Soil fitness card closed systems Zeeland

The soil suitability map for soil energy shall reflect the technical suitability for soil energy systems for both open (cold/heat storage) and closed (soil heat exchangers) systems. The suitability maps shall indicate whether there are: (1) In terms of soil, sufficient ‘space’ in the soil is (2) whether this space is ‘accessible’ to store and recover heat and cold. The ‘space’ is determined by the thickness of the soil layers, while the ‘accessibility’ of the soil is determined by the porosity of the soil layers (how ‘gross’ the sand, the better the inflow is). In Zeeland there appears to be considerable variation in the suitability of the soil layers: in Schouwen-Duiveland and Tholen the soil is suitable to a depth of about 220 m -NAP relative to a depth of (only) 30 m -NAP in Zeeuws Vlaanderen. In some areas in Zeeland Flanders, the suitable soil layers are even thinner. In addition, the northerner in Zeeland the more coarse the soil layers are. Especially in the southern parts of Zeeland, groundwater quality (redox limit and salinisation) is an important focus for open systems. The suitability maps also incorporate the legal framework conditions in Zeeland. These concern four areas where the soil is reserved for drinking water. In these areas, it is prohibited to dig or drill into the soil, including for the purposes of soil energy systems. This map does not provide information on the suitability of the subsurface in Zeeland for geothermal/natural heat.