Fleur Loveridge

Inside a well-lit exhibition space, two people stand side by side wearing white virtual-reality headsets, experiencing a VR demonstration. A third person in the background, wearing a long coat, looks at items in a display case. To the right, a man in a jacket leans over a wooden table, interacting with a tablet. On the table are additional VR headsets and a large camera with a zoom lens. Behind them on the wall hang several large photos showing underground cave-exploration scenes.

“Underground worlds – caves of the Yorkshire Dales and Vietnam” is a new exhibition showcasing how Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and the Yorkshire Dales boast some of the largest and longest cave systems 👇

https://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/international-caving-exhibition-opens-in-hawes/

GeoGrid Hear from the GeoGrid project team as they discuss the learnings and insights from their Alpha Round 4 project. GeoGrid is exploring the use of Geothermal Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) to store renewable electricity as heat with Leeds University as a trial site

In case you missed it, Prof Fleur Loveridge @undertheground.bsky.social and Dr Emma Bramham presented at the GeoGrid Show & Tell event organised by project partner LCP Delta @lcp-delta.bsky.social at the end of September.

🎧 Listen to the talk: tinyurl.com/2vthca6h

Costs can be comparable to other low carbon options for retrofit, but can be higher more generally. Hence key to get policy right for SGL approach, especially where they can help with coordinated switching using a utility model in space constrained areas outside of heat network zones.

Schematic showing policy for individual heat pumps (boiler upgrade scheme or BUS, social housing decarbonisation fund, heat pump ready programme) and for heat networks (heat network zoning, green heat network fund). Heat and Buildings Strategy applies to both, but nothing specifically for shared ground loops.

SGL provide a good solution outside of heat network zones, but where housing is still relatively dense. But much current policy excludes SGL and focuses on individual heat pumps or heat networks. [Note - since this paper was written some parts of SGL scheme costs can now come under BUS]

SGL work really well when there is no space for individual heat pumps (e.g. flats, terraced houses). But you need shared infrastructure below ground, e.g. in a shared garden, beneath a street. Hence work best where there is a social landlord or a new development, to provide coordination + impetus.

A schematic showing terraced housing and a block of flats, each connected to a shared ground loop ground heat exchanger, with individual distributed heat pumps in each property.

We have a new (open access) paper on the opportunities (and challenges) for ground source heat pumps systems using shared ground loops (SGL).
doi.org/10.1016/j.rs...

Prof Fleur Loveridge @undertheground.bsky.social will present the University of Leeds Geothermal Campus project at the West Midlands Regional Group of the Geological Society of London.

📅 09 December 2025
⌛ 18:30 - 19:30
📍 Mott MacDonald offices, Birmingham & online

Register 🔗 bit.ly/4rynn4y

The SmartRes Project: Advancing Shallow Geothermal Systems in the UK : Geosolutions Leeds The UK has come a long way in decarbonising electricity. With the closure of the country’s last coal-fired power station, we’ve entered a new era of cleaner energy. Yet, one major challenge remains: h...

🌍 Shaping a Low-Carbon Future 🌍

Our colleagues, Dr Adam Booth @geophysics-adam.bsky.social and Prof Fleur Loveridge @undertheground.bsky.social, are helping unlock the potential of geothermal energy in UK cities through the SmartRes project.

More about the project👉 tinyurl.com/39bsbnww

So, good that electricity prices are coming down, but a missed opportunity to further incentivise heat pumps by also bringing down the elec to gas price ratio. Its a start, but more work needed.

I mean, if men can't bat properly, maybe they shouldn't be allowed to play test cricket.

How heat from old coal mines became a source of local pride in this northern English town – new study Mine water district heating schemes provide an opportunity to involve communities in their energy futures.

Mine water district heating schemes provide an opportunity to involve communities in their energy futures.

YouTube video by DelAmitriVEVO Del Amitri - Don't Come Home Too Soon (Official Team Scotland Song World Cup '98)

Time to remember one of the best official football songs youtu.be/2T68AXsUAEI?...

Including with responsibility for geothermal energy.

Why stop there? We do our own washing up.

Flooded UK coalmines could provide low-carbon cheap heat ‘for generations’ Report says proven technology could benefit thousands in poor quality housing and help UK meet carbon reduction targets

More geothermal in the news: this time mine water heat and its potential to heat homes across much of the UK. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Geothermal energy from heat pumps could heat all Cardiff homes Traffic and people on Cardiff's streets causes what has been called

We need a lot more of the utility model showcased here to get our heating decarbonised: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A quarter of the way there and struggling

Today is a good day to remind people that it is an order of magnitude safer to travel by train than by car.

West Coast Main Line: Train derails in Cumbria with 'days' of disruption expected The train was carrying around 85 passengers when it derailed at 06:10 - Avanti West Coast advises customers not to travel north of Preston today.

A train has derailed near to Shap in Cumbria in northern England after it struck a landslide. Fortunately, it remained upright, so there is no loss of life. Some people have suffered minor injuries.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cz...

And that climate impacts will hit the poorest, hungriest and least secure in the world first and hardest. There is coupling between the challenges.

The War in Sudan, and role of the UAE

A few months old, but still useful background to what is going on. open.spotify.com/episode/0jZl....

@snellarthur.bsky.social always a good source on forgotton conflicts.

Illuminating.
I also get the feeling that on the big occasions, certain players and teams step up their game, and Eng always seem to step down. There has to be a mental element too.

Lots of noise (rightly) about Gaza. Some about Ukraine. But always less about Sudan and Myanmar. The world must not stand by and forget about these places.

Unexplored caves. One of the places you can relatively easily visit that have never been seen or impacted hy humans. Always a privilege.

Well, that is something at least.

@syd-e13.bsky.social what would colombo being washed out for the rest of the tournament do to this analysis? It would clearly disadvantage Pak and SL, but presumably also SA and NZ.

A pleasure to participate in the discussions this morning about how our transition to net zero can improves peoples' lives and the role that geothermal energy can play.

Its almost like the ICC does not give a flying f@ck about women's cricket. Host a tournament when the monsoon might start. Great idea. All needed cos you let regional politics dictate global competitions so you need two countries. Super stuff.

Looking west from Dollywagon at a cloud inversion below

Different cloud layers in shades of blue and grey interspersed with Lake District hills

Some spectacular cloud conditions this weekend.

Caving: 'Some like golf, some like football - we go underground' - BBC News Following an arduous rescue of three cavers in Yorkshire, the BBC explores the world of caving.

Sport, friendship, exploration, and some of the most beautiful places on the planet. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...