Heating and cooling sector has a significant impact on energy systems and on the environment, with further growth ahead due to increasing user demand according to many observers. Therefore, it is essential to expand and improve technological solutions in order to reduce the sector’s impact. In this context, Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) systems come into play.

ATES systems store thermal energy in the underground and, in one of the most common configurations, use groundwater that is used for heating and cooling applications combined with heat pumps. In this study, an ATES system coupled with a heating and cooling plant based on water-water heat pump serving a district of eight residential and tertiary users has been modeled and simulated. The modeling has also included auxiliary devices and the thermal energy distribution network, as well as the energy demands of the users and the specific climatic conditions.

The installation site has been identified through geological characterization, considering both geological maps and available well/borehole stratigraphy, which allowed for the reconstruction of static geological models for several areas within the Italian territory. Among these areas, a site located in the urban area of Rome has been selected as the most suitable site for considering the installation of the ATES-user-plant system. A methodology to couple the two models has been developed an applied.

The analysis of the simulations results has highlighted the feasibility of the ATES operation, with low impacts on the underground water, and has shown that the ATES and the heating and cooling system based on water-water heat pump are technologically compatible. The two systems can be coupled with several energy benefits: the heat pump mean seasonal COP is 4,1 while the mean seasonal EER is 4,4.

The Report is available on the Italian site