Database-Driven Analysis of Energy Geostructures Using a Global Dataset: Diffusion, Efficiency, and Environmental Performance

Renewable Energy 2026
Diana Salciarini, Marco Gerola, Simone De Feudis, Arianna Lupattelli, Giorgia Dalla Santa, Giulia Capati, Rafai Mouadh, Jeļena Tihana, Alice Di Donna, Elena Ravera, Alessandra Insana, Hussein Mroueh, Marco Barla

Energy Geostructures (EGs) are multifunctional systems that combine structural support with thermal energy exchange using low-enthalpy geothermal energy. This study presents a comprehensive analysis based on a global database of 972 case studies from 27 countries, primarily in Europe, including real-world installations, test sites, and simulations. It focuses on the development and performance of various EG types – particularly energy piles (789 cases), energy walls (79), and energy tunnels (27) – making it the most extensive EG database to date. Geographically, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and the UK lead in EG adoption, with Italy and France also contributing significantly.

Keywords
Energy geostructures, Shallow geothermal energy, Database, Ground heat exchangers, Case studies, Thermal performance
DOI
10.1016/j.renene.2025.124373
Hyperlink
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148125020373

Salciarini, D., Gerola, M., De Feudis, S., Lupattelli, A., Dalla Santa, G., Capati, G., Mouadh, R., Tihana, J., Di Donna, A., Ravera, E., Insana, A., Mroueh, H., Barla, M. Database-Driven Analysis of Energy Geostructures Using a Global Dataset: Diffusion, Efficiency, and Environmental Performance. Renewable Energy, 2026, Vol. 256, No. 1, Article number 124373. ISSN 0960-1481. e-ISSN 1879-0682. Pieejams: doi:10.1016/j.renene.2025.124373

Publication language
English (en)