ATES-header

A collaborative research project between 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, the British Geological Survey and the University of Manchester

Aquifer thermal energy storage for decarbonisation of heating and cooling: Overcoming technical, economic and societal barriers to UK deployment (ATESHAC)

Providing low carbon heating and cooling for buildings is a key challenge in moving to a net-zero economy.   Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) is a type of geothermal seasonal energy storage that can deliver heating and cooling to large buildings, and heating/cooling networks, with very high energy efficiency and very low carbon emissions.  ATES recycles surplus heat and cool from buildings that would otherwise be wasted.

ATES-schematic

 

Typical ATES deployment using a well doublet. In summer (left), cool water is pumped out of the aquifer to provide space cooling, and warm water is pumped into the aquifer to store heat for use in winter. In winter (right), the system is reversed and operated with a heat pump: warm water is pumped out of the aquifer to provide space heating, and cool water is pumped into the aquifer to store cool for use in summer.

ATES is a key candidate technology for large-scale decarbonisation of heating and cooling in the UK, because the climate is seasonal and there are suitable aquifers beneath numerous large urban and industrial centres. However, uptake of ATES in the UK is low, with just a handful of projects in a few locations. In contrast, Holland has more than 2500 operational installations.

The broad aim of the ATESHAC project is to overcome technical, economic and societal barriers to large-scale deployment of ATES in the UK and other immature markets, by providing key data, knowledge and recommendations targeted at

  1. Industry, to raise awareness and reduce perceived technical and economic risks
  2. Government, to guide policy and stimulate uptake
  3. Regulatory authorities, to inform a fit-for-purpose regulatory framework

ATESHAC is a collaborative, multi-disciplinary project, involving researchers from the Department of Earth Science and Engineering, The Energy Futures Lab, and the Centre for Envionmental Policy at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø; the British Geological Survey, and the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Manchester.  

 

ATESHAC links

Research

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Publications

Explore our publications

People

The team at ATESHAC

Project partners

ATESHAC is supported by seventeen project partners who supply expert advice and guidance, provide key data, and a route to disseminate results direct to stakeholders.  If you would like to become a partner on the project, please let us know.

  • The UK Department of Energy Security and Next Zero () develops national and local policy pertaining to low carbon heating and cooling technology such as ATES
  • The UK  develops and applies the regulatory framework for ATES
  • leads commercial development of ATES in the UK and internationally
  •  leads commercial development of ATES in the UK and internationally
  • design Ground Source Heat Pump installations and Heat Networks including several UK ATES deployments
  • provide expert advice on Ground Source Heating and Cooling systems
  • deliver sustainable heating and cooling across city-scale networks
  • The drives the decarbonisation of heat
  • delivers lower cost and carbon emissions for energy intensive industry
  • is a major energy supplier and operates ATES systems in the UK
  •  has broad interest in energy storage in the UK and internationally
  •  leads on district heating installations
  •  supports analysis of ATES in an energy network context
  • The UK  informs policy and works to raise awareness of heat pump technology
  • The UK Ground Source Heat Pump Association () informs policy and uses results to improve best practice and update relevant code(s)
  • THE UK Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers () uses results to improve best practice and update relevant code(s)
  • The  confirm UK-wide engagement and applicability

Funding

ATESHAC is funded by the UK  (grant number ).  ATESHAC was funded as one of eleven projects under a specific call for new technology solutions to decarbonize heating and cooling (see ).

News

We are pleased to share news of the most recent paper from ATESHAC: , Applied Energy 376, 124096, 2024.  Results from the paper were featured in an article in the i newspaper: .

Contact us

The project lead, Professor Matthew Jackson, can be contacted at m.d.jackson@imperial.ac.uk.