A Spectral Element Model for Ground Source Heat Pump Systems: Forward and Inverse Calculations

The ground source heat pump (GSHP) system is a well-established technology that utilizes a renewable energy source for heating and cooling of buildings. This technology is attractive because it relies on energy gain from shallow depths which are available nearly everywhere. Furthermore, it produces minimal CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Accordingly, this technology is thriving, and currently adopted in many countries all over the world. Nevertheless, due to the lack of accurate and efficient computational models, the design of GSHP systems is not yet optimal and requires further development, which constitutes the main goal of this thesis.