The real stars of the day were the participants themselves and their spontaneous reactions. The seniors saw the gathering as proof that the SYNERGYS project is making real progress. “I was here two years ago, and you can really see how far this project has come! I also liked the examples from abroad. I definitely agree that geothermal energy should be used in Litoměřice, and I believe I’ll live to see it,” shared one of the enthusiastic participants.
It was also a great reward for the organizers that people keep coming back to the event. Another woman admitted with a smile: “I was here last year and I liked it. And since at my age it’s easy to forget things, I had to stop by again to refresh my memory.” Other visitors, on the other hand, regretted missing last year’s event, as they are very interested in energy storage options and modern heating methods.
The integration of various types of green energy has sparked a major debate. The SYNERGYS project, led by a consortium of partners headed by the Faculty of Science at Charles University, does not rely solely on geothermal heat. As geothermal expert Petr Dědeček explained to the seniors, the goal is to create a functional, energy-self-sufficient technological “ecosystem”: Shallow and deep boreholes (at depths ranging from 100 to 3,500 meters) will capture and store energy. Photovoltaic panels on building roofs will generate electricity and heat in the summer, which will be stored underground.
The seniors were, of course, also interested in which buildings the heat would be supplied to. The discussion revealed that the energy will be used primarily for public buildings connected to the municipal heating plant, to which the geothermal well is expected to supply roughly 10 to 15% of its total output. And even though some correctly pointed out that no one can predict the exact economic return with 100% certainty these days, the overall tone was thoroughly positive.
In addition to the lectures, the seniors were also treated to a tour of the laboratory. Geothermal scientist Petr Dědeček from the Institute of Geophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences showed them the instruments scientists use to study how rocks conduct and store heat. Geophysicist Josef Vlček, in turn, explained the importance of the seismic network, which monitors the safety of deep drilling operations. The drilling technology itself sparked the greatest amazement. “I was surprised by the small diameter of the borehole and the drilling method. It’s incredibly interesting,” one of the participants shared.
Today’s Open day demonstrated that Litoměřice’s senior citizens have a keen interest in geothermal energy. The event dispelled concerns, and the vast majority of the nearly seventy visitors left convinced that the geothermal project has the green light and that the city of Litoměřice is on the right track with it.
