Content

GeoCoHorT aims to advance fourth-generation district heating and cooling by integrating shallow geothermal heat with other renewables and smart buildings. The project focuses on a micro-district in Limerick, Ireland, using groundwater from the River Shannon to improve efficiency and reduce noise. It will develop a tool for communities and planners to optimize heating systems, considering costs and environmental impact.

Project implementation

WP1 :

Key Objectives:

  • Progress and cost monitoring

  • Checking of schedules, deliverables, and milestones

  • Risk analysis, preparation, and management of contingency plans

Description of Work:

T 1.1: Project coordination (Lead: MDU, M1-36)

T 1.2: Quality Assurance, Risks, and IP management (Lead: MDU, M1-36)

T 1.3: Financial administration and maintenance of legal documents (Lead: MDU, M1-36)

WP2:

Key Objectives:

  • Engagement of community members at an early stage.

  • Overcome barriers for local integration in a timely manner.

  • Translate project outcomes to the community in effective way.

Description of Work:

T 2.1: Identification of stakeholders, barriers and opportunity in the community (MEGA, M1-M30)

T 2.2: Education activities (MEGA, M6-M36)

T 2.3: Stakeholder-oriented communication activities (MEGA, M1-M36)

WP3:

Key Objectives:

  • Optimize 4GDH architecture with aid of physics-based and data-driven models for small- and medium-scale networks integrated with secondary and non-conventional sources.

  • Optimize system behavior by integrating secondary and non-conventional heating flows into the overall functionality of smart buildings.

  • Produce a user-friendly resource/demand matching tool for the community members.

Description of Work:

T 3.1: Models integration requirements capture (M1-M12, MDU)

T 3.2: Models adaptation to micro-community and shallow-geothermal source (M6-M12, MDU)

T 3.3: Models testing on collected data (M12-M18, MDU)

T 3.4: Case scenarios simulation and optimization (M18-M24, NETL)

T 3.5: Flexible matching tool development for 4GDH (M18-M30, NETL)

WP4:

Key Objectives:

  • Install necessary sensors for data analysis and models validation.

  • Ensure rReaserch IintegrityReaserch Integrity and proper IPR/data management within the project.

  • Integrate models from WP3 and sensors data into a simulation platform for a business model evaluation.

  • Produce a business model for the Limerick community.

Description of Work:

T 4.1: Installation of sensors for data collection (M3-M12, UCC)

T 4.2: Data management and analysis (M3-M33, UCC)

T 4.3: Peer-to-peer energy trading module development (M3-M18, UCC)

T 4.4: P2p Module test in Limerick (M18-M30, UCC)

WP5:

Key Objectives:

  • Modify icationsModifications to the existing Fflexible Eenergy Ddistrict HhubFlexible Energy District Hub in Limerick for demonstration of the GeoCoHorT concept.

  • Test the feasibility of the project in an actual community.

Description of Work:

T 5.1: Demonstration of improved heat management (MEGA, M24-M36)

T 5.2: Expansion plan (MDU, M30-M36)

T 5.3: Business models (UCC, M30-M36)

WP6:

Key Objectives:

  • Expand awareness and create public value.

  • Communicate the project findings through scientific publications and conferences presentations.

  • Study how to further upscale and market the concept proposed in the project.

  • Evaluate strategies for the exploitation of project innovation through the produced business models.

Description of Work:

T 6.1: Scientific dissemination activities (MDU, M6-M36)

T 6.2: Exploitation strategy definition (MDU, M30-M36)

T 6.3: Road-map to TRL9 (MDU, M30-M36)