Doctoral Network on Energy Geostructures Integration: Buildings, Infrastructure and Underground Storage

GENIUS pioneers a comprehensive approach to address the biggest global challenge the energy sector is facing: the transition to renewable-based, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. Space heating and cooling currently makes up the world's largest energy sector, accounting for approximately 50% of the final energy consumption. This figure is expected to grow rapidly over the coming decades due to economic and population growth, and inevitable increase in urbanisation. At the same time, the world is experiencing one of the most severe global energy crises in history, impacting the fossil fuels’ availability and cost. More than ever, there is an urgent need for innovative technologies to harvest renewable energy resources, to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels. Energy geostructures represent an effective means to meet the world request of less dependence on unsustainable resources by being designed as dual-purpose elements targeting geothermal heat exchange and structural support for buildings. Yet, their wider use has been hindered by the lack of (i) sustainable expertise pipeline in the field of energy geotechnology, (ii) technical knowledge regarding the integration of energy geostructures to buildings and infrastructure, (iii) scientific knowledge for the integration of energy geostructures with other underground structures. GENIUS will address all three challenges by developing advanced analysis and design tools for energy geostructures (WP-1) and by advancing practical and scientific knowledge for their integration with buildings, infrastructure and other energy resources (WP-2 and WP-3). Furthermore, the holistic approach of GENIUS will train the ESRs to become pioneering experts in conceptualization, design and implementation of energy geostructure applications. Networking with their peers, industry and stakeholders will give them highly attractive skills for transforming their ideas to implementation.