Recent Advances in Shallow Ground Thermal Energy

This book provides state of-the-art advances in the area of shallow thermal energy knowledge developments where the thermal interaction of the ground with a structure of any type (building, greenhouse, etc¿) is detailed. It is a valuable source of up to date information for scientists and engineers working in the design and implementation of renewable ground source energy based solutions, in response to a continuously increasing demand. The book content is presented in four chapters, each featuring an important aspect so as to give a balanced picture of the current status and endeavours being consented in the area. In this respect Chapter 1 presents a general background of the subject, introducing ground energy types, current challenges and potential applications. Elements of ground physics are introduced in Chapter 2 with the discussion of some common techniques used to determine the ground characteristics. Chapter 3 discusses ground modeling, identifies areas for improvements and introduces some new prediction features. Finally, Chapter 4 reports the results and analysis, based on models and correlations developed in Chapter 3.