G.TES: Pilot Plant for Seasonal Ground Energy Storage in Italy

Ground heat storage is considered a powerful solution for supplying thermal energy for heating and cooling (H&C) demand in buildings, covering the energy demand using the ground as a heat reservoir. The Turin University set up a test site at the Campus of Grugliasco in which this method is being tested at a real scale. Apart from direct temperature measurements in the ground and in different part of the hydraulic circuit, a laboratory scale modeling and a numerical simulation are being carried out as well as some direct measurements on the involved geological materials. All the measurements are targeted to the determination of physical parameters of soil, to the quantification of storable heat but also to the evaluation of environmental impact of the whole system. This experiment will allow in the near future a better design of seasonal ground storage facility in northern Italy.