This study presents an analysis of the energetic, economic, and environmental performance of a ground source heat pump (GSHP) during its initial operational phase in an arid climate in Egypt. The system was implemented as part of the GEB Project, which aims to enhance the capacity of geothermal energy in the country. The installation site experiences extreme climatic conditions, with summer air temperatures exceeding 45°C and minimal precipitation throughout the year, necessitating a thorough evaluation of the system’s efficiency and thermal behavior. As the first shallow geothermal project in Egypt, an experimental borehole heat exchanger (BHE) field was established in the courtyard of the Mining Engineering Department at Cairo University. This field was integrated with a GSHP to provide heating and air conditioning for the 47.25 m2 seminar room within the rock engineering laboratory. Given the arid climate of Cairo, cooling demand is particularly high, necessitating an in-depth investigation into ground heat dissipation efficiency. Site investigation was carried out to determine the ground thermal properties using different methods. Due to the large amount of injected heat, the ground suffered thermal imbalance. To partially counteract this imbalance, several operating mechanisms were implemented to optimize system performance and adaptability for both scientific research and educational purposes. The installation was equipped with adjustable valves, allowing for flexible switching between parallel, series, and intermediate BHE configurations. This flexibility enables the identification of the most efficient configuration under varying operational conditions, ensuring the system’s effectiveness in Egypt’s arid climate. Flowing in series, coinciding with the production of DHW during cooling, resulted in the highest efficiency due to the lower circulating water temperatures. Furthermore, the series flow resulted in the highest efficiency during heating activity.
Abdelghafar, K., Tinti, F., Elkarmoty, M., Helal, H., Mohamed, I. (2025). A geothermal ground source heat pump in arid climate: first year of operation. Bruxelles : European Geothermal Energy Council.
A geothermal ground source heat pump in arid climate: first year of operation
Francesco Tinti
;
2025
Abstract
This study presents an analysis of the energetic, economic, and environmental performance of a ground source heat pump (GSHP) during its initial operational phase in an arid climate in Egypt. The system was implemented as part of the GEB Project, which aims to enhance the capacity of geothermal energy in the country. The installation site experiences extreme climatic conditions, with summer air temperatures exceeding 45°C and minimal precipitation throughout the year, necessitating a thorough evaluation of the system’s efficiency and thermal behavior. As the first shallow geothermal project in Egypt, an experimental borehole heat exchanger (BHE) field was established in the courtyard of the Mining Engineering Department at Cairo University. This field was integrated with a GSHP to provide heating and air conditioning for the 47.25 m2 seminar room within the rock engineering laboratory. Given the arid climate of Cairo, cooling demand is particularly high, necessitating an in-depth investigation into ground heat dissipation efficiency. Site investigation was carried out to determine the ground thermal properties using different methods. Due to the large amount of injected heat, the ground suffered thermal imbalance. To partially counteract this imbalance, several operating mechanisms were implemented to optimize system performance and adaptability for both scientific research and educational purposes. The installation was equipped with adjustable valves, allowing for flexible switching between parallel, series, and intermediate BHE configurations. This flexibility enables the identification of the most efficient configuration under varying operational conditions, ensuring the system’s effectiveness in Egypt’s arid climate. Flowing in series, coinciding with the production of DHW during cooling, resulted in the highest efficiency due to the lower circulating water temperatures. Furthermore, the series flow resulted in the highest efficiency during heating activity.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
