There are many places in Germany where deep geothermal energy is available as an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels as a source of power and heat. When it comes to utilising this energy, drilling is the most expensive part. Power and heat generation is only cost-effective if sufficiently high water temperatures and flow rates are found. Via GeotIS, an online information system, planners can now gain fast access to geological and geophysical data for Germany.

In Germany, geoscientific data is managed by the geological services in the federal states. Data from thousands of boreholes drilled by the oil and gas industry in Germany is kept by the industry and for commercial reasons has hardly ever been published. Using this valuable data can help to better estimate the exploration risk for deep boreholes and increase the chances of success for geothermal energy projects. Hence the aim of the Geothermal Information System (GeotIS) is to record, analyse and process this data so that it can be used in geothermal energy projects. GeotIS makes the data available in the Internet as a digital geothermal atlas which helps interested parties such as planners, investors, public authorities and insurance companies carry out a basic assessment of a site.

At present, the database mainly covers regions which are already used for geothermal energy, such as the Molasse Basin in southern Germany (geographically the area between the Danube and the Alps), the Upper Rhine Graben and the North German Basin. There are plans to add further regions. GeotIS provides extensive data on the subsurface, such as the depth of rock layers, the type and permeability of rock, and the temperature and structure. Operating data from geothermal systems is also displayed, such as heat and electricity output, temperatures, flow rates and extraction depth.

The Leibniz Institute for Applied Geophysics (LIAG) in Hanover coordinates and runs GeotIS. Data for developing GeotIS is supplied by the state geological services, Freie Universität Berlin and Geothermie Neubrandenburg GmbH. For the first time, the member companies in Wirtschaftsverband Erdöl- und Erdgasgewinnung (WEG) have made a large volume of data from past oil and gas drilling available and are assisting in the development of the information system content.

Data from geological surveys in neighbouring countries is also being incorporated into GeotIS. The French Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM) has provided archive documents from boreholes in the French part of the Upper Rhine Graben for further investigations through the Department of Environment of the Regierungspräsidium (District Authority) Freiburg of the State of Baden-Württemberg. A similar exchange of data is taking place with Switzerland for south-western Germany.