Is clean energy hiding just beneath our feet?
Every day, thousands of students and staff at the University of Leeds walk across a campus that’s sitting on a powerful, untapped resource — one that could offer a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.
Now, a pioneering research group is exploring how ground source heat can be harnessed to warm university buildings, driving Leeds closer to its net zero ambitions.
We need to rethink how we manage heat and advance the use of more sustainable, low-carbon energy, if we are to achieve the University’s net zero targets and contribute to the wider UK decarbonisation targets. Using geothermal systems for heating, cooling, and energy storage could play a key role in this transition.
Geothermal is a renewable, clean source of energy (no fossil fuels are burned), stored in the form of heat beneath the earth. It can be found almost anywhere in the UK at depths ranging from a few metres (shallow) to several kilometres (deep). Geothermal energy can be harnessed using various technologies.
Extracting heat from shallow geothermal sources (less than 500 metres below ground) has the potential to become a widespread practice across much of the UK, as subsurface temperatures remain relatively stable throughout the year. This approach also relies on well-understood geology and reliable technologies, such as heat pumps.
To speed up and expand the use of geothermal energy across the UK, we need to understand the associated costs, its efficiency and long-term impact. Running pilot studies across a range of geological settings and end-use applications will help minimise risks and enable making more informed decisions.
In early 2024, Geosolutions Leeds, a research group at the University of Leeds, began exploring how groundwater resources could be harnessed for heating and cooling buildings on campus. This included drilling 11 boreholes across campus, reaching depths of 150 to 250 metres.
The testing on campus revealed an abundance of groundwater resources that could be used directly as a heat source. The findings also suggest that the ground conditions beneath campus — the interbedded sandstones, mudstones, and siltstones of the Coal Measures, significant water resources and existing ground water flow — allow heat energy to flow through quickly.
These findings support the potential for developing a low-carbon heating system on campus. The University is considering establishing a new energy centre which would supply geothermal heat (Fig. 1) to its Engineering buildings and Henry Price student accommodation — which together serve around 10,000 staff and students.
Throughout the project, the research team worked closely with the Facilities Directorate, the University’s Net Zero Delivery teams, drilling contractors ANTS Group and engineering consultancy Buro Happold.
Pip Hunsworth is a Leeds alum, graduating with an MSc in Engineering Geology. Pip is now Associate Director at Buro Happold and back on campus working with University researchers.
“I never expected when doing my undergraduate and MSc at the University of Leeds that I would be involved in a project on campus like this. A key part of our work involves collaborating with the academic teams to ensure the data that is obtained can be used as part of the university’s future works associated with their net zero ambitions. It’s really exciting!”
- Pip Hunsworth, Leeds alum and Associate Director at Buro Happold
What makes this project even more exciting is that if we can harness geothermal heat beneath our campus, the same approach could likely be applied to other areas across Leeds and the wider city region, which have similar underground rock structures.
To enable this, Geosolutions Leeds researchers are collaborating with local and national stakeholders, including Leeds City Council and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, to explore more far-reaching opportunities for geothermal energy in the urban environment.
The drilling site on campus is actively operating as a Living Lab, creating teaching and learning opportunities for students in Leeds, as well as meeting research and carbon reduction objectives. The facility has been utilised for taught and lab modules, allowing the academic team to train the next generation of scientists to tackle the energy transition.
“The unique part of this project is the way the University academic teams have engaged with the process so positively, spreading the benefits of the results not only for decarbonisation but also education of current and future students.”
- Nick Boid, Discipline Director — Energy (UK) at Buro Happold
