Systematic and patent review on geothermal applied to cooling systems for buildings in a tropical climate.

Abstract

It appears that, currently, there is an increase in the demand for cooling environments, aiming at obtaining adequate conditions of thermal comfort, as a result of the phenomenon of global warming. In this sense, there is also an increase in the energy demand to supply them and studies on passive thermal conditioning systems or complementary to active systems, such as geothermal energy, stand out. Thus, the objective is to investigate the application of geothermal as a cooling strategy in a tropical climate, identifying its potential and viability. It uses a bibliographic and patent review, having selected 25 scientific publications and 226 patents in databases. The results show South Korea and the United States as market leaders; the technologies relate to machines and equipment in the air conditioning sector. Research recognizes the economic and environmental benefits of geothermal over traditional solutions, although only a single study has been located for tropical climates.