Page 34 - Analysis and Design of Energy Geostructures

CHAPTER 1

Energy and geotechnologies

1.1 Introduction
Since the 18th century energy consumption and supply have contributed to a marked
increase in environmental pollution. Many are the ways and frameworks that can be
accounted for restraining environmental pollution, but a development that meets
human activity needs and progress goals with a limited impact on the environment
can undoubtedly contribute to such a challenge.
In the construction sector, national and international policies, directives and regula-
tions are increasingly requiring, or promoting, the use of so-called “environmentally
friendly” technologies that involve a limited impact on the environment. This result
can be achieved, for example through technologies that supply buildings and infra-
structures with energy drawn from sources that can renew themselves at a sufficient
rate in human time frames and cause low environmental pollution. In a growing
number of countries, new buildings must be constructed with such technologies.
This chapter expands on energy sources and technologies that can sustain human
activity needs with a limited impact on the environment. Among the various energy
sources and technologies available, attention is devoted to geothermal energy (from
the Greek roots geo, meaning earth and thermos, meaning heat) and geotechnologies
because of their unique features for addressing the previously mentioned challenge.
With this aim, world anthropogenic development and the energy question are first
expanded: in this context the goal is to describe the interplay between the trend in the
world’s population and the exploitation of energy sources, the related effect on the
environment, and the perspectives that need to be considered in the building sector to
contribute to a development of low environmental impact. Next geothermal energy is
addressed: the objective of this part is to discuss the origin and the features of the con-
sidered energy source as well as to establish acquaintance with the principles that gov-
ern the operation of geotechnologies (and associated technological systems) harvesting
this energy source. Then geothermal systems are discussed: in this context the purpose is
to provide a classification of geothermal systems, to describe their features and uses,
and to highlight the technology of energy geostructures. Finally questions and problems are
proposed: the purpose of this part is to fix and test the understanding of the subjects
covered in this chapter by addressing a number of exercises.

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Analysis and Design of Energy Geostructures
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-816223-1.00001-1 All rights reserved. 3