Cars parked in underground parking lots throw off so much heat that it warms up groundwater beneath them. With waste heat from car engines warming these lots, they’re typically several degrees warmer than the surrounding subsurface, making them a heat source for ambient subsurface and groundwater. This wasted energy could supply households with heat through geothermal energy processes. Harnessing wasted heat would also help cool down groundwater, benefittng biodiversity and water quality. Higher groundwater temperatures pose a threat to groundwater fauna and increase bacterial growth in drinking water. And integrating heat pumps into existing ventilation systems might be a way to utilize waste heat energy from underground parking lot air.
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