From 8 to 10 June 2026, the InCUBE project team carried out a site visit to the geothermal borehole field at Complesso Santa Chiara in Trento, supervising key operational phases of one of the project’s core energy infrastructure works. 20 boreholes have been drilled to a depth of 150 metres each, forming a geothermal field that will serve two ground-source heat pumps of approximately 250 kW and 30 kW. Together, these systems will provide heating and cooling to the B6 and B1 buildings in the Santa Chiara district
The visit gave the team direct insight into the full sequence of borehole construction: drilling methodology, stratigraphic data collection, installation and removal of protective casing, and the grouting process that seals each borehole and ensures efficient heat transfer with the surrounding ground.
With operational support from the University of Padua, two boreholes were equipped with fiber optic cables for high-resolution monitoring of the stratigraphic temperature profile and thermal response. These two boreholes are also the focus of a targeted experiment: each was filled with a different grouting material, allowing a direct comparison between standard plastic filler grout and an innovative grout enhanced with Phase Change Material (PCM), designed to significantly increase latent heat storage capacity.
The goal is to investigate advanced thermal storage capabilities for borehole heat exchanger systems. In the coming weeks, data from the fiber optic sensors, combined with standard Geothermal Response Tests, will allow researchers to compare the PCM-enhanced borehole directly against the benchmark grout, assessing its potential to optimize the thermal performance of borehole energy systems.
Onsite supervision will continue as the project moves into the next phases: finalizing the connection works and preparing the technical plant rooms that will house the heat pumps.
This site visit marks another step in InCUBE’s effort to test and validate innovative geothermal solutions under real operating conditions, generating data that will inform the design of more efficient borehole thermal energy systems across the project.
