We’re pleased to announce that a scientific paper supported by the SEEDS project was presented at the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) Research Conference Proceedings, held in Denver, Colorado.

📝 Paper title:
“Influence of short-term dynamic effects on geothermal borefield size”
🔗 Read the publication

📍 Authors:
Lone Meertens, Wouter Peere (Enead), and Prof. Lieve Helsen, KU Leuven & EnergyVille

🔍 About the research

This paper explores how neglecting short-term thermal dynamics in standard borefield sizing can lead to oversized geothermal systems and unnecessary investment costs.

Instead, by integrating dynamic modeling of fluid, pipe, and grout, the researchers show:

• Borefield sizes can be reduced by up to 35% while meeting performance constraints
• The results are especially relevant for buildings with variable peak loads (e.g. auditoriums)
• The most accurate predictions came from a model integrating both short- and long-term g-functions

The methodology was validated through:
✅ The Sandbox experiment
✅ A dynamic Modelica borefield model (IDEAS Library)

This work contributes directly to SEEDS’ goal of developing cost-effective and replicable geothermal systems for residential and tertiary applications.

👏 Congratulations to the KU Leuven team for this outstanding contribution to the field!