A Structured Evaluation of Key Factors for Shallow Geothermal Hybrid Heating and Cooling Systems in the Danube Region Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process

This study presents a structured evaluation of key factors influencing the design of shallow geothermal (SG) hybrid heating and cooling systems in the Danube Region. As part of the Danube GeoHeCo project, a criteria catalogue was developed using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to support the creation of an IT decision support tool. Through expert-based pairwise comparisons and eigenvalue analysis, the relative weights of technical, geological, socioeconomic, and environmental criteria were derived. Results show that thermal demand, drilling costs, and hydrogeological site characteristics are the most influential parameters. The final ranked list of twenty sub-criteria provides a basis for prioritizing input data and optimizing early-stage system design. This framework supports more efficient project planning, targeted data collection, and the development of robust shallow geothermal hybrid solutions aligned with regional energy transition goals.