Sustainable Use of Geothermal Resources: Applications and Case Studies in Northern Italy

In recent years, Italy has witnessed an increasing interest in the use of geothermal resources as well as in the key role hydrogeology plays in the study of geothermal systems and in design of installations. For these reasons within the framework of activities aimed at studying current and future exploitation and the related sustainability of geothermal resources and within the Italian Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists, the Working Group IDROGEOTER was set up in 2012 and started operating in 2013. With regard to the work plan of the Working Group, the first step is an analysis of the state of the art in the current use of low-to-high enthalpy geothermal resources in Italy. This will be achieved through an inventory of data, applications and case studies, aimed at determining the relationship between the hydrogeological settings resulting from features such as hydrostratigraphy, hydraulic and hydrodynamic conditions, hydro-geochemistry, and the availability of the resource and the potential of the systems (Cerutti et al. 2013a, b). Further activities of IDROGEOTER will include the preparation of proposed guidelines for hydrogeothermal studies, specifically focused on sustainability.