IGSHPA Research Conference 2026 – in Cooperation with IEA and AIT
In cooperation with the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, the next IGSHPA Research Track of the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) will take place as part of the 15th IEA Heat Pump Conference from 26 to 29 May 2026 in Vienna, Austria.
The IGSHPA Research Track is the fifth in a series of successful research formats previously held in Denver (2017), Stockholm (2018), Las Vegas (2022) and Montréal (2024). As in previous years, all scientific contributions will undergo a peer review process to ensure high quality.
The Heat Pump Conference 2026 team is very much looking forward to welcoming participants to this established format in Vienna.
Submission of scientific contributions:
Conference contributions will be made freely available with DOI numbers on the IGSHPA website and will also be permanently stored in the IEA Heat Pump Centre archive. Particularly high-quality scientific papers will be invited to submit an extended version for a special issue of the journal Science and Technology for the Built Environment (link to TandFOnline.com Science and Technology for the Built Environment | Taylor & Francis Online).
In addition to traditional scientific papers, there will also be an opportunity to submit shorter application-oriented contributions dealing with the latest developments in practice and technology – an ideal opportunity for practitioners to present practice-relevant results.
Abstract and Paper Submissions:
Abstracts will be submitted via a web form with a maximum word count of 300 words for the main body of the abstract. Authors should choose Authors should choose “2.8 Ground-source heat pumps (IGSHPA)” as the subtopic under the primary topic “Applications: Heat pumps for Accelerated Decarbonisation”.
Templates for the full paper will be available later.
Topics:
- Advanced design of GHEs
- Measured performance of GSHP systems and alternative GHE designs
- Modeling and simulation of GSHPs and GSHP systems
- New system configurations and supporting models
- Environmental aspects of GSHP systems
- Design and performance of GSHPs and GSHP components
- Modeling and simulation of GHE and validation of GHE and GSHP models
- Coupled groundwater and borehole heat transfer models
- Community- or district-scale GSHP systems
- Thermal response tests for measurement of ground thermal properties
- Optimal control, operation and fault detection of GSHP systems
- Advances in materials and working fluids used in GHE
- Energy storage integrated with GSHP systems
- Developments in the regulation and permitting of GSHP systems
- Application of GSHP systems in the urban environment
- Application of GSHP systems for agriculture
- Energy geostructures (geo-piles, energy shafts, geo-tunnels, geo-walls)
- Open loop GSHP systems (e.g., standing column wells)
- Integration of alternative thermal energy sources (surface water, wastewater, etc.) with GSHP systems
- Other GSHP-related phenomena (e.g., moisture transport, groundwater flow, freezing/thawing).
- History of GSHPs and GSHP technology