Search

The Canary Island archipelago holds 2.2 million inhabitants and received more than 14 million tourist visitors in 2019. Its volcanic origin and the presence of recent volcanic activity highlight its potential geothermal interest for heat production, therefore offering an attractive pathway for a renewable energy supply, not only for power generation and deep geothermal exploitation but also for low-enthalpy heating and cooling production. This work investigates nine touristic infrastructures in the Canary Islands which experienced a transition from conventional heat production systems to shallow geothermal energy (SGE) systems. The SGE systems established consisted in ultra-low temperature district heating and cooling (DHC) micro-networks involving, in most cases, small apartment blocks fed by shallow geothermal plants with an average cooling capacity of 602 kW and a heating capacity of 614 kW. The examination of this transition has exhibited an average saving of 374 MWh, 69,235 € and 280 tCO 2 for each installation every year. This work provides evidence of the economical, energetical and environmental advantages of SGE technology in volcanic islands facing both and enormous heating and cooling demand due to tourism, in an energy-dependent system that also faces the challenge of the decarbonization of the heating production sector. • Nine shallow geothermal systems in Canary Islands were examined. • Transition to shallow geothermal energy resulted in 66% energy savings. • Investments showed return rates higher than 13% for all cases studied. • Emissions savings were 256 tCO 2 per installation and year on average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]