Geosciences
Geothermal Energy Fundamentals
A one-day introduction to geothermal energy as a renewable source: its origin and classification, its uses in power generation, direct heat use, and heating and cooling with ground-source heat pumps, ways of using the shallow subsurface, and data sources and support tools.
Overview
About the programme
Duration
1 day
Training hours
7 hours
Delivery
Training hall · Virtual · At your premises
Language
Arabic or English
Objectives
Training outcomes
- Define geothermal energy: its context, principle and applications.
- Distinguish deep from shallow geothermal resources and their applications in buildings and industry.
- Understand the principle of vertical ground heat exchangers, open-loop groundwater systems and ground-source heat pumps.
- Know the data sources and support tools for studying projects.
Content
What the programme covers
Part 1: the resource and its uses
- The origin of geothermal heat, its relation to the Earth’s internal dynamics, and the geothermal gradient.
- Classification of resources: high-temperature, low-temperature and shallow, and the strengths and weaknesses of each.
- Applications: power generation, direct use of heat and cooling.
- The geological setting in Saudi Arabia: volcanic harrats and hot springs, including those of the Jazan region and Al-Lith.
Part 2: using the shallow subsurface
- The vertical ground heat exchanger and borehole fields.
- Open-loop groundwater systems and the hydrogeological principles they need.
- Ground-source heat pumps and their performance in a hot climate dominated by cooling.
- Regulatory considerations for drilling wells and using groundwater, geological and thermal data sources, and support tools, followed by applied exercises.
Who it is for
Target audience
Engineers and planners, decision-makers and project owners in the public and private sectors, developers, architects, contractors and HVAC engineers.
Method
Delivery method
Technical presentations and short applied exercises. Delivered in Arabic or English.
Questions
FAQ
Do participants need a geological background?
No. The programme is an introduction for non-specialists and presents geological and hydrogeological concepts only as far as project decisions require.
Is geothermal cooling viable in a hot climate?
In principle, yes. At limited depths the ground keeps a nearly constant temperature and can serve as a heat sink for cooling. The programme shows how cooling-dominated loads raise ground temperature over time, and why this must be studied in design.
Which programme follows this introduction?
Design of Vertical Ground Heat Exchanger Fields, for design engineers, covering sizing, thermal response testing and simulation.
A programme tailored to your organisation
The duration and topics of the programme are adjusted to the organisation's needs, and it is delivered at its site, in a training hall arranged by the Center, or virtually.