Geothermal Potential of the Munich Gravel Plain (GePo)

The shallow geothermal energy, particularly the thermal use of groundwater, plays an important role in renewable energies, for which the Munich gravel plain offers ideal basic conditions. The capabilities and the dimensioning of geothermal facilities are influenced by local conditions. For the planning, the construction, the approval and the economic operation of a geothermal site it’s necessary to create a database with hydrogeological and geothermal informations. In cooperation with the Bavarian Environment Agency (LfU), the Chair of Hydrogeology of the TU Munich launched the „GEPO“-project („Geothermal potential of the Munich gravel plain“) to achieve these aims. Besides editing and analysing existing data, an interpretation of the spatial and temporal distribution of groundwater temperatures has been realized. In general, the heating and cooling process is very heterogeneous, but a trend of increasing groundwater temperatures in the summertime can be verified. The results are going to optimize the use of renewable energies in the area of Munich.