Currently the keywords geothermal energy, renewable energy, passive house technology and energy efficiency are evident in connection with global warming and climatic change. They serve for an efficient and sustainable utilization of energy resources for heating and cooling of houses. In the context of renewable energy sources geothermal energy is often ignored as it is difficult to evaluate, although it contains by far an immense potential compared to other energy sources. A sustainable energy policy demands a comparable data base to form the basis for an impartial evaluation of energy sources.

To overcome this deficiency a comprehensive study was done to determine the effective geothermal energy potential for Austria by a group of geotechnical engineers, geologists, system engineers, facility managers, infrastructure experts, structural engineers as well as spatial planners.

The aim of the project “GEO-Pot: Geothermal Energy Potential in Austria” was the nationwide investigation and demonstration of the useable shallow geothermal energy potential for heating purposes in buildings.