Systematic review of research and utilization of shallow geothermal energy in Croatia

The utilization of shallow geothermal energy is well known in several European countries. Even though large parts of the Republic of Croatia show significant potential for its use, the installation of ground source heat pump systems (heat pump and heat exchangers) is slowly progressing. Therefore, a short overview of research published thus far concerning the utilization and assessments of shallow geothermal potential for Croatia was done. In Croatia, there is no agency or government department in charge of collecting and publishing data concerning installations of heat exchangers. Therefore, a study was done to collect the available data on installed closed-loop heat exchangers either from scientific research or from personal contacts with drilling companies. Based on the collected data, a map was produced that shows general locations of installed heat exchangers. From the obtained data of installed heat exchanger length, a first assessment of utilizing shallow geothermal potential in Croatia was given.