Geothermal Heating: Environmental Impacts, Optimization, and Remediation

通过更多地采用可再生能源来减少对化石燃料的依赖，已成为减缓气候变化和最大限度减少温室气体排放的全球优先事项。在加拿大，地热供暖(或地源热泵)的使用已成为建筑物供暖和制冷的流行选择，预计在短期内，大多数大型建筑将把地热供暖作为其气候控制战略的一部分。然而，人们对地热供暖对地下环境的环境影响知之甚少。此外，几乎没有关于地热设施、地下水管理以及井距或井深的规定。规格留给供应商，他们的目标是实现特定的供暖/制冷目标；对环境的潜在影响是次要的。

Reducing reliance on fossil fuels, by increased adoption of renewables, has become a worldwide priority to mitigate climate change and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. In Canada, the use of geothermal heating (or ground source heat pumps) has become a popular option for heating and cooling buildings and it is anticipated that, in the near term, most large buildings will include geothermal heating as part of their climate control strategy. However, very little is known about the environmental impacts of geothermal heating on the subsurface environment. Furthermore, few regulations exist for geothermal installations, groundwater management, and well spacing or depth. Specifications are left to vendors whose goals are to achieve specific heating/cooling objectives; potential impacts on the environment are secondary.