Why organise a geothermal project day?
The Bavarian Molasse Basin in southern Germany is, with 26 operating heating and Combined Heat and Power plants, one of the most extensively used hydrothermal regions in Europe. Yet only about 40 % of the German population is aware that geothermal energy can be used to heat and power homes and industry, and the topic barely appears in school curricula.
This knowledge gap is all the more significant given that the shortage of skilled workers is one of the key challenges facing the further expansion of geothermal energy in Germany. Women, in particular, remain significantly underrepresented in technical professions—including in the field of geothermal energy.
Project overview
Within the framework of the “TUM Entdeckerinnen” study orientation programme at the Technical University of Munich, we have developed a one-day geothermal project for schoolgirls. The overarching programme aims to awaken girls’ interest in STEM subjects shortly before they decide on a vocation or course of study. Geothermal is one of eleven courses offered to schools in rural Bavaria.
The project day uses a “travelling classroom” format: we bring all the materials to the school.
Introductory session
A quiz on the energy system and the role of utility companies, followed by a short presentation introducing the concept of geothermal energy.
Escape game
Ten linked challenges through which the girls work out the local geothermal resource for their own town. Each station provides all the necessary materials and concludes with a multiple-choice question. Only the correct answer unlocks the next challenge. Learning by trying and making mistakes is explicitly encouraged.
Wrap-up session
Using a working model of a geothermal heating plant with a measurable temperature rise in the “supply area”, the individual stations are tied together into one coherent system. Behind the scenes, a hot (reservoir) tank and a cold (heating grid) tank are connected via aquarium pumps and a heat exchanger.
Image: This simplified model illustrates what happens beneath our feet, from the rock layers deep underground to the supply of water to homes on the surface (Source: GAB).
Explore, experiment, understand
Each challenge focuses on a key aspect of a geothermal system, such as:
Geology: The girls match rock samples from the Bavarian subsurface to the right descriptions and identify which one does not actually occur in Bavaria.
Heat transport: Using a tank of water and food dye, the girls observe how heat spreads through a reservoir and compare the speed of convection and conduction.
Hydrogeology: With sand, gravel and water, the girls measure for themselves how much water a rock can hold and how easily it flows through.
Reservoir depth: Using data from neighbouring geothermal plants, the girls use simple geometry to estimate how deep the reservoir lies beneath their hometown.
Drilling: On a small model, the girls drill through a self-built sedimentary sequence using hand augers and work out how to keep the borehole stable.
Inspire enthusiasm, open up new horizons
To date, around 100 girls have participated in the project day. Before the event, most participants had only a limited understanding of the energy system. In particular, they are often unaware of how much greater the demand for heat is in Central Europe compared to the demand for electricity. Renewable heat sources such as geothermal energy are also largely unknown to them, even when there is an active well near their school. Complex STEM topics, especially when math and geometry come into play, often trigger a fear of getting involved.
Breaking the topic down into ten manageable challenges makes it tangible and lowers the barrier to entry. Participants understand the role of local utility companies, discover that earth sciences are surprisingly interesting, and meet young role models who engage with them in a practical, peer-to-peer manner. By the end of the day, many have come to realize that a sustainable future is not just a matter of lifestyle, but also a matter of career choice.