Findability of geothermal energy websites in seven EU countries and Iceland

Obtaining information on scientific topics and access to websites with multidimensional data is a crucial part of any geothermal project development. Using the Internet to publish information according to the FAIR principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reusability) on topics that are not yet well known to stakeholders could improve not only general knowledge but also public acceptance for increased use of geothermal in the future. This research lists 90 geothermal websites from eight countries: nine in Austria, 13 in Croatia, eight in Hungary, 17 in Italy, seven in Germany, 16 in Iceland, 13 in the Netherlands and seven in Slovenia, and classifies them based on findability and content criteria. It is an issue that only 41 % of these national-relevant websites are easy to find using a browser and keywords, while for the rest an expert advice is needed. The user-impression by searching these websites was checked, for example, on language, graphical presentation, type of information, content, and references. It was expected that Iceland, Italy and Germany, as the countries with the largest geothermal utilization, have the most information available. Iceland has the most findable and quality websites, while Italy has the most listed websites but only a few are easy to find. Germany is not ranked as high as expected. The Netherlands and Croatia do not stand out but have few very good websites. Hungary and Austria show similar results while Slovenia needs most improvements.