Vertical GSHP systems in Sweden 1978-2015 - A survey based on the Swedish Well Database

Abstract

The Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU) is the Swedish government agency responsible for groundwater, geological and mineral management in Sweden. SGU provides open access geological data on rock, soil and groundwater conditions. Since 1978 over 600 000 wells (water wells, GSHP boreholes, etc) have been registered in the SGU Well Database, with around 20 000 new registrations per year. Sweden is one of the leading countries in the world in developing and using ground source heat pump (GSHP) technology. Of the more than 600 000 registered wells, roughly 320 000 wells are registered as GSHP boreholes. The vast majority of these GSHP boreholes are single boreholes for single-family buildings. The number of large GSHP systems with 20 boreholes or more, is estimated to 300-350 sites. This paper uses data from the SGU Well Database to quantify and analyze the number of vertical GSHP systems reported between 1978-2015, with special focus on GSHP systems with 20 or more boreholes. Results are shown from the development of larger vertical GSHP system installments over the years, number of registrations per year, system size, average well depth, and geographical distribution.