Innovative models of sustainable and resilient cities: the case of shallow geothermal energy

Abstract

The balance between urbanizing rural land and renaturalizing urban space is currently reflected in many strategies used to pursue urban interests and sustainable development. Given this difficult choice, cities seek to implement urban models that balance the needs inherent to sustainability: social, environmental, and economic keystones.

As a way of avoiding exponential urban expansion and major urban pressures on land use, while simultaneously safeguarding the socio-economic interests associated with large urban areas, certain cities in Europe have invested heavily in renewable energies. Among these, we highlight shallow geothermal energy, which refers to energy systems that continuously exploit the temperature of the subsoil through heat exchangers, a heat pump, and a regulation device.

The growing use of geothermal energy in portuguese urban areas reflects the public sector's concern to encourage the use of geothermal energy with a view to social and housing revitalization, economic enhancement, and ecological and sustainable protection. Therefore, it is important to strengthen the implementation of integrated public policies that encourage, regulate, and monitor the application of shallow geothermal systems throughout urban areas.

This article aims to address the implementation of shallow geothermal energy in a national and community context, in line with its role as a sustainable urban solution, and the increased and urgent importance of regulatory, technical, and scientific developments in this area.