministerium für Umwelt, Gesundheit und Verbraucherschutz: Oberflächennahe Geothermie

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 40
Summary of the relationship between heat source
availability and efficiency

Waste Ground Soil

Air
Heat -water Heat

TUM IfE 45-439-B06

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 41
Comparison of different heat sources for heat pumps

Soil heat Geothermal Groundwater Air Building

collector probe elements

Needs free Almost Depends on In new

Availability Everywhere
spaces everywhere the site buildings

Space
High Low Low Low Low
requirement

Average temp.
-5 to +5 °C 0 to 10 °C 8 to 12 °C -25 to +15 °C -3 to +5 °C
in winter

Need for water

No In most cases Always No No
law approval

Typical
performance 4,0 4,5 4,5 3,3 -
factor

Institute of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Lang | 42
Copyright

© 2023
Renewable Energy Supply of Buildings

Technical University of Munich

TUM School of Engineering and Design
Chair for Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Building

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