A methodology for lithology-based thermal conductivities at a regional scale for shallow geothermal energy – Application to the Brussels-Capital Region

peer reviewedA methodology for the determination of lithology-based thermal conductivities at a regional scale is proposed, assigning a saturated and unsaturated thermal conductivity to each stratigraphic unit encountered in the region. Such a methodology is paramount for GIS-supported mapping of shallow geothermal energy at a regional scale. The analysis is primarily based on the interpretation of thermal response tests (TRT), assuming that the thermal conductivity determined during TRT is a thickness-weighted average of the individual thermal conductivity of each stratigraphic unit constituting the ground along a ground heat exchanger (GHE). Enhanced thermal response tests, reference geological material-based thermal conductivities and laboratory optical scanning tests achieved on remolded specimen from drilling cuttings are used to validate the results. The relevance of the methodology is illustrated through its application to the Brussels-Capital Region (Belgium), and consistent saturated and unsaturated thermal conductivities are obtained for each stratigraphic unit. An uncertainty analysis on the thermal conductivity is proposed, and its impact on the design of GHE is discussed. In most cases, the relative error on the ground thermal conductivity is lower than 10 %, and its impact on GHE length remains limited