Investigation of the ground thermal potential in tunisia focused towards heating and cooling applications

In this paper, an experiment has been conducted in order to record the ground temperature at different depths during 2006 in a suburb of Sfax (Tunisia) which represents an example of the South-Mediterranean climate. The temperature of the soil has also been calculated using a thermal model taking into account properties of the soil and meteorological conditions. Experimental results are compared with theoretical predictions. In order to estimate the influence of the soil properties on the ground temperature, different soil thermal conductivities are tested. A simplified model of an earth pipe system is developed. The cooling and heating capabilities produced by such a system are evaluated. This model is validated against an other published experimental model.