WASTE | 2023
WHAT IS THE INFLUENCE OF WASTE HEAT ON SHALLOW GEOTHERMAL TECHNOLOGIES?
The project is dedicated to the exploration of the impacts of waste heat associated with the subsurface urban heat islands on the performance of shallow geothermal technologies, including geothermal boreholes and energy geostructures.
The project is underpinned by an integrated methodology encompassing experimental investigations, numerical modeling, and fieldwork initiatives, all oriented toward a deeper comprehension of the capacities of geothermal technologies in absorbing waste heat from the subsurface.
With this premises, this work harnesses the Chicago Loop district as a living laboratory with the ultimate aim to quantify the thermal performance of the considered geothermal technologies in the presence of waste heat emissions in the urban underground as well as the environmental and economic benefits associated with their exploitation over time. The results generated from this project promise to significantly contribute to the broader discourse surrounding waste heat management within urban areas and to inform the global deployment and utilization of geothermal technologies in increasingly dense urban settings.
Project team
![]() Alessandro F. Rotta Loria Assistant Professor |
![]() Anjali Thota Ph.D. Student |
Project team
![]() Alessandro F. Rotta Loria Assistant Professor |
![]() Anjali Thota Ph.D. Student |