Advancing Sustainable Climatization by Way of Energy Geostructures in the Retrofitting of Buildings

Ground Source Heat Pump systems can significantly contribute to the decarbonization of the built environment but may incur high groundwork costs. Energy Geostructures (EGs) are alternative solutions that combine Heat Pumps with heat exchanger circuits embedded in ground structures, such as foundations and retaining walls, thus reducing installation costs. This paper reviews the state of the art of EGs and the recent advances by the Italian project GEOREFIT, specifically addressing the applicability and efficiency of this technology in energy retrofitting of existing buildings and infrastructures. The paper exemplifies technical solutions for EG installation in refurbishment projects and shows that EG energy performance is generally comparable and sometimes higher than conventional Ground Heat Exchangers.